"What?"
"Come closer," He repeated and she considered her options. If she wanted to run, where would she run to? This man was an entity, if he wished to catch her, it would be as easy as catching a swaddling baby crawling from his mother. After considering that he needed her help and as such would not kill her, she moved forward. They took the small stairs by the side to climb up the platform till she was standing before him. Only this close did she notice he was basically a giant.
"You were not this big last time," she said nervously.
"Take off the mask, Lady Han," he said and she started to get flustered. Would he kill her after she sees his face? With shaky hands, she reached up and grasped the mask. She wondered for a second if there was any strap around his dark head of long hair to untie or any other thing before she pulled the mask off in one single motion and froze at the sight before her eyes.
There was nothing there. It was as though she was looking into a whirling hole in place of a face. Her hands, her legs, her body, everything trembled like a life lightly rustled by the birds. She still had the feeling that he was staring right at her. She looked at the mask in her hands, especially the eyes. There were no scarlet eyes on it. She had so many questions, yet she dared not ask. She looked up at him and swallowed loudly.
"You are tall today," she chuckled nervously, but his voice never came in reply.
"You are almost a giant even," she said.
"Lady Han is quite distracted, aren't you?" he asked.
"It is rude to ask people what happened to your face?" she said.
"That is what Lady Han wished to ask, then, but is trapped by propriety?" his voice rushed to her ears
"Dare I ask, then? Where is your face?"
"You are holding it," he said she was so startled, she almost dropped the mask.
"You have humour in you, Yumen," she said.
"I need a face, Lady Han," The Nether Lord said after a while and Lizzy immediately placed his mask back on. Seeing as there was no strap, she feared it would drop if she let go. His scarlet eyes stared right into hers.
"Oh, it's back," she said nervously.
"Just like I can see through your veil just as clearly as you can see through it, the mask gives me a face. These are things you should not contemplate too much on" he said and she realised she was actually still wearing her veil. He was right. It was not only in the Nether world. Her veil used to be quite hard to see through, even though it was a soft dark lace. She could see through the holes of the weaves and she had quite gotten used to seeing that way when working in the Nether halls. But recently, she had been able to see quite well. Her vision through the veil was getting clear, she could see completely well, as though she did not have it on.
Lizzy did not realize she was still holding his mask on his face until a gasp rang through the room. Lizzy looked up to find a beautifully dressed lady holding a tray of tea. Her hands still on the Nether Lord's mask, she stared at the lady with curiosity. This was the first time she had met anyone who was not a maid or servant. One look at the lady's attire and she could tell she was no maid. Why did she gasp? Did she see the Nether Lord's true face? Lizzy was quite confused. The Nether Lord glanced at the lady without moving his face away and she felt a weight strike her causing her to bend slightly in her position.
"Forgive my interruption," she bowed with difficulty and the weight left her, allowing her to rush away.
"Why did she leave so fast?" Lizzy asked.
"To tell the empress you are holding this lord's face without punishment," he said she retracted her hands as though she had touched something hot.
"You set me up!" she realized.
"You and the empress cannot exist together. You must take her crown and give me a face,"
"You keep saying that. What face?" she asked in panic. She did not know anything about this face, why was it her job to give him a face?
"I lost sight of who I am when the lord disappeared. This is reflected in my formless face. Those of the dark race told me to retreat back to the shadow and wait for a mortal empress. She will build me a new face. Only with that face, can I be ready for the lord's return and fulfil my task. Lady Han, Time has no meaning here. The moment of your death is still going on. The moment your body dies, the empress will torture you. I will save your body, but you must take the crown from her. Choose," he said and she paused. She wished to ask why her, but she had a feeling it was her fault for taking the Nether key. If she had not thought this was a pass to open all doors in the Nether Halls and facilitate her escape, she would have never touched this pendant. By picking it up, she doomed herself by rousing his interest. What was she supposed to say, No? The empress is going to come after her either way. He had closed all doors she could possibly take. Even if she goes and submits before the empress, she would still have a bad end.
"Deal. Save my body," she said and his dark form engulfed her immediately.