That evening, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, Chen Li found himself standing at the edge of a dense, shadowy forest. The trees towered above him, their twisted branches reaching out like skeletal hands. The air was thick with mist, just as it had been in his dreams.
He clutched the old man's map tightly in his hand, his heart pounding in his chest. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to turn back, to run away from the darkness that awaited him. But he knew he couldn't. He had to face the Wraith—there was no other way.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Li stepped into the forest.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the atmosphere shifted. The air grew colder, heavier, as if the forest itself was aware of his presence. The path ahead was narrow, barely visible in the fading light, and the trees seemed to close in around him, blocking out what little light remained.
With each step, the mist grew thicker, swirling around his feet and rising up to his knees. The silence was deafening, broken only by the sound of his own footsteps crunching on the forest floor. There was no sign of the Wraith, but Chen Li knew he was out there, watching, waiting.
He followed the path as best as he could, keeping the map in one hand and his eyes fixed on the narrow trail ahead. The old man's warning echoed in his mind—don't lose sight of the path. But the forest seemed to have a mind of its own, twisting and turning in ways that made no sense. At times, the path would disappear entirely, only to reappear a few steps later in a completely different direction.
As he ventured deeper into the forest, the sense of unease grew stronger. Shadows moved at the edges of his vision, but when he turned to look, there was nothing there. The trees seemed to shift when he wasn't looking, their branches twisting into strange, unnatural shapes.
Chen Li's breath came in short, sharp gasps. The forest was playing tricks on him, just as the old man had warned. But he couldn't let himself get distracted. He had to stay focused, had to keep moving.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence.