The path ahead is no longer just a journey through the wilderness—it's a descent into the unknown. The woman's cryptic words echo in Li Wei's mind as she and Jian continue their trek through the dense forest. Each step feels heavier, as though the earth itself is testing their resolve. The atmosphere is thick with an unnatural tension, and the trees, their twisted branches reaching for the sky like skeletal hands, only seem to close in tighter as they move forward.
Li Wei's grip tightens around her sword as her senses heighten. She feels the eyes of unseen watchers on her—no longer just shadows but something more. Her thoughts race, still reeling from the woman's ominous warning. What sacrifice would they have to make? What price would they pay? And how would they ever find the child in this vast, endless forest?
The moon is high in the sky now, its pale light barely cutting through the thick canopy above them. It feels as if time has slowed down, each passing second stretching into eternity. Every rustle in the leaves, every distant call of an unseen animal, makes Li Wei jump, her instincts on high alert. She's not just afraid of what's in the shadows, but what's waiting for them beyond.
"Keep moving," Jian says softly, his voice steady but carrying an edge of urgency. He's been unusually silent since their encounter with the woman. Li Wei can tell that he's just as unsettled as she is, though he hides it well. He's always been the more composed of the two of them, but even he can't mask the unease that's crept into his demeanor.
They continue onward, the quiet sound of their footsteps the only noise in the otherwise oppressive silence of the forest. As they venture deeper, the air grows heavier, colder. The oppressive stillness seems to press in on them, and for a moment, Li Wei wonders if they're walking straight into the very heart of the curse.
Then, they come upon a clearing.
At first glance, it seems like just another part of the forest, but there's something wrong about it. The trees in this area are twisted and gnarled, their trunks twisted into shapes that seem almost unnatural, as if they've been bent by a force not of this world. The ground is uneven, with patches of dry, cracked earth that look as though they haven't seen rain in decades.
In the center of the clearing, there's a well. It's ancient, made of stone, with intricate carvings etched into the surface. The carvings are faint, worn away by time, but Li Wei can just make out the faint outline of a symbol—one she recognizes from the temple.
"It's the symbol," Li Wei mutters under her breath. "The one from the idol in the temple."
Jian steps forward cautiously, his eyes fixed on the well. He doesn't speak, but the tension in his posture tells Li Wei everything she needs to know—this is not a place they can afford to linger. And yet, she feels drawn to it. Something about the well calls to her, an undeniable pull she can't ignore.
"Should we investigate?" Li Wei asks, though she knows the answer before she even finishes the question. They have no choice. They can't walk away now.
Jian nods slowly. "We don't know what we'll find, but this could be a clue. Stay alert."
They approach the well cautiously, every sense on high alert. The air feels charged now, humming with an energy that seems to vibrate through the very ground beneath their feet. Li Wei's heart races, a primal fear clawing at her insides. She reaches out to touch the edge of the well, the cold stone biting into her fingers.
As soon as her hand makes contact, the ground shakes beneath them.
A low, rumbling sound rises from the depths of the well, and the air grows thick, almost suffocating. Li Wei steps back, her heart racing as she watches in shock. The carvings on the well begin to glow, faintly at first, but growing brighter with each passing second. The light pulses in time with the rumbling, and the ground trembles beneath their feet.
"No," Jian whispers, his voice filled with disbelief. "We should have never touched it."
Before they can react, the ground beneath their feet cracks open. The well seems to come alive, the stones shifting and groaning as if they're being rearranged by some unseen force. A figure rises from the depths of the well—dark and formless, its shape shifting in and out of existence. It seems to be made of shadows, swirling in an eerie dance, its form constantly morphing, never staying still for more than a moment.
Li Wei's heart hammers in her chest, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The air is thick with dread, a sense of something ancient and terrible awakening. She reaches for her sword, but before she can draw it, the shadowy figure reaches out, and the world around her seems to warp.
"Jian!" she shouts, but her voice sounds distant, swallowed by the eerie fog that now fills the clearing.
The shadowy figure moves closer, its presence suffocating. Li Wei tries to move, but her body feels heavy, as if something is binding her to the ground. The figure looms over her, its eyes—if they can even be called that—glowing with a strange, malevolent light.
"I've been waiting," a voice hisses from the depths of the shadow. It's not a voice she can hear with her ears—it's more like a thought, a whisper in the back of her mind. "You've come for the child. But first... you must pass the trial."
Before she can respond, the world around her blurs, the edges of her vision darkening. She feels herself falling, the ground giving way beneath her feet.
And then, everything goes black.