"Mother, can I go outside to play?" a young boy around the age of seven asked the woman beside him.
"Alright, but don't go too far, Qin Hao."
Qin Hao's face lit up with joy as he ran out of the house. Being young, he was far more inclined to play than to help his mother with chores.
Another boy around the same age was already waiting outside the wooden hut.
The two of them ran around and played until evening. Their faces were smeared with dirt and mud, yet their eyes were still bright and full of energy.
"Qin Hao, do you want to play the rabbit hunting game again?" the boy asked.
"I want to," Qin Hao replied hesitantly, "but if we do that, won't we have to go to that place again?"
"Shh!" Mo Fan waved his hand dismissively. "It's not like we get to eat meat all the time, right? No one will know anyway."
"That's true, but it's getting dark," Qin Hao said uneasily. "Mother said it's dangerous at night."
"Tsk…" Mo Fan clicked his tongue. "Just think about how good that meat tasted. I'm already hungry just thinking about it. Let's do this, we catch just one rabbit, eat it, and come back quickly."
Qin Hao was tempted. The thought of eating meat again made his stomach rumble, and in the end, he nodded.
The villagers lived on vegetables and fruits all year round. Meat was rare and only eaten when hunters were lucky enough to catch ordinary animals. Even that was uncommon. Beyond the village lay dense forests filled with danger. In the past, hunters who tried to venture deeper never returned alive.
A few months ago, Qin Hao and Mo Fan had secretly slipped out of the village through a hidden passageway and accidentally stumbled upon a strange place filled with rabbits and birds. They had been shocked at first, but Mo Fan quickly reacted, catching a rabbit. They roasted it and ate it together. Even now, Qin Hao could still remember the taste.
The two boys moved quietly through the forest until they arrived before a towering tree. At its base was a small hole that looked like an entrance. They crawled inside and slid downward. The tree seemed to connect to an underground cave.
Soon, their feet touched flat ground, and they continued forward. The narrow passage wasn't completely dark, allowing them to see where they were going. In the distance, a faint light flickered.
"Hehe, we're almost there," Mo Fan said excitedly.
Holding a small hunting bow and arrow, Qin Hao smiled as well.
Their vision brightened as they passed through the exit.
"What?!" Mo Fan exclaimed.
"We're finally here," Qin Hao said softly.
The scenery before them was breathtaking. Their hearts leapt as they looked around. The trees were lush and green, as if freshly washed by rain. All kinds of fruits hung from the branches. Colorful flowers filled the air with a refreshing fragrance. Rabbits hopped about freely, while deer and goats grazed peacefully.
To Qin Hao and Mo Fan, it felt like a small piece of heaven. Raised in a remote village, they had never seen so many fruits or animals before.
"Let's just catch a rabbit and leave quickly," Qin Hao urged. "We don't have much time."
"How about taking some fruits too?" Mo Fan suggested. "Your mother would be happy."
Qin Hao rolled his eyes. "You just want to eat them. Stop making excuses. Besides, how would I explain where the fruits came from?"
Mo Fan shrugged. He knew Qin Hao was right. If their parents found out they had gone beyond the village, a severe scolding would be the least of their worries.
Qin Hao released an arrow, striking a rabbit. Just as Mo Fan rushed forward to grab it, the rabbit suddenly leapt away.
"Ah! My food!" Mo Fan shouted and chased after it. He had secretly taken only one arrow from his father. If the rabbit escaped, there would be no meat.
"Qin Hao, quick!"
The two chased the rabbit across the clearing.
"Oh no! It's going to escape through that hole!"
Qin Hao spotted a medium-sized hole ahead. The rabbit slipped inside without hesitation. Mo Fan dove in after it.
Qin Hao hesitated for only a moment before following.
Inside, the passage grew narrower. There wasn't enough space to turn around, forcing them to crawl forward. Soon, they emerged on the other side.
"Splash."
"Huh?" Qin Hao froze. "Water?"
A cold, wet sensation reached his legs. He instinctively looked down.
"Brother Mo, forget the rabbit. We need to go back," Qin Hao whispered urgently.
"…Brother Mo?"
"Shh!" Mo Fan hissed.
Confused, Qin Hao was about to ask again when Mo Fan leaned closer and whispered in his ear.
"Brother… this isn't water."
Qin Hao swallowed. "What do you mean?"
"It's blood," Mo Fan said, his voice shaking. "That smell… I know it."
Qin Hao looked down again. The liquid around their legs was dark red. The pool of blood reached up to their knees. The cave ahead was dim and cold, with visibility of only a few meters.
"How… how could there be so much blood?!" Qin Hao's whole body shivered, his mind became alert. The smell of blood entering through his nose felt stronger than ever.
Just as the duo was about to turn back, they saw a strange creature blocking the path.
Startled, Mo Fan screamed in fear and fell down on his butt. His body became submerged in red blood. Qin Hao focused but couldn't see its exact features due to dim light. But the creature outline seemed like an overgrown bird.
"Brother Mo, it's just a bird." Qin Hao chuckled, trying to ease down the atmosphere. In fact, he was scared shittless as well.
Mo Fan stood up and approached it but stopped halfway.
Cold sweat started to drop down from his forehead. "There's a human hand in its mouth…" Mo Fan muttered as hand and legs kept trembling in fear.
Qin Hao also noticed it, feeling a chill run down their spine.
The bird's green eyes stared at them, glowing, unblinking. They were the only source of light in the darkness. The bird suddenly opened its mouth. Its maw was impossibly wide, large enough to swallow an adult's head. Rows of sharp, tightly packed teeth gleamed within.
Gripped by fear, Mo Fan screamed and ran in opposite direction. Qin Hao couldn't even move, his legs feeling paralysed.
"Brother Mo!" Mo Fan's figure soon vanished within the darkness under Qin Hao's eyes.
"Thud."
Suddenly a thud sound echoed and Mo Fan's scream was cut off abruptly.
Qin Hao instinctively looked at the place. A pair red of eyes illuminated the entire surroundings. It was a tall giant, eight arms on its back. Mo Fan's figure was within the giants fist, only head poking out. Then it pinched his head with two finger.
"Burst." Mo Fan's head burst out like watermelon. Then the giant tightened its grip, crushing the rest of Mo Fan's body into a bloody pulp.
The red glow from the giant's eyes illuminated the cave. As far as Qin Hao could see, there was nothing but blood.
Mountains of corpses lay piled everywhere, severed heads, arms, legs, and scattered organs. Some were rotten. Others were fresh.
A primal fear arose from Qin Hao's heart, draining blood from his face.
"I…I will die…."
There was only one thought inside his mind.