Ximen Wei's heart raced as he gazed out over the damp, murky swamp before him. The pungent smell that hung heavily in the air was nearly overpowering, causing his head to spin and his stomach to churn with nausea.
As he cautiously stepped forward, Ximen's eyes scanned the surface of the swamp, taking in the eerie sight of what appeared to be faces - faces frozen in expressions of pure terror. With a shudder, he realized that these faces were not only just human, but the skins of long-dead creatures.
The thought of what horrors must have lurked in these murky depths made Ximen's skin crawl, and he felt a cold sweat break out on his brow. He forced himself to take a deep breath and steel his nerves. He knew that he could not let fear get the better of him.
