James woke up to the cold, with only the pale, silvery light of the moon seeping through the cracks in the old wooden walls. Dust drifted lazily through the beams of light, swirling like faded memories caught in slow motion.
The air inside was still, but not silent. Somewhere outside, the fog pressed against the cabin like a patient predator, its whispers just barely audible if he strained to listen.
He shifted, realizing he was lying on a worn out mat that laid across the wooden floor. The boards creaked softly beneath him as he sat up, head heavy but clear enough to focus.
"Finally awake." It was Qin Juan's voice.
She sat a few feet away, near one of the narrow windows, with her legs knees crossed and one arm resting on them lazily. Her sharp eyes caught the moonlight, making them gleam faintly in the gloom.
Li Mei leaned against the far wall, arms crossed in a way that made her chest stand out, her expression unreadable but alert.
Li Jiang stood by the doorway, holding his sword with the weapon resting lightly on the floor. He looked relaxed but ready.
James swallowed, voice hoarse. "Where… where are we?"
"Cabin," Qin said simply. "Looks like a hunter's place or used to be. Half-rotted, but lucky for us, it's still standing."
James blinked hard, trying to piece together the last few moments he remembered. "How long was I out?"
Li Mei answered, voice low. "Not long. Maybe an hour. You hit your limit."
James rubbed the side of his head, the ache dull but steady. "The fight… the beast… the phantom…"
"You killed it," Li Mei said. "That thing, was tore it apart"
James looked toward the window. Beyond it, the fog curled and twisted, but didn't cross the crooked windowsill. Strange symbols, engraved deep into the old wood, caught the faint moonlight.
"Wards," Li Jiang said quietly, noticing James's gaze. "Whoever used this place before knew how to hold the fog back probably a formation master. But these old charms won't last forever. They'll buy us some time, though."
James's fists clenched without him realizing. "Damn it."
Silence hung in the air, stretching longer than it should. Even Qin's usual sharp tone was missing.
Finally, Li Mei broke it. "We found a map in the cabin."
Qin let out a low breath. "Figures. Looks like this test isn't just about survival it's a mission." A faint smirk touched his lips. "At least we've got a direction now."
James exhaled slowly. "When do we leave?"
"No one said you had to yet," Li Jiang added quietly "But we will soon."
For a while, the four of them sat there in the cabin, the only sounds the faint groan of old wood and the steady breath of the fog pressing against the outside.
James rose to his feet, knees aching as he stretched his arms overhead. His spine gave a satisfying crack, the stiffness in his body peeling away bit by bit.
He looked at each of them in turn. "We're still going down there."
Li Mei nodded once. "We were never stopping."
Qin gave a faint grin. "Its about time anyways."
Outside, the whispers pressed closer against the old wooden walls, like a rising tide waiting to break through. But for now, the cabin held. And the pale moon watched in silence.
Li Jiang unrolled the brittle map, flattening it gently on the floor. "It leads to the Hollow Valley our destination. " he murmured, tracing a faded line with one finger. "We have to pass through the Ashen Pines. If we want to head to our destination where we will have to find and kill a ferocious creature known as a three headed beast."
James frowned. "The Hollow Vale? And a three-headed beast? Sounds inviting."
Li Mei shook her head. "It's not just any beast. The three-headed creature fiercely guards the valley and doesn't tolerate intruders, that's what I found in my father's old collection."
Qin's voice dropped low. "It's probably the source of the fog and those whispers haunting us. We'll have to be ready."
Li Jiang nodded grimly. "We don't know everything about it, but whatever it is, it's powerful and dangerous."
"That's true." Li Mei said. "I'm sure that's why it says 'Anything that enters doesn't come out the same'."
Qin's smile slightly. "This test is quite interesting."
James still standing as the aching in his body was nothing now. "Then we leave before the fog gets braver."
One by one, the others nodded.
Meanwhile
The cold fog as moonlight slipped through the cracks in the wooden walls of the old cabin, with the scent of damp earth and dead leaves.
Inside, three figures rested in the shadows, their faces half-lit by the pale glow of the moon.
Kellan stood at the center of the room. He was tall, with sharp features and cold, grey eyes that looked like they'd seen too much of the world.
He carefully unrolled a worn, yellowed map on the old wooden table in front of him. Dust puffed up from the surface, swirling in the pale moonlight.
Beside him, Rye was leaning against the wall, one knee raised, a thin smile pulling at the scar running across his cheek. His fingers toyed with a small, bloody sharp knife, flipping it between them out of habit.
Quiet but deadly, his eyes gleamed with mischief.
On the other side of the cabin, Mora stretched her legs, her back resting against a broken chair. Her long ponytail draped over her shoulder, swaying gently as she moved. Anger simmered in her dark eyes, always close to the surface, like a storm waiting to break.
Kellan's eyes focused on one part of the map, where strange symbols curled around a name written in faded red ink: James.
A slow smirk appeared on his face. "This is it," he said softly. "We're close now."
Rye stopped flipping his knife and leaned forward with a grin on his face sharp and eager face "So… this is our mission. Nice."
"So all we have to do is kill him and we each walk away with a bag of spiritual crystals. Sounds easy enough" Mora added, standing up with a stretch. "But don't forget he's also moving with a group." Rye said quietly.
Kellan nodded. "We'll take care of them."
He rolled up the map again with a crisp snap. "It seems like we'll be meeting him real soon."
Both Rye and Mora looked at him, wicked grins spreading across their faces.
"Better be ready," Rye said, spinning his knife once more.
Mora cracked her knuckles. "I've been ready."
Outside, the fog shifted, as if stirred by the weight of their deadly promise.
As James had no idea that some people were hunting him.