The sky was heavy with dark clouds, and the cold wind howled as if foretelling an impending storm. Amid the scattered grass, a group of people trudged slowly along the side of a steep hill, as rain seemed imminent.
The group comprised elderly people, the sick, and children no older than seven or eight, all thin, pale-faced, and bearing expressions ranging from fear to indifference.
At the back of the group, a burly man held a steel knife, his face grim and his gaze brimming with impatience as he watched their slow progress.
He shouted harshly, "You fools, hurry up! If the rain catches up to me, I'll come back and kill you all!" The wind grew stronger, adding to the difficulty of the journey, as the group continued on, burdened by exhaustion.
Suddenly, a small child collapsed on the ground, overcome by fatigue. His head struck a rock with a resounding thud. An elderly man and woman nearby rushed over, attempting to help him and assess his condition. But the fierce winds offered little reprieve, as the old woman quickly grew weak, her legs faltering, causing her to tilt backward toward the burly man.
The elderly man tried to aid her, but he couldn't move quickly enough.
"Ah!" The old woman cried out as she fell harshly to the ground. In the next instant, a horrifying sound filled everyone's ears—the sharp, ripping sound, like knives tearing into flesh. Their hearts froze in shock.
Slowly, everyone turned, eyes filled with terror, unconsciously drawn to the source of the sound.
The sky grew darker as clouds thickened, and the cold wind lashed like a warning of a terrible storm to come. Among the drifting grass, a group of people struggled up a steep hill, the rain threatening to fall at any moment.
The group consisted of elderly, sick, and young children between seven and eight years old. Their faces were pale, their bodies frail, and their expressions showed a mix of fear and indifference.
At the rear of the group was a large man carrying a steel knife, his face dark, his eyes flashing with impatience as he watched their slow pace.
In a gruff voice, he shouted, "Hurry up, you idiots! If it rains and I get stuck here, I won't hesitate to kill you all!" The wind intensified, making progress harder as the exhausted group struggled to move forward, burdened by fatigue.
Suddenly, a small child collapsed from exhaustion, hitting his head on a rock with a terrible sound. An old man and an old woman beside him rushed to his side, trying to help and check his condition.
But the fierce wind gave them no time to pause; the old woman quickly felt intense weakness, her legs buckling as her body tilted backward toward the large man. The old man tried to help her, but he wasn't fast enough.
"Ah!" A loud scream tore from the old woman as she fell hard to the ground. In the next moment, a terrifying sound shattered the silence—the sound of sharp blades tearing into flesh, freezing everyone's hearts for a moment. They halted, turning slowly, eyes wide with fear, to locate the source of the terrible sound that gripped them.
The large man, who had accompanied them all the way, wore a ferocious scowl on his face. He cursed loudly, brandishing the steel knife in his hand as he struck the helpless old woman, who lay beneath his savage attacks.
"You wretch! If you weren't here, I'd be in the mountains now, eating, drinking, and enjoying myself! You ruined my plans!"
In the shocked gazes of the onlookers, the man continued to slash at the woman, as if venting his repressed hatred.
The scene was gruesome. The burly man struck the old woman over and over, even after she ceased moving entirely. Her eyes remained wide open, her face covered in blood, lying motionless on the ground.
Yet the man wasn't satisfied; he continued his furious attacks on the lifeless body, as though he was releasing some deep-seated rage.
The horrifying scene was too much for the elderly and weak to bear; they covered their mouths, trying to avert their eyes from the disturbing sight.
The children were utterly terrified. Some broke down crying, while others were too shocked to react.
The terrifying sounds of tearing flesh, the hum of splattered blood, the man's shouts, the children's cries, and the shrill mountain wind combined to create an atmosphere of deep fear and suppressed emotions, as if resentment and tears had taken form.
The sky was clouded with dark clouds.
A loud thunderclap echoed, and flashes of silver lightning streaked across the sky, as though the heavens were reflecting an unbearable fury upon the tragic scene below.
"Ahhh~" The man breathed heavily and released a long sigh of satisfaction as the bloodthirsty glint faded slowly from his eyes. He wiped the sweat and blood from his brow with relief, laughing loudly. He waved his blood-stained steel knife at the terrified elders before him.
"Since I'm in a good mood, hurry up, you miserable sheep, climb the mountain!"
With a flick of his knife, thick, sticky blood and bits of flesh splattered onto the faces of the elderly man and child standing before him, snapping them back to reality.
Compared to the blood-stained corpse of the old woman and the brutal man before them, there was no doubt that the man posed a far greater terror.
Struggling to stifle their fear, the group of elderly men and women pulled and dragged the children forward, moving slowly up the mountain under the command of this merciless man.
The fierce wind stung their faces, making it even harder to move forward. The dry grass flew through the air, obscuring their vision and adding to the burden of the journey. And yet, the burly man kept a watchful eye on them, surveying the area around him to ensure no one dared to escape.
The scattered vegetation and harsh terrain made it nearly impossible to flee undetected. Confident that none of them had the courage to try, the man continued to lead them.
Indifferently, he wiped his bloody knife on the woman's body, then took a small bow before moving to the back of the group, watching their slow progress.
As the group slowly moved up the mountain, only the scattered bodies left on the ground and the howling wind remained as silent witnesses to the horrors that had unfolded.
Suddenly, in the eerie silence, ripples of black and gray appeared in the air, as if space itself was slowly fracturing. From the rift emerged a small ball of shimmering light, which shot towards the lifeless child's body, merging seamlessly with him.
The boy's body shook violently as if a searing flame had ignited within him, forcing him to wake up abruptly. He gasped softly, "Ah~," and slowly opened his eyes.
Zhang Xin found himself lying on a hard ground strewn with small rocks and dry sand, surrounded by scattered thorn bushes. The air was cold and damp, the earthy smell of wet soil beginning to fill the surroundings, hinting at the nearness of rain.
He glanced at the cloudy sky for a moment before trying to sit up with difficulty, propping himself on his elbows. A sharp pain shot through his head as if an invisible hammer was pounding his skull relentlessly.
"...Ugh…" A heavy sigh escaped his cracked lips, laden with unspeakable pain. His limbs felt weak, as though all strength had drained from his body, leaving him utterly depleted.
Despite the pain, his mind clung to reality. Slowly, he sat up on the cold ground, scanning his surroundings. There was no shelter or building in sight, just the harsh wilderness around him.
No rooms, no roofs, just the open expanse and rolling hills. He was stunned and whispered to himself, "Where am I? What's going on here?"
As he tried to process what was happening, fragments of the previous night came to mind—working on a game design project due that day. "I was deep in work… but this isn't my place. No, this isn't even my rented apartment."