Chen Li froze, his heart skipping a beat. The voice was faint, almost a whisper, but it echoed through the trees, cutting through the thick silence of the forest. It was soft, beckoning, but there was something sinister in its tone.
"Chen Li…"
The sound of his own name sent a chill down his spine. He knew that voice. It was the same one he had heard in his dreams, calling to him from the depths of the mist. But now, it was no longer confined to his nightmares. It was here, in the forest, with him.
"Come closer…"
Chen Li gripped the map tighter, his knuckles turning white. He knew what the old man had told him—don't listen to his voice. But the temptation was strong. The voice seemed to pull at him, coaxing him to step off the path, to follow it into the darkness.
For a moment, he felt his feet move, almost of their own accord. His body swayed toward the sound, drawn to it like a moth to a flame. But then, at the last second, Chen Li forced himself to stop. He shook his head, clearing the fog that had crept into his mind.
"No," he whispered to himself. "I can't. I can't listen."
The forest seemed to respond to his defiance. The wind picked up, rustling the leaves above him, and the voice grew louder, more insistent.
"Don't fight it, Chen Li. You belong to me now."
Chen Li's pulse quickened. He couldn't give in. He had to stay focused, had to keep moving. The path was still there beneath his feet, barely visible in the thickening mist. He forced his legs to move, one step at a time, his eyes locked on the trail ahead.
But the voice didn't stop. It followed him, circling him like a predator stalking its prey.
"You can't escape me," it hissed. "I'm already inside your mind."
Chen Li bit his lip, trying to block out the sound. He kept his head down, kept his focus on the path, but the voice was relentless. It whispered of fear, of despair, of the darkness that waited for him.
The mist grew denser, and soon, the path began to fade. Chen Li's heart sank as he realized that the forest was swallowing him whole, blurring the line between reality and nightmare. The trees seemed to close in on him, their twisted branches reaching out like claws.
And then, the figure appeared.
It stood at the edge of the path, just beyond the mist, watching him with hollow eyes. The same figure from his dreams, from the painting—the Wraith of the Mist.
Chen Li's breath caught in his throat as the figure took a step closer. The shadows clung to it, swirling around its form like living tendrils. It didn't speak, but its presence was overwhelming, filling the air with an oppressive weight.
Instinctively, Chen Li stepped back, his body trembling with fear. The Wraith didn't move any further, but its eyes never left him, its gaze cold and unyielding.
"Face me," the voice whispered. "You can't run forever."
Chen Li's mind raced. The old man had told him that the only way to stop the Wraith was to confront it. But how? How could he face something that wasn't even human, something that had haunted his dreams and now stood before him in the flesh?
For a moment, he considered running, fleeing back to the safety of the real world. But he knew that the Wraith would follow him there. It would never stop. It would hunt him down, no matter where he went.
He had no choice. He had to face it.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Li steadied himself. He forced his legs to stop shaking and stepped toward the Wraith. His heart pounded in his chest, and every instinct screamed at him to run, but he pushed the fear aside.
As he drew closer, the Wraith remained still, its dark form looming over him. The mist swirled at its feet, thick and cold, and the forest seemed to hold its breath.
"Why are you here?" Chen Li asked, his voice trembling but determined.
The Wraith's eyes glinted in the darkness, and for the first time, its lips moved.
"I am here because you called me," it said, its voice a low, guttural rasp. "You brought me into your world."
Chen Li's mind reeled. I brought him here? How? He had never asked for this. He had never wanted any of this.
"I didn't call you," Chen Li said, shaking his head. "I didn't want this."
The Wraith's smile was thin and cold. "Your fear, your despair—they are what brought me. You opened the door, Chen Li. And now, you must pay the price."
Chen Li's throat tightened. He didn't know what to say, how to fight back. The Wraith's presence was suffocating, and the darkness seemed to close in around him.
But then, something clicked in Chen Li's mind. The old man's warning echoed in his thoughts—don't let him into your mind. The Wraith fed on fear, on doubt, on weakness. That was how it had crossed over into his world. It thrived on his terror.
If Chen Li wanted to stop the Wraith, he had to take back control. He had to face his fear.
Gathering every ounce of courage he had, Chen Li straightened his back. His hands stopped shaking, and his voice steadied.
"I'm not afraid of you," he said, his words firm and deliberate.
The Wraith's smile faded, and for a moment, its form seemed to flicker.
"You're lying," it hissed, its voice dripping with venom. "You are mine."
But Chen Li shook his head. "No. You're wrong. I won't let you control me anymore."
The Wraith snarled, its shadowy form rippling with anger. The mist around them swirled faster, and the wind howled through the trees, but Chen Li stood his ground.
For the first time, he felt the Wraith's power begin to weaken. The oppressive weight that had suffocated him lifted, just slightly, and the figure before him seemed less solid, less real.