Lin Han's eyes fixed on the aged map of Batu Caves pinned to the wall. The paper was yellowed and brittle, like an artifact from another time. His fingers brushed across it, tracing over a line of red ink scrawled in the corner:
—"The Gate of Blood Sacrifice"
A chill slithered down his spine. The legends of Batu Caves resurfaced in his mind. For years, locals whispered that the caves were more than just a tourist attraction—they were a sealed prison of an ancient curse. During certain celestial alignments, eerie chants were said to echo from deep within…
Lin Han swallowed hard and turned to Noya.
"How much do you actually know?" His voice was low, edged with suspicion.
Noya was leaning back in a wooden chair, carefully wiping her Keris, the wavy dagger catching a dim glint under the flickering light.
"That's not the real question here." She lifted her gaze, her lips curving slightly. "The real question is—"
Her eyes locked onto his.
"Why can you see karmic threads?"
Lin Han's breath caught.
He had thought he had hidden it well, yet Noya spoke with a certainty that sent unease crawling under his skin.
His fingers curled into a fist. After a long pause, he exhaled.
"…The Batu Caves Blood Ritual. I survived it."
Noya's hand stilled over her blade, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"You were there?"
Silence stretched between them, thick and heavy. The only sound was the faint rustling of the map trembling in the air.
Lin Han's breath grew unsteady. The fragmented memories of the Batu Caves Blood Ritual surged through his mind like shattered glass. He had never spoken to anyone about that night, yet Noya had struck right at the heart of his past.
"How do you know?" His voice was tight as he locked eyes with her.
Noya lifted a finger and pointed at his right eye, her tone unwavering.
"Your eyes."
Lin Han frowned deeper. He slowly lowered his gaze to the mirror across the room, his own weary reflection staring back at him. Deep within his right pupil, a faint crimson thread shimmered—barely noticeable, yet undeniably there.
"You can see karmic threads, can't you?" Noya pressed, stepping closer. "That kind of ability… it usually only appears in people who are cursed."
Lin Han's chest tightened.
"Cursed?" He let out a sharp breath, scoffing. "You actually believe in that nonsense?"
Noya didn't argue. Instead, she reached out, her fingers suddenly wrapping around Lin Han's wrist, pressing firmly against his pulse.
In an instant, a chilling sensation surged from her palm, spreading through his veins like liquid ice. His vision blurred—and then shattered.
A dark cavern. The ground littered with corpses, blood pooling between the stones.
A robed elder standing at the center, gripping a kris, chanting in an unholy tongue.
A younger version of himself—bound to the ritual circle, staring wide-eyed as a crimson glow consumed him…
Lin Han ripped his arm free from Noya's grasp, staggering backward as his chest heaved.
"You—" He gasped, his voice raw. "What the hell did you just do to me?"
Noya simply let out a slow breath, withdrawing her hand.
"I didn't do anything," she said softly. "You've just been running from the truth."
She turned, tapping a finger against the aged map of Batu Caves, her eyes dark and knowing.
"The Blood Ritual of Batu Caves… never truly ended."