The cold wind blew in the mountain under the dark starless sky as the tree leaves swayed. Within the mountain, nightcrawlers lay awake waiting for their prey, vicious wolves howled upon the moon and wide-eyed owls turned their heads to the source of sound.
Amidst the towering woods, a dark figure flashes in and out of sight. The figure passed through various rocks and bushes avoiding perilous traps that would make even the best adventurers out there flabbergasted along the way.
The cloaked figure turned and stopped on their track. Their head tilted up towards a dead end, they stopped only for a mere second and looked up the wall of rocks. With a leap, their cloak spread like an open wing with the help of the cold breeze as they leap from stone to stone. It was like invisible stairs appear upon their light steps giving the illusion that they where walking on thin air.
With one final jump, the figure leaps high up, her silhouette being outlined by the moon. It was as if time had stopped for a moment as a gust of wind knocked off the mysterious figure's hood to reveal long dark silken hair dancing with the wind. Cold dark eyes, as sharp as the sharpest blade glinting with danger and frozen hell.
Hidden within the hood were skin fair and white as snow, as if glowing with the radiant of the moon. Perfectly arched brows, cute, pointed nose, rosy cheeks, and tempting red lips arched into a faint smile. Yet, what truly stood out amongst those enchanting beauty, were mesmerizing dark gems for eyes hiding fathomless secrets and wonders. Eyes that could penetrate through yet still, so calm like nothing could ever cause a rift.
This woman was none other than the nightmare of countless humans, "The Goddess of Hell" Feng Jiao Xue. No one has ever managed to escape the thorny blades of the Black Rose, an unmatched beauty riddled with thorns.
With an unyielding phoenix blade on the right and a fearsome thorned black whip with her signature black diamond rose on the handle in her left, she had brought endless fear and death in her wake.
Gracefully, her feet landed on the ground, not a dust disturbed upon her descent and continued to speed up the mountain until a grand villa came into view. Like summer has arrived, the frost within her eyes melted and her whole being seemingly changed as if her impenetrable wall softened ever so slightly. A soft sight only those few closest to her have ever had the honor to witness.
She walked leisurely inside the villa and navigated the familiar halls full of twists and turns. Decorated upon the halls were priceless paintings, vases and other trinkets, objects that have been 'collected' by her during some of her missions.
As she reached a double-sided door, she pushed them open to reveal a lounge with a charming man sitting lazily on the couch, yet despite the posture, he exudes a seductive charm.
In a softly lit lounge area, where the warm hues of amber and gold reflect off polished wooden surfaces, sits a charming man absorbed in his book. His tousled hair, a deep chestnut brown, catches the light just so, adding to his boyish charm. He wears round, wire-framed glasses that perch slightly askew on his nose, giving him an intellectual yet approachable air.
The glasses accentuate his sharp blue eyes, which sparkle with curiosity and a hint of mischief as he turns the pages, completely immersed in the world of science fiction based on the insterstellar cover of the book he was holding. His attire is comfortably casual. An unbuttoned navy cardigan layered over a crisp white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms that hint at a life of both academia and adventure. A pair of dark jeans completes his look, giving him a relaxed demeanor, yet the way he carries himself suggests a quiet confidence and passion for knowledge.
Around him, the lounge exudes an inviting warmth. Plush sofas are arranged invitingly, and the scent of freshly brewed coffee lingers in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of leather from the armchairs. Bookshelves line the walls, filled with an eclectic mix of classic literature and cutting-edge scientific journals, reflecting his diverse interests.
A large window frames a view of a garden, where sunlight filters through the leaves of a nearby oak tree, casting playful shadows on the floor. As he reads, a small smile plays on his lips. There's a hint of laughter in his demeanor, a sense of delight in the discoveries both within the pages and beyond.
In this serene setting, he embodies a perfect blend of intellect and warmth, a modern-day scholar who finds joy in the little things, inviting anyone who crosses his path to share in his world of wonder.
The man playfully twirled the glass of wine in his other hand before glancing up to look at the source of the noise.
The refined face immediately broke into a bright smile. A smile as bright as the summer sun and as refreshing as spring with the pureness of winter.
Swiftly, the man stood up with excitement and joy radiating from his movements, the man immediately engulfed her into a warm welcoming embrace.
"Welcome back, your home later than expected" The man commented with a playful pout.
Cold winter turned into a warm summer as she smiled tenderly. She relaxed in the man's hold before letting out a soft sigh of content, sagging into his arms.
She embraced the feeling of security that this man had always been able to give her.
It was like nothing in the world could harm her and she indulged in the feeling of peace and happiness, emotions that her occupation had deprived her, and emotions that only this man could provide her.
'Home.' She smiled to herself. 'Finally, she was home'
After a brief moment, she gazed up and a melodious voice with a hint of annoyance came out of Feng Jiao Xue's lips.
"Those annoying old men tried to play some tricks." She informs the other with rolled eyes.
As if anything they do could change their mind. Honestly, did they think that they would have their loyalty after how they had obtained her and her friend?
The man looked at her helplessly before ruffling her hair as if consoling a child. "It must have been hard on you again. 'Sigh' let's not talk about the elders, princess. I know how it always ruins your mood. You must be tired, I made lots of snacks for you that I know you would love" The man said with a coaxing voice making her annoyance fade.
At that, the man smiled with his eyes closed and lips forming a cat-like grin. Feng Jiao Xue returned his smile with a softer smile, shoulder slacking down as she began to relax.
Childishly, she held her hand out wanting to be carried.
The man pressed a soft kiss on her temple before covering her in a warm blanket before picking her up like how one would carry a child, eyes full of warmth and dotting contrary to his icy countenance in front of others.
Instead of sitting down, the man also carefully arranged the snacks again before sitting beside her.
"Ah~" the man coaxed gently, making her roll her eyes but still opened her mouth to be fed with the sweet treat.
Her eyes gleams. Playfully, she snapped her teeth as he fed her as if attempting to bite his fingers. The man reflexively pulled his hand back as soft, gentle and melodious laughter rang in the room.
She smiled with content and snuggled farther into the couch with a cozy feeling. No one would have thought that this man who was tenderly taking care of her was the same cold-blooded doctor who could make others wish for death with a single scalpel.
But those are the identities forced upon them by the organization. Identities thrusted into them by the cruelty of reality.
In here, in this space they call their own, is their sweet solace from the dark world they grew up in.
"So, how was the mission?" The man asked calmly though his gaze shifts slightly in various directions, the hand that was holding a piece of jelly shacking ever so slightly before it stiffened, as if every muscle was forced to still as he fed her sweet desserts.
Feng Jiao Xue grinned at him softly. "Was there any doubt, Lou Xi? The mission was a success! We're free!" She answered with a happy smile. Her smile was small, soft. But every part of her radiates happiness as stars silently shines in the sky.
The man froze for a moment before laughing and twirling her in happiness, food crushing into the ground.
"We did it? We're free! The organization can't force us to do anything anymore! Hahaha, Xiao Xue, we're free! We're free!"
The man, Lou Xi excitedly exclaimed in pure happiness. Tears of joy and relief could not help falling down his eyes.
She bit her lips to stop her foolish smile and for the first time, she also allowed tears to fall from her eyes. Then she nodded as she was spin around like a rag doll carefully held by him, as to affirm what she just said, they are out of the organization's clutches.
In response, the man engulfed her in a big bear hug while chanting 'we're free', 'we're free', 'we're free'.
She would normally limit such contact but this time, she let him be. After all, they have been working all their lives for this moment, for this dream. She reciprocated the hug, holding him in a tight embrace. "We're free" she whiphered to him though it sounded more like an affirmation for both of them.
Lou Xi and her have been together since they were young. The two have met each other when they were little. They were both orphans that the organization took. 'Orphans?' She sneered at her thoughts. That is what everyone knows and that is what she prefers to believe.
She had always considered herself an orphan after what THEY did to her. Feng Jiao Xue shook her head to shake off those thoughts.
"Are you okay princess?" Lou Xi asked, seeing her shake her head.
"I'm fine, just remembering how we ended up in the organization and met each other" She answered grimly, making the other mirror her expression before pulling her back into a hug.
"It's okay it's all in the past now, we can bury it all behind us" He comforted.
She could still remember the day they first met. She was just seven when she arrived at the gloomy training ground, with red eyes and a face full of tears. She was scared and uncertain as to what those burly men wanted to do to her.
She had looked around in fear looking for a way to escape; however, the area was surrounded by thick giant walls and men armed with guns patrolling the grounds.
"Move runt!" One of the men yelled while shoving her to the rest of the group.
She whimpered but still scurried towards the rest of the wailing children; however, she refused to shed a single tear. The whole group was led to an underground laboratory full of people in white lab coats and people either chained or strap into something.
She flinched a little from the gruesome scene of people being experimented, dissected, or tortured by what she thinks are poisons inside the rooms separated by glass walls.
This made the other even more scared and cried harder. She frowned slightly at the sharp noises, something she really hate.
"Shut up if you know what's good for you!" A man, burly and in the same inconspicious black cloathing as the others here yelled as it seems she wasn't the only one bothered by the noise, though she doubts they have the same exact reason for annoyance.
The warning was met with even more cries resulting in one of the men to give a warning shot.
One man near her noticed that she was barely reacting to anything like the others making him raise his brow at her in curiosity. "Aren't ya scared squirt?"
"Scared" She replied, her calm voice contradicting her reply in contrast to the turbulent emotion inside her.
"Then aren't ya gonna cry like a wee baby?" The man sneered before casting her observing look from head to toe.
"Crying won't solve anything" Something THEY have taught her.
Her eyes hardened for a minute after saying that. It was just for a mere second, but it did not go unnoticed by the man.
"Your one strange kid but who knows, you might just survive. Good luck kiddo, you're going to need it" The man advised before turning back to watching the others.
She saw a man waiting for them. Contrary to the filthy surrounding, the man looked fresh and clean in a spotless white coat.
"Doctor Zu the new batch have arrived as scheduled" The leader, she assumed as the leader of the men since he had always been the one at the forefront, reported to the awaiting man reading a few documents.
The man, Doctor Zu looked up then turned his head to the crying children before nodding. "Good, you know where to put them."
The leader nodded before looking back at his men and tilted his head to the right.
She clenched her tiny fists and followed silently while observing her surroundings, waiting, and looking for an opportunity to escape.
Unfortunately, the situation looked grim. She may be a child but even she understands that if she wants to survive, she needs to avoid trouble and work through the circumstances.
The surroundings slowly changed from the room full of endless screams of agony into a hall of cells with young people in ragged and bloody clothes with flesh full of scars.
At this sight, Feng Jiao Xue froze.
It was not the gruelsome torture that scared her. It was not the sound of terror filled screams, the heart wrenching shrieks of pain, nor the loud sounds of things hitting flesh.
No, blankly, she stared at one of the prison.
A woman sat motionless in one of the cells, blank eyes staring at the wall, slumped as if no strength was left in her. She's alive. Feng Jiao Xue knows that the woman was alive and yet her eyes... her eyes mirror that of the dead and for the first time, she felt scared, really scared.
All of them are clearly malnourished and abused. Some are crying and begging for mercy while others have either gone insane laughing, rocking, mumbling nonsense or unresponsive, like the living dead. Their eyes were either full of despair, hopelessness or numb.
Before she could further observe, they were all put into tiny cells and in that cell, she met him, Lou Xi. The number of boys and girls were odd so they were put together.
Feng Jiao Xue entered calmly, or as calm as she could be, hand shakily holding onto her clothes, while Lou Xi was thrashing around, struggling hard trying to get out of the guards' grip. He was scrawny, shirts and pants tattered and caked in mud and dirt. Soft hair tussled in an unkept manner and lips dry as cracked and yet eyes as fierce as that of a cornered beast. In the end, he was thrown harshly onto the ground.
"You all better me good if you don't want to be punished" The guard scoffed at his own warning before leaving.
She watched as the men went out of the thick metal doors before looking at the other cells.
After observing fruitlessly for a bit, she looked at Lou Xi who had already tired himself out and was curled up in the blanket while leaning at the wall. There was literally nothing else in the cell aside from the two thin blankets, should they be thankful? She had sarcastically thought.
Seemingly feeling her stare, the boy looked up at her curiously with a tilted head. Her lips twitched at how this boy reminded her of the wild rabbit she used to play with before THEY killed him with rocks. Red tears filled his eyes and looked at her in apprehension, fear, and sorrow. Lou Xi looked away embarrassed as he hastily whipped his eyes along with his snots in his sleeve. This time making her winced before looking away in disgust.
"What are you looking at?" He asks, trying to appear stronger, keywords appear, he just reminded her of those snotty brats.
Feng Jiao Xue however, simply frowned before going to the other blanket. Silently ignoring her 'roommate'. What she needs right now is a calm mind and a lot of reserved energy. Unfortunately, the other kid had another idea in mind.
"What's your name? Mine is Lou Xi." Lou Xi as he went beside her, apparently finding enough courage to have a proper conversation with her now.
"How did you end up here? My father died and in order to repay his debt they took me."
"They are so bad. They already took all of our remaining property."
"Can you talk?"
She frowned deeper at the noisy boy and tried hard to ignore him.
As she kept pretending that the other kid was invincible, the sound of a stomach rumbled beside her. Feng Jiao Xue looked to her side and Lou Xi blushed in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I haven't eaten since yesterday. I'm so hungryyy!" The boy whined, slumping farther in the cold hard floor.
Calculating the time, it should already be dusk by now.
Silently, she took a small chocolate bar from the pocket of her jacket and handed it to him without looking back.
"Huh? Oh, you can keep it for yourself. Who knows when they would let us eat. I'm not that hungry" Lou Xi immediately declined, however his stomach rumbled even louder making his face take the shade of a tomato.
With a frown, she ignored his refusal and stuffed the chocolate bar in his hand. Lou Xi tried to give it back, but she stubbornly denied taking it. In the end Lou Xi could only helplessly take the chocolate.
He split it into two and handed Feng Jiao Xue the other half. "Here, Let's just split it."
She did not refuse this time as who knows when and if their captors have enough heart to actually feed them something edible. As they ate such small treat as if it is the most precious meal they have, she did not notice the boy beside him silently wiping his tears with a smile on his face.
The two silently ate as they sat side by side. Cries of anguish and pain along with the occasional crazy cackles echoing and reverberating around them.
"Feng Jiao Xue" she uttered suddenly after a moment of silence.
Lou Xi turned his head to her. "Huh? Did you just say something?"
She folded her knees to her chest and laid her head on her folded hands above her knees "My name is Feng Jiao Xue. You can just call me... Xue" She elaborated.
"So, you can talk! Nice to meet you then Xue-Chan" The boy grinned before flinching as a sharp shriek of pain reverberated in the hall pouring cold fear to his momentary excitement. He, however, still tried to hide his fear that was evident in his eyes.
Feng Jiao Xue tilted her face towards him for a while before nodding and giving him a sweet smile. "Nice to meet you too... Xi-Kun"
They didn't know that that moment in time was the beginning of a revolutionary friendship between them.
After a few days in the cells, they have only been given some 'food' if you can even call it that and bathroom time once a day. Everyday new children are put in while those who lost their mind or what they deemed useless are 'eliminated' in order to save more space.
From observing how more people are led below, Feng Jiao Xue concluded that there are more people captives in other places other than here. How they managed to get this many people without the government noticing is beyond her but if she thinks farther, she could vaguely guess.
Lou Xi spent most of their time cuddled with each other for warmth, the initial awkwardness was replaced by familiarity and comfort.
Then one day the guards came and escorted all the female children out.
"Xue-Chan" Lou Xi called out as he tried to pull her away, clinging towards her, hoping to keep his companion safe.
"You d*mn brat" The guard cursed as he kicked Lou Xi, but he just refused to let go.
Feng Jiao Xue smiled reassuringly on Lou Xi before prying his hand off of her wrist. She knew that no matter what Lou Xi did, it would all be futile and would only end up hurting him. Since they only had each other for company, the two of them have developed a friendship.
"Xi-Kun I'll be alright" Not wanting the guard to hurt him even farther, Feng Jiao Xue stepped back on her own.
Lou Xi could only helplessly watch as Feng Jiao Xue left with the other girls. However not long after the boys were also dragged out.