The night was silent, the lanterns at the gate flickering faintly.
I whispered to myself,
> "I must go to the market to buy the materials… how could I have forgotten?"
As I stepped out, I stopped short.
Kneeling before the gate was Liyu, her robes damp with dew, her face pale in the cold night air.
> "What is it? Why are you here?" My voice was flat, without warmth.
She lifted her head, her eyes shimmering with fear.
> "Master… I do not know what sin I have committed to anger you, but I beg for your forgiveness."
I passed her with indifference.
> "Go back to your room. The night is cold."
But she clutched the edge of her sleeve tightly, desperation trembling in her voice.
> "Please, Master… at least tell me what I have done wrong."
I did not stop. My steps carried me forward as my thoughts whispered darkly,
"Liyu, you act as though you know nothing… Yet you shattered my trust. And now you dare to ask what you have done?"
I reached road to the market
The road to the market was unusually still. Not a single vendor's call, not a soul in sight. Only the echo of my own footsteps.
> "Strange… why is it so empty tonight?" I murmured, though I forced the unease away.
The material shop stood ahead. Its lamps flickered faintly, but the place was deserted.
> "Hello? Is anyone here?"
No answer.
I turned to leave—
But in that instant, a heavy blow struck the back of my head.
Darkness consumed me.
When I awoke, my body felt weightless yet unmoving—paralyzed, as though my soul had slipped into a corpse.
I forced my eyes to adjust.
There—at the center of a shallow pool of murky water, a man stood with his arms bound by thick iron chains, his wrists and ankles shackled, his body bruised and trembling. The chains clinked faintly with every shallow breath he took. His face remained hidden in shadow, blurred as though the darkness itself refused to let me see.
The sight struck me with dread. My vision wavered, my strength gave way—
And the world fell back into blackness.
--A The Dark Room
The next time my eyes opened, I was no longer near the water. I was in a chamber cloaked in pitch-black shadows.
A soft echo of footsteps reached me.
From the darkness, a girl emerged—her beauty sharp as a blade, her eyes gleaming with a cruel light.
She tilted her head, a smile tugging her lips.
> "So… you've finally awakened."
I struggled to speak.
> "Who are you? Where is this place? Why—"
Her hand pressed firmly over my mouth, silencing me.
> "Too many questions," she whispered, her breath cold against my skin. "And I dislike talkative guests."
She drew a sword, raising it so the dim light caught its edge.
> "Look… isn't it beautiful?"
The blade gleamed, merciless and hungry.
> "I will grant you a chance. Answer my question correctly, and you may live. Answer wrongly…"
Her smile curved, wicked and slow.
"…and your blood will be the first this sword drinks tonight."
My heart pounded, but I nodded.
She leaned closer, her eyes locking onto mine, her voice dripping with mockery.
> "You saw someone, didn't you? Now tell me—was it a man… or a woman?"
My mind twisted, haunted by the chained figure in the water. At last, I said,
> "I saw only a woman. And it was you."
For a moment, her gaze sharpened. Then she laughed softly, dangerously.
> "Lies. I can smell them on your tongue."
I forced my voice steady.
> "I have no wish to die at your hands."
She laughed louder this time, the sound echoing like broken bells.
> "Interesting… You amuse me. Very well. You're safe… for now."
> "Then release me," I demanded.
She turned, steps echoing into the shadows.
> "Not yet."
--Outside the Door
Just beyond the chamber, she knelt, lowering her head.
> "Master… she did not see him."
From the darkness, a hand struck her cheek with a sharp crack.
A man's cold voice thundered,
> "Fool! You sent her into the place where I keep him captive! What if she had seen his face?"
She bowed lower, silent.
His tone grew harsher.
> "I did not expect such stupidity from you… Bai Yanmei."
His presence faded into the shadows, leaving the air heavy with menace.
Yanmei slowly rose, her eyes burning. Without hesitation, she drew her blade and cut down the trembling man who had carried out the abduction for her.
Her cold voice lingered in the corridor.
> "Useless."
....
Inside, my vision blurred once more. My head swam as her shadow returned, lingering above me.
Who are they? Why am I here? And who was that man… chained in the water?
Confusion and dizziness swallowed me, and again, darkness claimed me.
When I opened my eyes for the third time, the suffocating darkness was gone. Instead, I found myself lying on cool grass, the faint rustle of leaves above.
Someone sat quietly beside me.
It was Liyu.
The moment she noticed I had stirred, her eyes softened in relief.
> "Master, finally… you're awake."
I pushed myself up to sit, scanning the unfamiliar forest around us. The air smelled damp, earthy, heavy with silence. My brows furrowed.
> "What are we doing here? What is this place? I remember… I was in a dark room, a prison."
Liyu lowered her gaze, her voice threaded with unease.
> "I was worried about you, so I decided to follow you. But you were too fast… I lost you. When I reached the material shop, you were already gone. I searched everywhere… then I heard strange sounds. When I came here, I saw some people leaving you behind in this place. So… I chose to stay here with you."
Her explanation fell into the stillness of the forest.
I studied her face, my voice calm yet edged with suspicion.
> "Alright. But tell me—how did you know I was going to the material shop? I remember clearly… I never mentioned it to you."
My eyes narrowed slightly, the question hanging sharp in the air.
Liyu froze for a heartbeat. Then she forced a faint smile.
> "I…"