Bai Cheng winced as he dodged another wild swing from Jia Ling. Sweat streamed down his face, and he had a hard time breathing. His sharp branch looked small against the dagger she had retrieved in continuous attack.
"Stop running!" Jia Ling said sternly, her eyes showing annoyance. "You are only making things harder for yourself."
"Running?" Bai Cheng was panting, dodging another attack. "I say it's. tactical repositioning!"
Jia Ling sneered, curling up her lips. "You think you are funny, huh? Let's see how funny you are when you are on the ground, asking for mercy!"
Bai Cheng leaped back just in time to avoid the slash meant for his chest. He looked toward the bushes where Fang had disappeared some little while ago. The dog was heading for the trap Bai Cheng had set up before—a shallow pit covered with thorns, hidden under a thick pile of leaves.
Just a little longer… Bai Cheng whispered, attempting to stall things.
But Jia Ling was not giving him any space. She was moving faster, and her hits were more precise. Bai Cheng realized he couldn't keep her away for much longer.
Fang, hurry up! he breathed to himself quietly, as he ducked low, avoiding a swish which would have bashed against his head.
Jia Ling suddenly stopped and tilted her head with a strange calmness. "You're out of tricks, aren't you?"
Bai Cheng tightened his grip on the branch, forcing a smirk onto his face. "Oh, you'd be surprised. I've got a whole bag of them."
She grinned big, but it did not look funny. "Let's see how sure you are after this," she said.
Before Bai Cheng could say anything, Jia Ling raised her hand, and her fingers glittered with a light purple color.
"Wait, wait, wait—what are you doing?" Bai Cheng asked, instinctively stepping back.
Her voice was soft and afar. "Let's play a small game, okay? Let's find out how strong your mind really is.".
A wave of energy swept through the air and changed what was around him. Bai Cheng blinked his eyes; everything was blurry. He reopened his eyes, and when he did, the forest disappeared.
"What the—?"
He was standing in a dark, vacant place. Scarlet and black scarred his view of the sky, and in the air hung the oppression of fear.
"You're nothing, Bai Cheng."
The voice was everywhere and nowhere, echoing inside his head. Bai Cheng spun around, searching for the source, but he was alone.
You are weak. Useless. A burden.
Familiar faces began changing with distaste, as people came out of the woodwork.
"Look at you," said a man who seemed like Gerald, crossing his arms and looking down on him.
"A kid pretending to be a warrior. You'll never achieve anything."
Bai Cheng moved backward, his head in a negative shake. "No. no, that cannot be so. Gerald wouldn't say that.".
"Wouldn't I?" the figure replied, his voice dripping with mockery. "You're just dead weight.
That's why Mei Feng left you, too."
Mei Feng had arrived just in time. Her eyes were cold, distant. "You disappointed me," she said in a tone flat as a board. "I wasted my time teaching you.".
Bai Cheng's chest tightened. "No… this isn't real. This is—this is her illusion!
But the words went deep. Even though he knew it was a lie, the ache felt true. The figures moved forward, their voices louder, overlapping in the cacophony of insults.
Good-for-nothing!
"Coward!"
Why can't you give up?
No one will ever believe in you.
Bai Cheng stepped back, clamping his hands over his ears. The voices wouldn't stop. Dark faces were everywhere around him, their features ugly and frightening.
"This… this isn't real!" he shouted, his voice cracking.
Then, he saw something that frightened him so much. Fang lay on the ground, immobile, with his fur dripping with blood.
"Fang!" Bai Cheng shouted, running ahead, but the dog disappeared like smoke when he tried to touch him.
He fell to his knees, with his heart pounding inside of his chest.
"I cannot… I cannot do this," Bai Cheng said softly, his voice trembling.
The world seemed smaller as the shadows crept nearer. He felt small, weak, curled up on the ground, crying for something.
"You're all by yourself, Bai Cheng," the voice said quietly in his ear. It sounded gentle now, almost comforting. "Nobody is coming to help you. Not Gerald. Not Mei Feng. Not anyone."
Bai Cheng clenched his fists, his face streaming with tears.
"It's over, right?" he whispered quietly, his spirit crumbling in the heavy weight of false hope.
The shadows easily agreed, their cold mirth echoing off of him.
And then, silent.