Lin Chen stared at them, his breathing uneven. "What just happened?" he asked, his voice quieter than before.Qing Li rubbed his shoulder, where he had twisted away from the branch. "You nearly took my head off." Lin Chen's eyes widened slightly. He looked at the tree where the branch had struck, then back at Qing Li. "I thought you were going to attack me." Qing Li stared at him. "Why would I do that?" "I don't know!" Lin Chen dragged a hand through his wet hair, frustration and confusion mixing in his expression. "You were all saying you wanted to get rid of me." Su Yuan exchanged a puzzled glance with Wei Han before turning back to him. "We never said that."
Lin Chen fell silent. His gaze moved from one face to another, searching for some sign that they were hiding something from him. Qing Li watched him carefully, still rubbing his shoulder where the branch had nearly struck him. "Lin Chen, what exactly did you see?" he asked. Lin Chen looked at him sharply. "You don't remember what you just said?" Qing Li's frown deepened. "What did I say?" "That you wanted to get rid of me!" Lin Chen's voice rose again, though the uncertainty in his eyes betrayed him. "You said I shouldn't have come with you. Then Su Yuan said you couldn't let me leave."
Su Yuan stared at him in confusion. "I never said that." Lin Chen opened his mouth to argue, but the words caught in his throat. He looked at Wei Han, hoping he would at least admit what had happened. Wei Han shook his head slowly. "None of us said those things, Lin Chen. You suddenly started shouting at us, then picked up that branch and attacked Qing Li." Lin Chen glanced at the branch lying in the mud. His fingers twitched at his sides as he tried to make sense of their answers. "But I heard you," he muttered. "I was standing right here. How could I have imagined all of it?" Chen Yu stepped closer, his concern replacing the surprise on his face. "Did you see something before you started shouting? Some kind of illusion?" Lin Chen rubbed his forehead, looking increasingly unsettled. "I don't know. Everything seemed normal, and then you all started acting like..." He stopped, unable to finish.
Qing Li exchanged another glance with Wei Han. Neither of them seemed to understand what Lin Chen meant, and neither pressed him for an explanation. Xu Yang watched Lin Chen, then glanced at Yan Luo, who was still standing close to Su Yuan. Both of them had reacted to something the others couldn't see, and neither seemed ready to talk about it. Xu Yang's ears lowered slightly as another cold drop of rain slid through his fur. First Yan Luo, now Lin Chen. What exactly is this rain doing to them?..He looked up at the dark canopy overhead. The rain showed no sign of stopping.
The group continued along the narrow path between the trees, their footsteps sinking into the wet earth. No one spoke much. Lin Chen kept glancing at the others as if he was still unsure whether to trust what he saw, while Yan Luo stayed close to Su Yuan. Xu Yang followed in the middle of the group.I really need to stop going on adventures where the weather has personal issues with everyone. Normal rain gets people wet. This rain apparently wants to ruin our lives...
A few minutes later, Wei Han suddenly stopped walking. The others took a few more steps before realizing he was no longer with them. Wei Han stood still in the rain, staring at his hands. Blood covered his palms and ran between his fingers, dripping onto the ground. He turned his hands over, but the blood remained. Even his sleeves were stained red. Confused, he looked around and saw bodies lying in the forest. Some lay beneath the trees, while others were scattered along the path. Their faces were pale, and their eyes were closed. He didn't recognize all of them, but a few looked strangely familiar. He stared at one man's face, trying to remember where he had seen him before, but nothing came to mind.
"Look at your hands." Wei Han turned at the sound of a voice, but no one stood behind him. He looked between the trees, searching for whoever had spoken. "Who's there?" he called. "You know what you did." The voice seemed to come from somewhere among the bodies. Wei Han turned toward them, but none of them moved. "I don't know what you're talking about." "Then why do you remember?" Wei Han fell silent.He took a step back, then heard a faint scraping sound behind him. When he turned, one of the bodies was lying much closer than before. Its eyes were open, staring straight at him.
Wei Han's breath caught. He moved back quickly and nearly tripped over another body at his feet. He looked down, then hurried away from it. "No...no" he muttered, shaking his head. "This isn't real." "Isn't it?" The voice came from close behind him. Wei Han turned around sharply, but there was still no one there. He looked from the trees to the bodies, his heart beating faster. He didn't know who these people were or why they were lying there. He only knew that the voice seemed to blame him for their deaths. He looked down at his hands again and tried to wipe the blood away. It spread across his skin instead. He rubbed his palms against his clothes, but the stains wouldn't disappear. "Stop!" he said quietly. The voice fell silent. Wei Han clenched his jaw. "Stop talking."
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the rain grew heavier, and the bodies began to fade. Their faces blurred until he could barely see them. Wei Han reached for a nearby tree to steady himself, but his hand passed straight through it. He stumbled, and the entire scene disappeared. He opened his eyes and found himself back on the forest path. The others were walking a short distance ahead of him. There were no bodies around him, and his clothes were clean. He looked down at his hands. The blood was gone, but he could still feel it between his fingers, as though it were still there. He slowly closed his hands and lowered them to his sides. "Wei Han?" Su Yuan called when he noticed him standing behind them. Wei Han raised his head. Everyone had stopped and was looking at him. He hesitated, then shook his head. "I'm fine." He started walking again, keeping his hands closed at his sides.
Across from him, Qing Li stopped.He saw young figure stood between the trees, wearing torn clothes. Its arms were thin, and long, tangled hair covered its face. Qing Li stared at it, then stepped closer. "Who are you?" The figure turned and walked deeper into the forest. "Wait!" Qing Li hurried after it. No matter how fast he walked, he couldn't get any closer. He pushed past the wet branches, keeping his eyes on the figure. "Stop! Don't go!" It kept walking.
Qing Li ran forward and reached for its shoulder, but his hand passed through it. He stumbled and caught himself against a tree. When he looked up, the figure was gone. "No..." He searched between the trees, moving from one side of the path to the other. "Where are you?" There was no answer. Qing Li took another step, then stopped. His hands shook as he stared at the empty path. He didn't know who the figure was, but the thought of losing it filled him with fear. "Please..." His voice broke. He reached out again, as if he could still catch it. Nothing was there.
A memory stirred, but whenever he tried to grasp it, it slipped away. He clenched his fists,"I couldn't save them." he whispered. He lowered his head, struggling to breathe. "I was too late." A hand caught his arm. "Qing Li." Yan Luo's voice reached him, faint at first, then clearer. Qing Li turned, but the forest around him was already beginning to change. The trees returned to their proper places, and the young figure was gone. Yan Luo stood in front of him, watching him closely. Qing Li took a slow breath, trying to push the memory away. He didn't explain what he had seen. Yan Luo didn't press him, though concern remained in his eyes. He stayed beside Qing Li as the black rain continued to fall.
Chen Yu suddenly stopped when he saw Xu Yang lying motionless on the ground. "Xu Yang?" He rushed over and dropped to his knees beside Xu Yang. "Xu Yang! Wake up!" He grabbed his shoulder and shook him, but Xu Yang didn't move. Chen Yu pressed a trembling hand against Xu Yang's chest, waiting to feel him breathe. Nothing. His face went pale. "No... no, wake up!" He shook Xu Yang again, harder this time, then pulled him carefully into his arms. "Come on! Open your eyes!" Qing Li hurried over and knelt beside them, checking Xu Yang, but his expression only made Chen Yu more afraid. "Is he fine?" Chen Yu demanded. "Qing Li, tell me he's fine!" Qing Li didn't answer. Chen Yu stared at him, then looked down at Xu Yang. His fingers tightened around the cat as he tried to feel even the smallest movement. "You can't leave us," he whispered, his voice shaking. "Please... not you."
Suddenly, Xu Yang's body began to fade in his arms. Chen Yu jerked back, staring at his hands as they became see-through. "No! Wait!" He tried to hold on, but his hands slipped. The ground beneath his knees cracked apart like broken glass. Chen Yu scrambled backward as the cracks spread beneath him, swallowing the wet earth. The trees bent and twisted, their branches stretching into the darkness. "What's happening?!" He reached for Xu Yang again, but he was already disappearing. "Xu Yang!" Chen Yu lunged forward, desperate to grab him, only for his hands to close around empty air. Then the vision shattered, and Chen Yu found himself back in the forest. He looked up and saw Xu Yang a short distance away, walking beside the others as if nothing had happened.
Chen Yu stared at him, still shaken by what he had seen.Xu Yang glanced at him briefly, then turned away and continued walking.He was right there in my arms... why did it feel so real? Chen Yu looked down at his hands. They were still trembling. He could almost feel Xu Yang's small body fading beneath his fingers, could still remember the awful moment when there was nothing left for him to hold. He swallowed hard and looked at the black cat again. It was only a vision. Xu Yang is fine. But what if he hadn't woken up? What if Xu Yang had really disappeared, and i could do nothing but watch?... He clenched his fists, trying to stop his hands from shaking. No. Don't think about that... He forced himself to look away and hurried to catch up with the others, but the image of Xu Yang vanishing from his arms stayed with him.
While the others struggled to recover from their visions, Xu Yang suddenly found himself somewhere else. The forest disappeared, and his paws landed on hard ground. He stumbled but quickly steadied himself. Everything around him was gray and empty. There was no sky, no trees, and no sound. Xu Yang looked around, his ears pressed flat against his head. "What the hell? Where am I?" Even his black fur looked dull, as if all its color had been taken away. He shook himself and tried to stay calm. Okay. Maybe this is another vision. If I close my eyes and open them again, will I wake up? ...
He squeezed his eyes shut and counted to three. When he opened them, nothing had changed. "Of course. It couldn't be that easy." He took a few steps, hoping to hear something, but the silence remained. Then he noticed nine figures standing in the distance. They looked human, but their bodies were dark and blurry, and their faces were hidden. None of them moved. Xu Yang counted them twice to make sure.His tail curled close to his body.
He stepped toward them.Suddenly, the nearest figure tilted its head. Xu Yang jumped back, his fur standing on end. "Hey! Don't do that!" The figure remained still.
After a moment, Xu Yang slowly moved closer. He needed to find out what these things were and how to leave this place. But before he could reach the figure, a crack appeared across its chest. Xu Yang stopped. The crack spread across its body with a dry sound. "What's happening?" He rushed forward, but the figure broke into pieces before he could reach it. The pieces disappeared before touching the ground. Xu Yang stared at the empty space. "What the—?!" Another crack sounded behind him. He turned and saw a second figure breaking apart. Then a third. Soon, cracks appeared on the remaining figures. One by one, they began to shatter.
Xu Yang backed away, his paws scraping against the ground. "No, no! Stop doing that!" He ran toward the nearest figure that was still standing. However, no matter how fast he ran, the distance between them never changed. "Oh, come on!" He ran harder, but the figure remained just as far away. Behind him, more figures disappeared. Xu Yang looked back and nearly stumbled. Why are they breaking? Who are they? Why can't I reach them?... Soon, only one figure remained. Xu Yang turned toward it and slowly approached. Unlike the others, it hadn't started breaking. It stood with its head lowered. "Hey. Can you tell me what's going on?" The figure slowly raised its head.
Xu Yang froze. He couldn't see its face, but he could feel it watching him. A strange pressure filled his chest, making it hard to breathe. "What?" he whispered. The figure lifted one hand toward him. Xu Yang stared at it, his heart pounding. Is it trying to tell me something?...He took another step forward. "Wait. Please don't disappear!" A crack suddenly appeared across the figure's face and spread down its body. Xu Yang lunged forward. "Wait!" But the figure shattered before he could reach it. Xu Yang stood frozen, one paw raised. Then he slowly lowered it.
All nine figures were gone. He was alone again. He searched the empty ground, but there was nothing left. No pieces, no marks, not even a shadow. Something destroyed them. But what? And why did the last one reach for me?... He tried to remember their faces, but he couldn't remember a single detail.He pressed his paws against the ground, trying to steady himself. Then he heard a faint sound behind him. Xu Yang spun around, his ears standing straight up. "Who's there?" No one answered. He listened carefully, but the silence returned. His heart kept pounding. I need to get out of here. Now!...
Xu Yang turned and ran, but the empty ground stretched endlessly ahead. He slowed to a stop, panting. There was no way out. He scratched the ground and struck it with one paw, but nothing changed. "I don't want to be here!" His voice echoed briefly before fading away. His tail stiffened with fear. Come on, Xu Yang. Think... He closed his eyes and tried to remember the rain falling on the leaves and the voices of the others. For a moment, nothing happened. Then he heard a faint voice calling from far away. His ears lifted. He focused on the sound, desperate to follow it. Suddenly, the colorless world began to shake and cracks spread across the ground beneath his paws.
Xu Yang stumbled as the darkness folded inward around him.He opened his eyes in the forest. The black rain still fell around him. Others were nearby, each recovering in their own way, and no one seemed to have noticed that he had been somewhere else. Xu Yang remained still, trying to calm his racing heart. Xu Yang lowered his head, hiding the unease in his eyes.The black rain was beginning to slow, but the forest had not become any less frightening. Xu Yang lifted his head and looked between the trees. He was still trying to forget the colorless world and the nine figures when a loud crash broke the silence. Several birds burst from the branches, screeching as they flew away.
Xu Yang's ears twitched. Please tell me that was just a falling branch. I've had enough strange things happening for one day.... Another crash rang out, followed by an angry shout. Lin Chen turned toward the sound. "Someone's over there." He took a few steps forward, but Xu Yang caught the edge of his clothes with one hand. Lin Chen looked down at him. "What is it?" Xu Yang stared into the trees.Something was moving between the trunks, fast and unsteady.
Before Lin Chen could say anything else, a demon stumbled out of the shadows and fell hard onto the wet ground. He was a broad-shouldered man with two curved horns growing from his forehead. His clothes were torn, and mud covered his face and arms. He scrambled backward on his hands, staring wildly at the trees behind him. "Stay away!" he screamed. "Don't come any closer!" Lin Chen stopped. "Nobody is chasing you. Calm down." The horned demon snapped his head toward him. His eyes were bloodshot, and his breathing came in short, painful gasps. "Liar! I saw you!" He pointed at Lin Chen with a trembling finger. "You were standing there! You killed them all!"
Lin Chen's expression hardened. "I've never seen you before." "Shut up!" The demon suddenly lunged forward. Lin Chen stepped aside just as the man's fist struck a tree trunk, cracking the bark. Xu Yang jumped behind Lin Chen's leg, his heart pounding. What is wrong with this guy? He looks ready to tear someone apart!...The demon pulled his hand back and stared at his knuckles as if he couldn't understand what he had done. His anger faded for a moment, replaced by confusion. "No..." he muttered. "No, I killed you. I watched you die." He looked around frantically, searching the trees. "Where did you go?" Lin Chen kept his distance. "Who did you see?" The demon clutched his head with both hands. "Stop talking! I can still hear them!" He dropped to his knees and pressed his palms against his ears. "Make them stop!" His scream echoed through the forest.
Before Lin Chen could approach the horned demon, another figure stumbled between the trees. This demon had long, dark hair and sharp ears that marked him as a wolf demon. He kept glancing over his shoulder, stumbling whenever a branch brushed against him. "Don't let it catch me!" he shouted. "It's right behind me!" He spun around and slashed at the empty air with his claws. Lin Chen immediately stepped in front of Xu Yang, his expression turning serious. Wei Han raised a hand, signaling the others to stay back, while Qing Li watched the wolf demon's movements with narrowed eyes.
Even Yan Luo stopped looking at the injured horned demon and turned toward the wolf demon. "Get away!" the wolf demon roared. "Get away from me!" His claws struck a tree trunk, tearing deep marks into the bark. He staggered backward, then swung at the empty space again as if something had lunged at him. His breathing grew ragged, and his eyes darted wildly between the trees. "There's nothing behind you." Lin Chen said cautiously. "Look at me. You're in the forest, and no one's chasing you." The wolf demon froze. Slowly, he turned his head toward Lin Chen. "You can't see it?" His voice dropped to a whisper. "It's standing right there." He pointed toward a dark gap between the trees.
Qing Li's gaze sharpened. He quietly moved closer to Chen Yu, while Yan Luo shifted to stand beside them, his hand ready in case the demon suddenly attacked. Wei Han studied the darkness, searching for any movement, but found nothing. Lin Chen remained still, though his eyes never left the wolf demon. Xu Yang pressed himself against Lin Chen's leg, watching the stranger's trembling hand. He really believes something is there. Is the rain making him see things, or is there actually something hiding in those trees?...The horned demon suddenly scrambled backward, his face draining of color."Don't point at it!" he shouted. "Don't make it look at us!" Everyone turned toward him. He was staring at the same dark gap, his whole body shaking.
Lin Chen's expression tightened as he realized the two demons were reacting to something neither of them could see. Then a wet footstep sounded from the shadows. Xu Yang's ears shot up.Lin Chen narrowed his eyes and moved in front of Xu Yang. "Who's there?" The footsteps stopped. The wolf demon let out a strangled cry and threw himself to the ground, crawling away from the trees. "No! No, don't come closer!" He kicked wildly when another demon tried to help him. "Let go of me! You'll get us both killed!" The demon helping him cursed as the wolf demon clawed his arm. "I've done nothing to you!" he shouted. "Look at me! There's nobody there!"
The wolf demon continued to struggle until his strength suddenly left him. He collapsed on his side, gasping for breath. For several moments, he only stared at the empty space before him. Then he began to cry. "It was there," he whispered. "I know it was there." Xu Yang stayed closer to Lin Chen.Another emerged clutching a broken wooden charm, repeating the same name over and over. Two others came running from opposite directions and nearly collided. "You saw him too?" one demanded, grabbing the other's shoulders. "Tell me you saw him!" The second demon shoved him away. "Don't touch me!" "You were there! You watched it happen!" "I don't know what you're talking about!" "Liar!" The first demon swung at him.
The second blocked the blow, and the two crashed into the mud, punching and clawing at each other. Their companions rushed forward to pull them apart, but the fight only grew more violent. One demon bit down on another's arm. Someone screamed. Another raised a stone and brought it down hard against the ground beside his opponent's head. "Stop!" Lin Chen shouted, stepping toward them. "Whatever you saw, it isn't happening now!" The demons barely seemed to hear him. Their eyes were fixed on things no one else could see, and their faces twisted with anger and terror. It took several demons working together to separate the fighters.
Even then, one continued trying to attack the other, shouting that he had seen him standing over a dead body. The accused demon stared back at him in horror. "I've never killed anyone!" he yelled. "Why are you saying that?" "I saw you!" "You saw nothing!" Their voices rose until they were shouting over each other. Then a thin, frightened voice cut through the noise. "Has anyone seen my brother?" Everyone turned toward the sound. A young fox demon stood beside a tree, his orange ears pressed against his head. His clothes were soaked, and tears ran down his muddy face. He held a small piece of red cloth tightly in both hands. "Please," he said, looking at the others. "Have you seen my brother? He has black hair and a scar beside his left eye."
One of the demons shook his head. "I haven't seen anyone like that." "But he was here!" the young fox insisted. "I was holding his hand when the rain started. Then everything went dark, and he was gone." An older demon stepped closer. "Were you alone when you came into the forest?" The fox demon stared at him in disbelief. "No! My brother was with me." The older demon shook his head. "I saw you earlier. You came here alone." The young fox fell silent. His grip on the red cloth loosened. "No," he whispered, looking around the forest. "He was here. He told me not to let go."
The older demon reached toward him, but the fox quickly stepped back. "Don't touch me!" He pressed the cloth against his chest, his eyes filling with tears again. "I remember his voice. I remember holding his hand. I remember..." His voice faded as he looked down at the cloth. After a moment, he frowned. "Whose is this?" "You were holding it when you came out." the older demon replied. The fox stared at it, his lips trembling. "But I don't have a brother." He whispered.Then he dropped to his knees and said, "I don't have a brother! So why do I remember him?" He struck the muddy ground with his fists, crying so hard he could barely speak. No one knew what to say. Xu Yang stared at him.Did the rain make him remember someone who never existed? Or did it take someone away and leave him with only the memory?