Seven-year-old Marshall moved silently through the shadows of the Avidity Premises, careful not to wake any of the other disciples.
Master Gi Shan had expressly forbidden anyone from wandering into the mountains alone, but the more Marshall was told no, the more he itched to go.
The early morning mist clung to the ground as he slipped past the marble gates, snickering with excitement.
The mountain path he chose was steep and rugged, the least used. That way, he wouldn't run into anyone on the way.
An unseen force of energy was driving him forward. Be it curiosity or the urge to prove that he could climb the mountains alone, it provided him with endless energy.
Marshall climbed with ease, drinking in the views. He looked left and right, up and down, peeked into every crevice and waved at every wild animal on his way.
The nature was vivid with spruce and pine trees leading the way. As the sunrise unfolded between the clouds, mountain tips were glazed with rosy orange light.
The higher he trailed, the more wild the landscape became. There were less trees, the path turning to stone. The air thin and sharp.
Near a smaller spike of a mountain, he stumbled upon a peculiar hole. It was partially hidden by overgrown vines and loose rocks.
There was an opening the big enough for three kids to fall through it at the same time.
Marshall peered into the darkness, squinting to see how far it went. Something seemed to be moving down there, but he couldn't make out the shape of it.
The child got on his knees and leaned over the edge.
"Hello?" he called out.
A chilling whisper echoed from the darkness.
"...another must claim... the fate she left behind..."
Black tendrils of smoke emerged from the opening, reaching for Marshall with eerie precision.
He jerked back instinctively, but the tendrils wrapped around his ankles, pulling him inside.
Marshall only managed to grasp at the loose rocks and gasp out a "No!" before his body was abruptly suspended in the air.
Next thing he knew, he fell into a deep, dark pond with a splash.
The pond's water was cold and shockingly shallow. He hit the bottom with a painful thud, the impact jarring through his body. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the pain.
Is this a dream? I'm dreaming! he thought desperately. I'll wake up in my bed in a second!
But the reality became undeniable as he ran out of air.
His arms flailed, splashing around in the murky water, desperately trying to reach the surface.
Gasping for air, he finally emerged from the pond and crawled onto the muddy shore, wiping the stinging water from his eyes.
The cavern was dark and ominous, a faint glow of crystals surrounding him.
Marshall's eyes were as wide as two moons as he slowly stood up, cautious not to disturb whatever darkness loomed inside.
He felt an overwhelming sense of dread overtake him. There was a strange structure nearby, an old shrine.
The shrine itself wasn't scary, but the thing behind it terrified the child to the core.
A creature, tall and spindly, made of black smoke towered over the chipped shrine. Its lanky limbs were moving around, pointing a twisted finger at Marshall.
"...her failure is your destiny..."
Having never encountered demonic energy, young Marshall had no clue what the creature was, nor what it meant.
He could only gape at it, frozen in place in fear the creature would jump him the moment he moved.
The whispering grew louder, more insistent, wrapping around him like acidic fumes.
"...years of yearning... ages of waiting... now the child is here..."
His heart pounded in his chest. Even then, a part of him was curious to understand what the whispers were talking about.
The creature's spindly limbs reached out, passing through the shrine as if it were immaterial. In a blink, the smoky form entered his body.
Marshall felt a sharp pain in his chest, followed by a sensation of something being stuffed through his ribs. A suffocating darkness flooded his senses.
"...you will bridge the future... greater than heavens..."
He couldn't breathe, couldn't move. The world around him blurred, and his vision darkened until there was nothing but blackness.
When he came to, he was being carried. His head lolled to the side, and he caught glimpses of the forest passing by in a haze.
Marshall drifted in and out of consciousness, the motion of being carried soothing yet disorienting. He couldn't make out the face of his rescuer, but something told him that person was dangerous.
The next time he woke, he was lying on the ground at the foot of the mountain. The sun was in the middle of the sky, casting harsh light over him.
He felt an odd heaviness in his body, a lingering chill that seemed to cling to his bones.
Marshall sat up slowly, his head spinning. He looked around but saw no sign of the person who had carried him.
He tried to stand but stumbled, his knee aching and swollen with purple and blue.
But he couldn't go back to the Avidity Premises and face Master Gi Shan, not like this.
Marshall knew he needed help, but it had to come from somewhere else. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to move, one shaky step at a time, towards Chara town.
The journey was long and arduous. Marshall's vision blurred intermittently, and he felt as though his body were being pulled in different directions.
When he finally reached the infirmary in Chara town, he collapsed against the door, weak and exhausted.
A girl, just a little taller than him, hurried to his side.
"What happened?" she asked, her small voice filled with concern as she helped him inside.
Marshall wanted to tell her everything about falling down the hole in the mountain and the scary figure coming after him, but he bit his tongue.
No one could find out he was at the mountains. Master Gi Shan would have blown up if he found out.
"I fell down that hill," he lied, pointing to the eastern side of the town.
There was indeed a hill on one street in the direction he pointed. There were steep stairs, leading to a few rare cases of children rolling down and breaking a bone or two.
"Not again!" the girl exclaimed, shaking her head. "People should be more careful! The hill's steep!"
Marshall looked at her with a question, "Have many kids fallen down the stairs?"
"Not in summer. But during winter, yes..."
She sighed, nervously glancing between Marshall and the empty infirmary.
"Um, my mom is away at the moment, but..." the girl murmured, poking the ground with the toe of her shoe.
"For long?" Marshall asked, the smell of medical herbs distracting him.
She shook her head. "No, she should be back soon. So... I will try to take care of until then..."
"...And you can call me Young Physician Mei Lihua!"
Marshall laughed at the way she introduced herself—hands on hips, loud and clear.
"Why are you laughing? I'm going to be a physician when I grow up!"
"I'm not laughing," he denied, though couldn't stop the smile from spreading over his face.