Chenwu knew the existence of the secret passage. It was an emergency escape route that his father constructed. As far as his mother told him. The secret passage leads to the outskirts of the death wind forest. He knew it's the last time he could see his parents. His father told him that only in life and death situations they would use the secret passage.
It was dark and eerie. Before he moved, he once again looked towards the door and tried to push it. But it didn't even budge. Chenwu sighed and escaped through the passage.
After walking for a while, Chenwu saw light. He thought it was moonlight and hastened his steps. In a minute, he arrived at the end of the passage and took a deep breath. He knew his father should have placed guards to help his escape. So Chenwu exited the passage.
Moonlight brilliantly shone upon his pale skin amplifying his petiteness. But his pupils dilated in shock and horror as soon as he saw the scene in front of him. Chenwu saw two horses. And soldiers who bathing in a pool of blood. It was the first time he saw the cruelty of the world. And instantly horrified when he imagined his mother and father would end up in that state.
"NO!" Chenwu covered his eyes in trepidation and screamed. However, he instantly shut his mouth in fear that villains might come after him. He learned horse riding from his father, and there was no problem to ride a horse. But it would create commotion, and his existence will be found out. So Chenwu ran into the forest.
Chenwu had no time to wear shoes. Forest was filled with prickles and deadly creatures. After running for a few minutes, he felt his legs numb. He didn't have the energy to move a single step forward and tripped as he fell forward and reflexively covered his head with hands. The moment his hands touched the ground, sand particles grazed his pale skin and made him bleed. Chenwu didn't seem to care about bleeding and limped forward.
Unbeknownst to him, he moved towards the death wind valley. It was one of the forbidden zones in the Qin kingdom and the most dangerous one. There was a legend that gods exiled a deadly criminal. And whoever enters the valley they will be eaten by that criminal.
Blood trail formed wherever he limped. Assassins were sensitive to killing intent and blood smell. Even though it's night, two black-masked people halted their steps where Chenwu tripped previously, and one man crouched down as he took the blood-stained leaf. There were like trained assassins and didn't waste time on talking and followed the path.
After a long time, Chenwu reached the cliff. He saw its dead-end, and he looked back to turn but disregarded the idea when he saw that dark and silent forest. He trembled as he thought 'did I walked in that forest?' and laid his body at the end of the cliff. His brain still didn't work properly, as his parents' sudden death traumatized him.
He read many stories about revenge where heroes' parents killed by evil men. Hero somehow escaped and found himself middle of nowhere and the mysterious old man took him as a disciple after that hero becomes strong and avenge his parents. Ironically he found himself in almost the same situation and the only thing missing was there was no mysterious old man and there was no way to become strong.
"Found you little brat." Chenwu fantastical thoughts snapped by hideous voice. He was startled and scared as he thought the people who killed his parents found him.
But Chenwu didn't escape and glared at the direction of the voice. He looked deep into the sky and covered his eyes with blood-stained palm and sighed. Don't know whether he sighed in relief or sorrow.
He was too tired of running and mocked himself 'Maybe I am not the hero, one like that in the story.'
There were two people who pursued Chenwu. One was short, and the other was a tall man.
"Boss should have killed his parents and waiting for us." The short black-masked man said as he pointed towards Chenwu and said "Kill him."
The tall black-masked man nodded as he disappeared and appeared in front of Chenwu and grabbed his neck.
"Um mm." Chenwu struggled when a tall black-masked man grabbed his neck as he tilted his body and tried to escape.
"Stop it, boy, you can't escape from me." The tall black-masked man laughed wickedly behind his mask and moved his hand into his pocket and took out a dagger.
Chenwu's eyes widened in shock when he saw the dagger. It was black and sharp-edged. He trembled by the thought black masked people cutting his neck with it.
'It must be painful, and I don't like pain'
'But I cannot die mother told me to live well and I promised her.'
Series of thoughts flowed inside his brain and suddenly determination glinted in his eyes. Chenwu stopped struggling and glared at the man in front of him.
"Haha, Good boy, now let me cut your neck and end your pitiful life." The black-masked man laughed gleefully when he saw Chenwu stopped his struggle.
Black-masked man shocked as he saw what happened next. Chenwu spitted on his face and bit the hand that was grabbing Chen's neck between his thumb and index finger.
"Ahhhhh,"
Chenwu's bit as hard as he could and tooth pierced into his skin and muscles. In the result, he threw Chenwu to the ground and screamed.
"Cunning bastard, I'll kill you."
When the other one saw that, he sighed and shook his head in disapproval "That's why I told you to kill him quickly." He made his move and walked to the Chenwu.
Chenwu coughed in relief and cleaned the blood that stained mouth in red. He knew if he caught by them the death was imminent. So he crawled towards the end of the cliff and peeked downwards the valley. It was eerie silent and his heart throbbed in fear when he heard sounds made by gales.
But when he saw the other man walking towards him, he supported the ground and stood up, then he laughed furiously and roared as he jumped into death valley "You are not worthy enough to kill me."
He staked all on one jump.
Tall black-masked man shocked by the series of events happened before him and said "That boy is insane."
"It's better than die by our hands." The short black-masked man commented.
"A tiger father will not beget dog son," the short black-masked man commented and turned around "Let's go, no one can live in death wind valley."
"Yes" as he said that they turned into shadows and disappeared into the night.
After Chenwu jumped to the death valley, he felt time momentarily stopped and all the moments he spent with his mom and dad flashed in second. He screamed in fear while he fell down.
As he fell down winds cut him like a sharp knife. Every second was like hell to him. Sealed wounds blazed by the sharp wind. hatred raised in the heart but it was short-lived. Every meter he fell down, it was closer to the terrifying unknown. Hatred, sad, love, Left him one after another with a second pause. Gales were no longer sharp, fear no longer worked. He calmed down. He knew better than anyone at that moment, death arrived.
Before he touched the death valley, he lost his conscious. He was too tired and didn't like pain, So he did his best to lose his conscious and succeeded. He left his last breath in sleep.
It was a tragic death, nature mourned at his departure. it was a moment of silence by nature. Birds stopped chirping, the wind stopped flowing, flowers withered, leaves fell, and trees faded.
Did nature mourn or punished? At his unjustified death.
————————————
An unknown day, something strange happened to Chenwu's body. Out of nowhere, a golden ray exuded from his body. Surrounding temperature raised and not long after that, his entire body burned like sun. Chenwu's body illuminated in night and surroundings turned bright. His body burned like that for 2 hours before the golden ball that was almost the size of the tennis ball popped out from his body. And floated over his body until fire appeased.
Mysterious golden ball size increased until it reached the size of the inflatable ball. The golden ball outer layer thinned as size increased, and it became transparent enough to visible what was inside.
Inside the mysterious golden ball 12-year-old kid curled and sleeping peacefully. His entire body was golden and rays emitting. And suddenly cracks formed on a golden ball then shattered into pieces like a mirror. Shattered pieces didn't land on the ground, but in the process of falling, they disintegrated into nature.
Even after golden ball shattered, a 12-year-old kid still floating in the air, curling and sleeping. Dawn arrived before the first sun rays touched the golden-colored kid. As soon as sun rays touched him, his eyelashes trembled and slowly woke up from deep slumber. Like his body, his pupils were gold. But his eyes were devoid of emotion.
There was nothing in eyes. No emotion, no confusion, as if his brain didn't function. After a long time, he looked in a particular direction and squinted his eyes, then pain slowly emerged on his face.
