n

n

n

"What..the.....fuc-

" Hao Xuan's eyes contracted as he looked at the statues head, or where it should have been. Everything from its neck and above was shrouded in darkness. Even with Hao Xuan's improved vision, all he could see was a blob of black nothingness.

n*Plop*

nHis knees gave out as he fell to the floor. The creature looked at Hao Xuan, tilting its head sideways in confusion. It followed his line of sight and looked up at the statues head, but with a shrill scream it quickly turned away and got in a fetal position, covering its head between its legs while letting out shrieks.

nHao Xuan couldn't control his body as his eyes opened wide and his body bent down in prostration before the statue. Beads of sweat poured down his neck one after another as he felt the statue increase in size right in front of him.

nThe distance between his head and the ground decreased inch by inch, but he couldn't stop himself. And then a feeling of despair overwhelmed him, getting stronger by the second. And at that moment he knew, if his forehead touched the ground, it would be the end of him.

n

"Wake up!

" Hyde's loud voice echoed in his ears, startling him.

n

"Huh?

" he looked around and found himself still standing in his original position. But his back was covered in a cold sweat and the creature was huddled in a corner crying.

n

"What.....was...that?

" he mumbled while wiping the sweat on his forehead with his sleeve.

nThere was silence at first but then Hyde's voice sounded again,

"Do not stare at it.

"

n

"Mhm,

" he nodded quickly.

nHao Xuan didn't need to be told again. That feeling of despair he felt was unlike anything he had felt before. It was like he was not in control of his own life, even his own body. Everything was pre-ordained and so....weak. Yes, he felt so very weak.

nWith some effort he lifted his head and looked at the gold engravings on the statue.

n

"Is it a demon?

" he asked skeptically. The initial feeling he got from it was not 'evil', unlike the one he had felt from Hyde himself.

n

"No, something...older,

" Hyde spoke slowly. It felt like he was trying to avoid the subject on purpose.

nHao Xuan pondered for a bit before asking,

"Then can you tell me what this place is?

"

n

"...

"

n

"You don't know do you?

"

n

"....its a temple of sorts. For 'Him'.

"

n

"Him?

" Hao Xuan looked at the statue. Just who was this 'person'? If it even was a person...

n

"It doesn't matter anymore,

" Hyde cut in,

"This world is dead. Do what you need to and leave quickly, before the dead catch your scent...

"

n

"!!!

" Hao Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

n

"Wait wait, what the hell do you mean by

"the dead

"? he shouted inwardly, but there was no response. He closed his eyes immediately and entered the mind palace but the door to Hyde's room was closed as usual.

n*Bang*Bang*

nHe hit the door as hard as he possibly could while shouting at the top of lungs,

"You can't just say sh*t like that and then stay silent! Tell me what the hell you meant, are there zombies here?

"

nThere was no response. No matter what he said or how he cursed, Hyde didn't reply in any way.

n

"Goddamit!

" after kicking the door one last time, he left the mind palace.

nHe looked at the statue once again and took a picture with his spirit band, but when he looked at the picture to see how it came out, it was so blurry and filled with static where the statue was that nothing could be made out.

n

"F*ck sakes,

" closing the spirit band he took out a pen and some paper and started drawing the engravings.

nWhen he was done, he compared it to the statue and....they looked nothing alike. It might as well have been drawn by someone that had never seen the engravings to begin with.

n

"Argh!

" he threw the pen at the statue and somehow it ended up hitting the poor creature crying in the corner, making it wail even louder.

nHao Xuan looked at the creature whose existence he had completely forgotten and couldn't help but shake his head.

n

"You're coming with me,

" he said before walking over to it. It looked up with its hideous face, making Hao Xuan stagger.

n

"How can I be so superficial?

" he told himself before grabbing the creature from the back after some hesitation and making his way out of the cavern.

n*ssssshhhhhhh*

nWhen he was halfway through the cavern, a low sound came from behind him. He stopped and slightly turned his head sideways to see what was happening from the corner of his eyes.

n

"Wha-

"

nThe statue was gone. The entire statue that was bigger than thirty-five meters had disappeared without making a sound, along with the throne it was sitting on. And in its place was left a hole in the ground that led straight down.

nThe sound was coming from the hole. It sounded like strenuous breathing you would hear from someone that was breathing with the help of a machine, but it wasn't that. This was the sound made by the flow of air into the hole.

nThe creature that had not stopped bawling for even a second since Hao Xuan picked it up stopped, and turned its bony head to look at the hole. The bone fragments on its side extended towards the hole. If it had hands it would probably look like it was extending them towards the hole like a child asking to be lifted up.

n*Gulp*

nHao Xuan stared at the hole for a few seconds before looking away and sprinting towards the exit.

n

"I still have a use for you,

" he said to the creature that was struggling to get out of his grasp.

n*Crack*

nA sound much like the breaking of bones echoed as Hao Xuan left the cavern and the darkness from inside the hole flowed outwards in waves like fog.

n