Hua's consciousness returned slowly, dragging him out of the abyss of sleep. He felt the rough, jagged edges of something digging into his back. His right eye refused to open again.
"Damn it," he muttered, slamming his fist against his temple.
A sudden jolt of pain flared as his right eye flickered open, blurry but working. He groaned, rolling onto his side. His body ached all over, and the cold bite of the ground only made it worse. When his vision cleared, he froze.
Where the hell am I?
The familiar walls of the wooden house were gone. Instead, towering trees loomed over him, their twisted branches clawing at the sky. A dense mist snaked through the forest floor, hiding its secrets. The air was heavy, oppressive even, and carried an earthy scent laced with something metallic.
He tried to sit up, his muscles protesting. A sharp pain shot through his left leg as if something had been gnawing at it while he slept. Hua grit his teeth and ran his hand along his calf. His fingers brushed something wet. Blood. Not fresh, but crusted and dry.
The last thing he remembered was collapsing onto a bed, safe in a warm house. Now, he was lying in the middle of nowhere.
"This is… weird," he mumbled.
His surroundings were eerily silent—no birds, no insects, nothing but the faint rustle of leaves. It was the kind of quiet that made his skin crawl. He pushed himself to his feet, wobbling slightly.
Hua glanced around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The forest seemed endless, but his instincts screamed at him to move. Standing still here felt wrong.
As he limped forward, his left leg protested, each step sending dull, throbbing pain up his body. But something strange happened. The more he walked, the more the pain dulled until it vanished completely. The moment his body adjusted, Hua broke into a run, driven by an inexplicable urge to escape.
He didn't know where he was going, but he couldn't stop. The forest blurred into streaks of green and brown, and his breathing grew ragged. Suddenly, the trees parted, and he stumbled into an open field bathed in sunlight.
In the middle of the clearing stood Sunny, the man who had saved him. But something about him seemed different now.
Sunny's katana gleamed in his hand as he moved with an almost supernatural grace. He stepped forward, his stance steady, and slashed through the air. The movement looked simple, but Hua could feel the force behind it. The air seemed to ripple in response.
Sunny spun, pivoting on his heel, and struck again. This time, he muttered something under his breath.
"Cav Han."
His sword ignited.
Flames erupted along the blade, twisting and flickering like serpents. The fire illuminated Sunny's features, casting sharp shadows on his face. Hua's breath caught in his throat. He had never seen anything so mesmerizing.
Sunny muttered again, "Cav Ga."
This time, the flames burst outward, engulfing the entire clearing. The heat was suffocating, but the flames never touched Sunny. Hua stumbled back, shielding his face with his arm.
When the fire finally subsided, the charred grass crackled beneath Sunny's feet. He turned, his piercing gaze locking onto Hua.
"Boy," Sunny called out, his voice steady but commanding.
Hua hesitated, then jogged toward him, his heart pounding in his chest.
"You saw that, didn't you?" Sunny asked, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Hua nodded, his words stuck in his throat. After a moment, he managed to stammer, "That… that was incredible. How did you do that?"
Sunny chuckled, sliding his katana back into its sheath. "Magic. Or something like it."
"Magic?" Hua blinked, his mind racing. "That's real?"
Sunny shrugged. "You tell me. Didn't your parents ever talk about it?"
Hua thought back to the stories his father used to tell, tales of sorcerers and ancient powers. He'd always dismissed them as myths. Now, he wasn't so sure.
"Where am I?" Hua finally asked, his voice trembling.
Sunny gestured to the forest. "Far from where you started. I dragged you here while you were asleep."
Hua frowned. "Why?"
Sunny's expression turned serious. "Because you have something. An energy. It's faint now, but when you were asleep, it was overwhelming. I don't know what it is, but it's powerful."
Hua's confusion deepened. "Energy? What does that even mean?"
Sunny didn't answer immediately. Instead, he studied Hua, his gaze sharp. "You'll understand soon enough. If you want answers, follow me. I'll take you to the village."
"The village? Where is it?"
"North," Sunny said simply. "It's a few hours away."
Hua hesitated, but the promise of answers was too tempting to ignore. He nodded. "Alright. Lead the way."
As they walked, the dense forest closed in around them. Hua couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The sensation grew stronger with every step, a cold weight pressing against the back of his neck.
Sunny glanced at him. "Stop making that face. You'll give us away."
"What face?" Hua asked, confused.
Before Sunny could reply, a shadow darted out from behind a tree. Hua barely had time to react before a figure in black lunged at him, sword raised.
Sunny moved in an instant, drawing his katana. The blade clashed against the attacker's, the impact sending sparks flying.
Sunny's movements were fluid, almost too fast to follow. He spun, delivering a powerful kick to the attacker's chest. The man in black stumbled back, his mask slipping slightly.
Sunny's eyes narrowed. "Another one. They don't give up, do they?"
The attacker charged again, but Sunny was ready. With a swift, precise strike, he slashed across the man's throat. Blood sprayed across the forest floor, and the attacker crumpled.
Hua stared in shock, his heart pounding in his chest.
Sunny wiped the blood from his blade and sheathed it. "That should be the last one. For now."
Hua swallowed hard, his hands trembling. "Who… who was that?"
Sunny shrugged. "Probably one of the men who attacked you before. They must've tracked us."
Hua's mind raced. Who are these people? Why are they after me?
But there were no answers, only more questions.
Sunny clapped him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Come on. We're almost there."
Hua nodded silently, following Sunny deeper into the forest. But the uneasy feeling in his chest remained, a gnawing fear that this was only the beginning.