"As it all comes, it goes away from you."
"Run, and don't look back."
"Be a good boy."
Where am I? What's going on?
I woke up, my head spinning from the strange dream. Where was I? As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I noticed a figure standing nearby.
"You're finally awake," the stranger said.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
"I am James," he replied, "James the Brother. And I don't think you should be here."
"Why not?" I asked, confused.
"This is the demon realm," he said simply. "I'm here to exorcise Ching Fang."
"Wait… Ching Fang?" My heart skipped a beat. "I know that name."
James stared at me, his expression darkening. "How do you know him, boy?" he asked, his tone now serious.
"My grandma used to tell me stories about the ghost named Ching Fang," I explained. "She met a man in Japan once, calm at first, but one day he got into a bar fight and nearly killed someone. He disappeared after that, and they found his body later. There was a letter with him, and it said, 'Ching Fang. He's back.'"
James studied me for a moment, his brow furrowed. "How did you end up here?" he finally asked.
I shifted uncomfortably. "I was with some friends. We were messing around with a cursed board—like stupid teens do. Now, I'm here."
"That means your friends are here too," he said gravely.
"We should go find them," I said quickly. Then I realized I hadn't introduced myself. "Oh, and I'm Nathan."
James nodded. "Alright, Nathan. Let's go."