The wind howled as Alex and his companions hurried up the narrow mountain path, each step echoing in the dark void around them. The jagged peaks loomed like silent sentinels, casting long shadows across the moonlit trail. The cold air gnawed at their faces, but it was the silence—the eerie absence of sound save for their hurried breaths—that made Alex's skin prickle with unease.
They had been running for hours, and exhaustion weighed heavily on all of them. Behind them, the assassins' pursuit had slowed, but Lianhua warned they couldn't afford to let their guard down.
"Are you sure this monastery even exists?" Wei asked between labored breaths. He was sweating despite the cold, his sword clanging against his side as he ran. His usual humor had evaporated, replaced by wary tension.
Lianhua, leading the group with steady determination, didn't look back. "It exists. But whether they will help us… remains to be seen."
Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead, trying to ignore the way his heart thumped heavily in his chest. "What do you mean? They might turn us away?"
"They're not like any monks you've ever met," Lianhua replied cryptically. "They are… selective about who they allow into their sanctuary. And they're bound by ancient rules—rules even the Warlord wouldn't dare to break."
Alex's brow furrowed at that. The Warlord feared these monks? That didn't make sense. Nothing so far about this world had made sense, but this felt especially strange. What kind of people could stand against someone as powerful as the Warlord?
"We should be careful," Lila muttered, her sharp eyes scanning the path ahead. "Places like this always have secrets."
As they neared a bend in the trail, a structure slowly revealed itself, nestled between the cliffs. The monastery was larger than Alex had imagined, its stone walls blending into the rocky terrain. Lanterns flickered faintly in the distance, but no sound or movement betrayed the presence of its inhabitants. The heavy wooden gates stood closed, towering like a fortress. Ancient symbols were etched into the stone—runes and sigils that Alex couldn't decipher but felt instinctively drawn to.
"Here we are," Lianhua said, her voice low. There was a gravity to her tone that sent a shiver down Alex's spine.
They approached the gates cautiously. Lianhua raised her hand to knock, but before her fist could meet the wood, the doors creaked open of their own accord, revealing a shadowy figure standing just inside.
A man, draped in long robes of gray and black, stared down at them. His face was weathered, his eyes deep-set and unreadable. There was something unsettling about him—his stillness, his quiet presence. It was as if he had been expecting them all along.
"You seek refuge," the monk said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to echo off the stone walls.
Lianhua nodded. "We've come to speak with the Abbot."
The monk's eyes flicked over each of them, lingering for a moment on Alex. Alex felt a strange sensation, like the man could see
right through him, peering into his soul. A shiver crept down Alex's spine, but he clenched his jaw, refusing to break eye contact.
"Follow me," the monk said, his voice low and steady. Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked deeper into the monastery's shadows.
The group followed in silence, stepping into the ancient, foreboding compound. Stone walls rose around them, shutting out the wind and the noise of the outside world, but with it came a heavy sense of isolation, as if they had entered a place forgotten by time. Statues of long-dead monks lined the passage, their weathered faces twisted into expressions of wisdom or silent judgment. Alex couldn't shake the feeling that these stone figures were watching them, as if weighing their worth.
Lianhua walked at the front, her face unreadable, though her sharp eyes darted about, taking in every detail. Even she, so usually composed, seemed wary. Lila, on the other hand, trailed slightly behind, her usual cocky swagger subdued as she scanned the shadows with growing unease.
Wei, ever the skeptic, glanced at Alex and whispered, "I don't like this place. Feels like we're walking into a trap."
Alex felt the same, but he knew they had no choice. "We need answers. And shelter."
Wei grunted in response, his knuckles white as he gripped the hilt of his sword. "Let's hope we get both before we're turned into statues ourselves."
The narrow hallway led them to a larger courtyard, illuminated by dim lanterns. The moonlight cast long, eerie shadows across the stone floor. In the center stood a large pagoda, its roof arched high into the night, and at its base, a group of monks stood in formation, silent and still like statues themselves.
At the head of this group was an elderly figure, his bald head gleaming in the lantern light, dressed in robes of deep burgundy. His presence commanded attention, though he moved not an inch. This, Alex knew instinctively, must be the Abbot.
The monk who had led them approached the Abbot and whispered something inaudible. The Abbot's gaze shifted toward Alex and his companions, his eyes narrowing slightly. A strange tension filled the air, the kind that made Alex's skin crawl.
The Abbot raised a hand, gesturing for them to approach. His voice, though soft, carried a weight that filled the courtyard. "You seek sanctuary from the Warlord, but this is no ordinary refuge. Only those deemed worthy may enter."
Lianhua stepped forward, bowing slightly. "Great Abbot, we come not only for sanctuary but for guidance. We face the Shadow Warlord, and our path is unclear. You hold knowledge that could help us defeat him."
The Abbot's expression didn't change, but his gaze sharpened. "The Shadow Warlord is no mere man. He is a force of darkness, woven deep into the fate of this land. To defeat him is to risk unearthing what should remain buried."
A chill swept through Alex as the Abbot spoke, his words cloaked in a cryptic warning. The group exchanged uneasy glances, but Lianhua remained steady.
"We understand the risk," she replied. "But we cannot turn back now."
The Abbot studied her for a moment before turning his attention to Alex. His gaze was piercing, as if probing the depths of Alex's soul. "And you, outsider. You are not of this world. Why do you stand among them?"
Alex opened his mouth to respond, but found himself at a loss for words. What could he say? That he had been a high schooler just weeks ago, pulled into a world of swords and secrets he didn't understand? That he was out of his depth, but something inside him kept pushing forward?
"I… don't know," Alex finally admitted, his voice quiet but honest. "But I know I have to be here."
The Abbot's eyes gleamed with something—curiosity, or perhaps understanding. He nodded slowly, as if Alex's answer had confirmed something he had already suspected. "Your fate is not yet written, but you tread dangerous ground, young one."
Before Alex could process the Abbot's cryptic statement, the old man gestured to the monks standing behind him. "Prepare them for the test."
Lianhua stiffened. "The test?"
The Abbot's voice dropped, his tone foreboding. "If you wish to stay within these walls, you must prove yourselves worthy. Each of you will face your own trial—one that will reveal the truth of your spirit. Only those who pass may remain."
Wei scowled, clearly disliking the sound of this. "What kind of trial?"
The Abbot smiled slightly, but there was no warmth in it. "The kind that reveals who you truly are."
Before they could protest, the monks moved silently, leading each of them to separate parts of the courtyard. Alex was pulled toward the pagoda's shadow, his heart thudding in his chest. He didn't know what kind of trial awaited him, but the unease gnawing at him grew stronger with each step.
As he was led away, he glanced back at Lianhua and Wei, both of whom were being taken in different directions. Lila disappeared into the darkness without a word, her face unreadable. Alex's throat tightened. Whatever this trial was, they would each face it alone.
He was brought to a small chamber at the base of the pagoda, where a single monk waited beside a stone door. The monk gestured toward the door, his face expressionless.
"Enter," he said.
Alex hesitated. The air inside the chamber was heavy, thick with something unseen but palpable. Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the doorway, the stone door closing behind him with a heavy thud.
The room was dimly lit by a single torch, and as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Alex realized he wasn't alone.
Standing at the far end of the chamber, cloaked in shadow, was a figure—a man, tall and broad-shouldered, his face hidden beneath a hood.
"You've come far," the man said, his voice low and familiar. "But are you ready to face the truth?"
Alex's heart pounded. He knew that voice.
The figure stepped forward into the torchlight, and Alex felt his blood run cold.
It was his father.