Still standing in front of the monstrous creature, its hair-like tendrils waving like serpents escaping from a long-forgotten dungeon, Xinyi screamed, her cry shattering the nearby glass, the shards tinkling to the floor.
The creature, a colossal hybrid of human and serpent, appeared surreal and intimidating, with its lower half completely serpentine, weighing 10 tons.
This half-human, half-snake monstrosity towered over the room, its lower body covered in thick, scaly, obsidian skin that glistened with an eerie, otherworldly sheen.
Its serpent tail coiled and uncoiled like a leviathan in perpetual motion, dominating the space around it. Each scale of the massive tail was as large as a shield, reflecting the dim light in the room.
The upper half of the creature was equally daunting, adorned with snakelike features. Its eyes, reptilian and menacing, glowed with a malevolence that sent shivers down one's spine.
Its hair resembled a mass of serpents, each strand writhing independently, creating a mesmerizing, eerie dance of darkness.
The creature's massive frame filled the room with an oppressive aura, and its movements were deliberate and menacing. Its weight alone pressed heavily on the ground, causing the floor to groan under the immense pressure.
Xinyi's father appeared in front of Xinyi and attacked the creature.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Xin immediately ran to Xinyi to check on her. Her motherly instincts kicked in as she hugged the crying girl, kneeling down and holding the sides of Xinyi's face to ensure she was not physically harmed.
Xinyi, on the other hand, continued to cry, her mind battered by the horrifying image that had unfolded before her. Her world had turned into a nightmare, and the agony of the moment weighed heavily on her young heart.
As she glanced to the side, she saw her elder brother, Xinjin, and her father locked in a desperate battle with the monstrous creature.
The serpent hybrid relentlessly demolished everything in its path, unleashing ferocious attacks on Xinjin.
Xinjin stumbled backward, his back crashing against a nearby wall, and he grunted in pain, struggling to regain his footing.
"Yiyi," Xinyi's mother, Mrs. Xin, interrupted, her voice urgent. "We need to get to your elder brother."
Xinyi nodded and quickly wiped away her tears, her young face filled with determination.
She couldn't stand idly by when her family was in danger. With her mother's guidance, they rushed to Xinjin, who lay wounded on the floor. Xinyi knelt down in front of her older brother, her eyes filled with worry.
Blood trickled from a gash on his forehead, staining his face.
Mrs. Xin asked Xinjin, "Are...are you alright, my dear? Do...do you feel any pain..."
Xinjin's grunts and visible injuries spoke volumes. He was in tremendous pain, and his face contorted with the effort to bear it.
Mrs. Xin did what she could, trying to hasten Xinjin's healing from within, using her magical abilities to alleviate his suffering.
However, at the third forceful attempt, her magic wavered, and she coughed up blood, the strain of the battle taking its toll.
"Mother, you don't have to worry," Xinjin whispered, his voice filled with gratitude for her efforts.
Mrs. Xin had wanted to try the eye-to-eye healing which was the least of what she could do before but now, she couldn't even do anymore.
"Okay. Look, Xinjin, take your sister and you both should run away from here. When we have handled it, we would come and find you wherever you—"
Before Mrs. Xin could complete her words, the tail of the huge creature curled around Mrs. Xin's neck and ruthlessly took her away from where she was.
Xinyi, overly shocked immediately stood up to run to her mother and save her from the cruel creature but Xinjin pulled his younger sister back.
"No. That beast is taking mama away! Do something, Elder brother Jin!"
Xinjin looked at the scene and he swallowed. The huge creature was staring at the both of them while he tortured their mother, waving her across any object.
Their father was on the floor, his head bleeding profusely and his cloth drenched in blood.
Their mother's voice bounced in Xinjin's ears, "Run! Run Xinjin. Take your sister away!"
Xinjin watched how their mother tried her magic on the huge creature but it was useless but he noticed that it was as a means to arrest the creature's attention.
Without another look at the scene, Xinjin grabbed his little sister's hand and ran away from where they stood but Xinyi kept pulling, unwillingly to leave her father and mother.
With this relentless pursuit, Xinjin decided to carry his little sister across his shoulder and run away but as soon as he stepped a foot outside the house, he held a loud scream from his mother and Xinyi, before silence came afterwards.
As they tried to escape, their mother's sacrifice bought them time, but it came at a heavy cost.
The serpent creature's sharp tail pierced her heart, causing her to bleed profusely as she was swung through the air. Her lifeless form cast a dark shadow over Xinjin and Xinyi, and the creature, with a cruel smirk, turned its attention to them.
Since he was carrying Xinyi across his shoulder, Xinyi had already seen what was about to take place.
On instinct, Xinjin turned and took to his heels. He couldn't attempt any attack because he was only drained by the ones he had performed and it would be better if he used the energy left in him to escape. He needed to save his little sister.
As Xinjin fled through the dark woods, carrying his young sister Xinyi on his shoulder, the monstrous creature followed relentlessly. Its massive serpent body moved with an eerie grace, delighting in tormenting them by advancing slowly, savoring their fear and despair.
Xinjin's heart pounded in his chest as he navigated the treacherous terrain, but he couldn't afford to look back. The creature's presence loomed like a shadow, and he knew that slowing down would be their doom.
Suddenly, the creature's weighty body crashed into Xinjin, sending both him and Xinyi sprawling to the ground. Gasping for breath, their bodies aching from the impact, Xinyi, despite her young age, displayed a fierce determination. "You are the devil!"
"Yes, honey," the creature answered Xinyi. "And I am here to take your brother's soul to hell."
"Surrender yourself little boy and I will let your sister go unharmed," the creature's voice loomed in the air again, sending chills down Xinyi's spine.
With a defiant gaze and a voice trembling with courage, Xinyi muttered, "You're a bad, bad monster. We won't be scared of you!"
Her words may have lacked the eloquence of an adult, but they carried the bravery of a child unwilling to surrender. She continued to mumble words of resistance, her voice a small but unyielding light in the face of this nightmare. "I will kill you, I swear!"
Annoyed by her tiny yet unbroken spirit, the creature decided to make its point. With a swift and deadly movement, it thrust its pointed tail toward Xinyi's upper back, stopping just short of a fatal blow.
"Yiyi!" Xinyi heard her brother's call but she fell to the ground, weakened and paralyzed, unable to move or speak.
The creature then turned its attention back to Xinjin, seizing him from the forest floor.
In the blink of an eye, the world changed for little Xinyi.
Darkness engulfed her, leaving her blind and disoriented, with only the night's sounds and the loud laughter of the creature echoing in her ear.