The sun was setting when the first signs of change appeared. ZhiYi had left the doors to the monastery wide open, letting the sunlight flood in and contain the evil energy.
Talismans were strung along the walls, pillars, and even over YueQin. As the red glow of the sun waned from the earth's surface, YueQin's body tensed and her head nodded against her chest.
MingYu stirred from his tired posture and sat up from where he had drooped over ZhiYi's shoulder. The brothers never let their eyes stray away from YueQin.
The moment the last rays of the sunlight dipped behind the horizon, a hair-rasing crack filled the air and YueQin's entire body shook. MingYu watched as her shoulder pointed at an unnatural position as if pulled out towards the pillar. Her bones moved by themselves under her skin, breaking out of their place then snapping back in.
Each movement and sound echoed in the otherwise silent space. Sweat formed beads everywhere on her body, matting her hair, seeping through her clothes. YueQin cowered in pain as tears blurred her vision. Her breathing was ragged, uneven.
PingZe lit up several fire talismans that hovered around them in the air, casting menacing shadows across the walls.
YueQin tried to pull at the bandages, but they stayed firmly intact. She screamed, but her voice was muffled behind the restraints. Her cries went unheard as tears streamed down her face. MingYu's heart clenched at her pain.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity later, the movements and muffled sounds ceased. YueQin had tired herself to unconsciousness. Her body drooped over the bandages, her head tilted downwards.
MingYu stood up to place her in a more comfortable position, but ZhiYi held him back and shook his head. They couldn't risk her suddenly waking up. MingYu sat down slowly and let his head lean over ZhiYi's shoulder. In the stillness of the night, he closed his eyes, falling asleep to ZhiYi's steady breathing.
The same scene repeated for two more nights, each time more painful than the previous night. During this entire ordeal, YueQin was firmly kept in her restrains. During the day, she laid unconscious against the bandages. During the nights she trashed about and squirmed, but the fabric didn't give in.
Through the entire time, the three men made no moves out of the temple. Only times PingZe walked out was to bring them water. None of them felt hunger at the sight of YueQin.
Her skin was now hugging her bones, her face taut and sickly. Deep, purple bruises littered her body from her pulling against the restraints. The dark flames seemed to pulsate around her, contained within the temple walls by the talismans.
As the third day rolled over and the sun bid its farewell, the moon covered the sky, bathing the world in a ghastly white glow. YueQin opened her eyes as the moonlight shined over her face through the front doors. Her eyes were unfocused as she looked out the doors, over nothing. Then she convulsed and the white bandages in her mouth soaked deep red from her blood.
MingYu made a move to stand up, but ZhiYi held him seated on the floor.
YueQin blinked rapidly and her breath came out ragged and gurgling. Blood vessels in her eyes erupted one by one, turning the eye-whites dark crimson. Every vein in YueQin's body was bulging to the brink of bursting her flesh open. Her skin split into tiny cuts all over, oozing small traces of blood that mixed in with her cold sweat. She threw her head back and roared into her gag.
MingYu couldn't take it anymore. Pushing ZhiYi aside, he ran to kneel beside YueQin. He pressed his palms against her temples, holding her shivering head still.
"YueQin, you must survive this."
YueQin blinked at him painfully as she grimaced and tried to pull her arms off their joints to free herself from the restraints, but to no avail. They were tightly fastened and unyielding.
MingYu hardened his hold when he whispered, "YueQin, fight it. Fight it! You must give LiXue and the child a proper burial."
A single blood tear fell from her eyes as she slowly nodded in response, her face distorting from the pain. YueQin trashed her body with so much strength, the pillar almost came off of its foundation. Dust fell from the ceiling at the sudden force. ZhiYi moved like lightning, pulling MingYu away from her.
Abruptly, YueQin's body dropped still against the pillar and her eyes fluttered close. Her breathing grew laboured, shallow. Her chest rose, then lowered. It didn't rise again. She had stopped breathing.
MingYu whimpered at the sight. A loud slam of wood breaking filled the air, startling him. PingZe had kicked the wooden offering table at the Buddha's feet into splinters.
YueQin had tried so hard, endured so many nights.
ZhiYi's hold faltered as MingYu pushed him away and crawled over to the lifeless body. Something wet dripped on the tiles beneath him, and MingYu realised he was crying. Wiping his tears away in his sleeves, he reached out his hand to release YueQin of her restraints. Then he saw it.
He froze in place as the cuts in YueQin's body started stitching themselves up. Wound after another mended and healed, and MingYu cried out, calling for ZhiYi.
All three observed as minutes passed by, and her chest slowly rose, then lowered. YueQin was breathing again. MingYu was suddenly forcefully flung behind ZhiYi.
YueQin had opened her eyes, and the two blood pools were looking straight at him. But it didn't look like YueQin. As if a curtain of shadow had befallen between them, she now appeared cold, deadly, a shallow creature with ragged teeth and lifeless eyes. MingYu shrunk behind ZhiYi in fear.
In a blink of an eye, YueQin tried to throw her entire body towards MingYu, frantically gnawing at the restraints in her mouth. Saliva dripped down her chin. Her eyes never blinked. The pillar held its ground. No matter how much force YueQin used, she could not reach MingYu or taste his delicious flesh.
PingZe had disappeared from the monastery. Only sounds of YueQin trashing and gnawing filled the otherwise deadly silent night. A while later, PingZe returned to their side, with a fluttering creature in his arms. He had brought a chicken. YueQin's eyes had now left MingYu and were hungrily staring at the animal.
"Not to worry, the first spurs of hunger are the worst. After feeding, she will regain her consciousness - I hope." PingZe said as he brought the chicken over to YueQin and with his free arm, undid YueQin's mouth-guard.
As the restraints loosened, she immediately tried to bite a chunk off PingZe's arm. But he had expected it, and he was far too fast for YueQin. He gave her a gentle smile as he brought the chicken to her view.
MingYu closed his eyes, holding firmly to ZhiYi's back as frantic sounds of flapping wings and bones crunching filled the monastery. The hen gave a heart-wrenching cluck for the last time before it fell silent. The chewing noises stopped, followed by a hard swallow. A second later, PingZe cursed loudly. MingYu opened his eyes.
YueQin was convulsing painfully and threw up the remains of the chicken she had devoured a moment earlier. A pool of blood, feathers, and pieces of bone covered the ground. MingYu heard himself sobbing weakly.
"This is not good!" PingZe cursed as he moved away from YueQin. "She can't consume animals, not in this state!"
The brothers moved to the doors, throwing glances at YueQin who was still heaving and spitting the remains of the chicken out of her guts. The two spoke silently among themselves, and MingYu listened in a trance-like state, hearing snippets of their talk.
"What if we give her a bite from our flesh?" PingZe whispered.
"I don't think it is wise. We aren't sure what she is. No demon has been turned by this method before. Her bite might be deadly."
YueQin was now in a rabid state. She pulled on her restraints so hard, her healed skin was in bruises. MingYu swallowed a lump in his throat as he took a step forward. A light flutter beside his ear pulled him out of his trance-like state.
A butterfly? MingYu watched as it flew over YueQin, and stopped at the pillar, spreading out its colourful wings.
Why was there a butter-
MingYu's thought halted when a silver butterfly-shaped blade flashed by his face, nearly slicing his ear off. The weapon sunk into the bandages by YueQin's shoulder - cutting a small tear into the fabric.
MingYu's heart stopped.
YueQin's trashing halted as she turned her eyes towards the glinting silver.
"ZhiYi!" MingYu called as his feet moved on their own, backing away from the Buddha statue and the creature beneath its feet.
No answer.
YueQin's crimson eyes slowly turned back to him. A sinister grin carved over her face. Saliva and blood dripped from her lips.
MingYu swallowed as he took a quick look behind him.
What the f-
MingYu cursed so loudly, even the people in Heaven could hear it.
The two brothers were nowhere to be seen!
And did they bolt the doors shut?!