As the bright light spewed from the cottage lit up the hearts of the peasants, pouring over them like a warm influence; and immediately, a dark power fanned and grew under the broken ground. Deep beneath Eldenwood, where fear and hopelessness had soaked into the earth, something abominable there stirs. The ground trembled with a convulsive shudder, as if responding to some aboriginal call, and from the rents torn in the soil by the recent convulsion, a monstrous form slowly took shape. This was no serpent, but of serpentine shape, its scales flashing like obsidian-the image of a dragon, and yet a thing seared of all warmth and life.
Its eyes, two orbs of smoldering coal, burned fiercely with an emotion that seemed not to be anger alone but rather vengeance itself, to be laced with the sorrow of the village but fueled by their own misguided fear.
The monstrous creature uncoiled its enormity in the leftovers of Eldenwood, twisting and writhing in a way that contrasted elegantly with its terrifying size. Shadows danced around it, bending towards the creature's fantastic power. The atmosphere was thickened by a palpable tension, suffusing every breath into the air as if weighed by the impending doom.
As the villagers cowered away from the brilliant light surrounding Bai Cheng(Toru), their fears merged into one, stark, frightening form. The snake lifted its head and let loose a bellow that seemed to be thunder across the valley itself; a scream that seemed to shake the bones of all living things. It was a howl, raw and like the vibration of despair in the hearts of the people, a black symphony hollering their pain.
The marketplace, which had once throbbed and bustled with the vibrant energy of life, now lay in ruins, a haunting testament to joy transformed into sorrow. Stalls had been overturned, their goods strewn about as if forgotten dreams. The flickering torches cast eerie shadows on the faces of the villagers, twisted in horror and confusion, standing at the edge of a nightmare, ensnared in a tempest of their own creation, the beast before them mirroring their darkest thoughts.
Lao Jun stood steadfast amidst the turmoil, the burden of the moment heavy over him. "This monster subsists on our terrors!" he cried out, his voice wringing with desperation. "We need to face our loss, not let it consume us!" Yet even as he spoke, the serpent's shadow grew darker, covering hope with its oppressive spread.
As the snake writhed, tendrils of shadow spilled out, snaking through the air like dark smoke and grasping at the hearts of those gathered. An icy grip of despair settled over every villager, whispers swirling in their minds, igniting flames of anger and sorrow. "It is he who does it," they echoed together, eyes throwing back a light echoing that of the serpent. "He is the cause of our misery.
Meanwhile, inside the cottage, Bai Cheng(Toru) remained blissfully unaware of the chaos engulfing him, his wide eyes still shining with a light that seemed to protect him from the looming darkness. His mother embraced him tightly as she felt the weight of fear suffocating her; this grew heavier as the screams of the villagers combined with growls of the beast.
Suddenly, Bai Cheng(Toru) burst with an electrical crackle; he wove it into the light that swirled around him and made a protective wall. The serpent retracted its body a bit; it knew a real force of light, that would challenge its dark magic. In fury, it hissed like steam shooting out of an electric boiling pot. Its anger filled the air.
The villagers, caught up in a cyclone of feelings, began to stumble. Some withdrew, fear pulling them back from the fight, and others stood firm, the venom of hate still coursing through their veins. The snake, tuned into the discord, lashed out, its long body smashing against the ground with a power that could send shivers through the dirt.
Surrender your despair!" it thundered, the sound of its voice like dark crashing waves. "Nourish it inside you; let its strength empower you! Together we shall unleash this inner darkness!
But something miraculous was also starting to happen in that instant. The light surrounding Toru began to throb and expand, breaking free of the choking shadows that tried to engulf the village. Lao Jun sensed the opportunity, his heart fired with the will to fight: "No! We are not intimidated by our fears! We have the power to choose!"
With a mighty roar that even outpaced the serpent's, Lao Jun raised his arms towards the heavens, pulling in energy from the light wrapped around Toru. Witnessing the elder stand tall, the villagers gradually came out of their trance. Doubt fluttered in their eyes as they debated with the advancing darkness that threatened to consume them all.
As the snake writhed in frustration, its dark power flickered for a moment, and a spark of hope glimmered in the hearts of the villagers—a chance to reclaim the hearts. However, the fight was far from over. Shadows were still looming. For the serpent did not give up easily. "With a swift lunge, the creature snapped at him with its open jaws, inches from Lao Jun's face, the memory of the chaos that threatened to tear Eldenwood asunder still vivid in his mind.".
In that instant of suspended reality, with light fighting shadows, the balance of fate for the village was at a precipice. They would surrender to the beast that fed on their despair, or they would rise, standing together in the flickering light of hope that shone bright with darkness all around them. And here, in this place, the battle was just about to begin, and the echoes of their choices would be the whispers felt through the ages, forever changing the fate of Eldenwood.