Xin Lin panted as he leaned heavily against an ancient willow. In his hand he gripped a short wooden pole tightly, he had picked it up in his frantic rush to get away. It wasn't nearly as weildy¹Easily controlled or handled. as any of the training sticks he’d used before, but it was the only thing he could get his hands on.

His blood was rushing in his ears and the well known feeling of fear was making the lump in his throat harder to swallow. He swallowed anyway, and calmed his breathing, listening.

All around him the mostly artificial forest was quiet, not a sound but the whistling wind and brushing leaves.

He couldn't help but feel uneasy, it was too quiet.

“Little beauty, why did you run?” From behind a stale and malicious voice sounded, carrying a hint of laughter.

Xin Lin jumped away and twisted his staff to meet the other’s face, but was swiftly blocked with a hand. Xin Lin wondered how the man didn't even flinch, he hadn't held back at all.

“What did I do to anger you?” As the man spoke he moved to grasp the pole to yank it from Xin Lin’s grasp. But thinking faster than him, Xin Lin tore it away and struck again.

This time he aimed for the man’s armpit with insidious precision, hoping to incapacitate him for a bit or possibly crack one of his ribs. He hadn't been idling his time away, he’d practised these moves over and again for months.

But it didn't matter in the face of someone who had practised martial arts all his life, Han Xie caught the pole again, with ease. His previously smiling face became blank, and he seemed displeased.

“Ah, no matter what I say, it seems you don't intend to listen. You also continue to attack me, you can't blame me for being ruthless then.” As his words fell Xin Lin tried his best to once again free the pole to continue his onslaught, but it wouldn't budge in the man’s hands.

It was unceremoniously pulled and at that very moment, instead of being drawn along with its force, Xin Lin actually let go. Relieved of the only weapon he could find, he immediately bolted in a bid to escape.

The man gave chase, only in a much more leisurely way.

It was only when he couldn't see his pursuer and his lungs were screaming for air and his body was lethargic from it, that Xin Lin stopped. He had managed to make it out of the garden and was now in an unoccupied courtyard. There was nobody else around, so there was no one to help him.

He huddled behind a screen and tried to quiet his breathing. If only the other man would pass by and not think to go inside, then Xin Lin could escape and notify the manor guards that there was an intruder. So he waited.

A small amount of time passed, barely a moment, before the door to the room he hid in was flung open with a crash.

Xin Lin’s breath hitched, and he held it.

“Little beauty, if you come out now I promise I won't hurt you.” His voice was deadpan, with not a trace of emotion in it. Xin Lin didn't believe his words for a second.

Not getting an answer, Han Xie strode heavily into the room and started flinging furniture around, searching.

Xin Lin didn't dare move.

Han Xie was getting closer and closer to his hiding spot. Then he stopped in front of the screen, his shadow falling on it. He was absolutely silent for a few minutes, before seemingly walking away. As the sound of his footsteps faded Xin Lin let loose a silent breath.

“Little beauty, why didn't you answer me?” The sound next to his ear froze him. He could feel the other’s breath brushing past his cheek.

Stiffly, Xin Lin turned his neck to look at Han Xie who was crouched on the floor behind him. How did he get there?

Before he could make any more moves the man caught both his wrists and pulled Xin Lin up to his chest. 

“There's no need to struggle.” The whispered words were cold and merciless, and Xin Lin held back a sob of terror. Like a viper striking out, Han Xie stabbed something needle-like into his neck and he felt himself go limp, not able to control his limbs whatsoever.

Han Xie picked him up in a princess carry, settling him in his arms. Xin Lin whimpered and Han Xie shushed him with a caress, taking him out into the sunlight and jumping up onto a wall.

“It truly is a pity, if you had been anyone else I could have let you live.” Han Xie looked straight into Xin Lin’s eyes as he spoke with no intonation. Then he swept a hand over Xin Lin’s eyes, closing them. 

Then using his qigong²qì gōng, a system of deep breathing exercises, martial arts., Han Xie moved swiftly out of the courtyard and back into the willow garden, his steps sure.

Xin Lin felt his consciousness fading as a lingering shout sounded.

“Stop! Who are you?!”

But he heard no more.

When Xin Lin woke it was to a pervasive darkness that swallowed him. His first thought was to struggle and try to find out where he was. But he couldn't move. He tried yelling in frustration, but his throat remained lax, unable to make a sound. Slowly awareness filled his body that was paralyzed to the last bone, he couldn't even move his eyelids.

Despite being unable to move, his sense of touch, smell and hearing were all still intact. From what he could feel, he was enclosed within a small space that fitted to his body perfectly, but was extremely hard and uncomfortable. There were no sounds, but there was a smell, an acrid and rotten stench tempered with the overpowering smell of fresh-cut wood. Putting all these together Xin Lin pondered where he could be.

And then realization hit him and he gasped.

He was in a coffin.

Fear and dread crowded his awareness, he wanted to scream and bang at the wood surrounding him; find a way out. But he was helpless, he couldn't even make a finger twitch, let alone escape.

So this was how he ended in this life? Suffocating to death and being buried alive? He wasn't resigned to it, and kept trying to find ways out of his situation.

It was in the midst of his panicking when he heard a loud crash and some loud, brash voices. He quietened his mind to hear what was said.

“F**k! Look what you did, now the body fell out!” The voice was rough and unrefined, loudly yelling.

“Agh! If you had held it properly it wouldn't have fallen!” The other voice was somewhat reedy and grating.

“Shut up! Help me pick it up and put the casket on the wagon. We need to bury these unknowns before dawn or we won't be paid.” The first voice was laced with unhidden irritation as he spoke.

“I know! I know! No need to remind me for the nth time.” The reedy voice replied flippantly.

The sounds of shuffling were heard before drifting away and Xin Lin found himself alone. He was no longer panicking, hearing other people gave him an idea, if he could only signal them somehow then he was saved! The problem was, how to signal them?

He didn't have much time to ponder before the voices were back and coming much closer.

“Is this the last one?” The reedy voice piped up from Xin Lin’s left, towards his head.

“Yeah,” was the gruff answer originating from the direction of his feet.

“The top s’not closed all the way.” The reedy second voice seemed to lean in closer.

“We should close it so the body doesn't fall out like last time.” The gruff voice got quieter as he moved away, seemingly to get tools to close the casket properly.

Xin Lin struggled to move before they could, it was his last chance!

“Woah! What a beauty!” Somewhere along the line the reedy voiced person had lifted the coffin lid and Xin Lin felt cool air hit his face.

“What the f**k are you doing?! Don't desecrate the dead!” The gruff voice called from a ways away.

“But you need to look, this one’s really beautiful!”

Reluctant steps came towards them before the rough voice answered: “You're right, I've never seen anyone this beautiful. It's a pity they are dead, or I would've already prostrated at their feet to ask for marriage!”

“Don't even talk about marriage, if this person was still alive do you think they would even glance your way? They probably had hundreds of admirers when they were alive, if they saw you even dare they would have trampled you.” The reedy voice rejoined, disdain dripping from the high-pitched voice.

Xin Lin all the while, had been trying to dredge up the strength to move, to get their attention. He didn't have time to listen to what they were saying, otherwise he might of been so angry that he let a few expletives loose. I’m stuck here about to be buried alive and you're talking about marriage?!

“Whatever, you're just as ugly as I am! Anyway, we need to get this closed and packed so we can finish this job.” The gruff voiced man closed the lid as he spoke, words muffling through the barrier of wood.

Xin Lin’s breathing became frantic as soon as he heard the thud of wood hitting the four walls surrounding him. He wanted to scream at them to stop, beg them. But his pleas went unheard as the sound of nails being pounded into place reverberated in his useless ears. He felt tears of desperation slide from his eyes and into his hair, he was going to die.

He didn't want to die, he had finally found a bit of happiness…

Xin Lin’s heart constricted as he thought of all the people he’d met here, the friends he’d made. And lastly he thought of Wangye, Wangye who had said he was in love with him, said he would woo him… he wished Wangye was here now, to save him.

It was a useless thought, but it was probably to be his last.

When the last of the nails had been hammered home, Xin Lin felt his body being lifted along with the coffin. He was unsteadily carried out of wherever the coffins were stored onto a cart of other such boxes. His heart beat fast in his chest, his breathing was laboured and tears fell uncontrollably.

He didn't want to die! Wangye! Wangye!

His heart cried out the plea that his mouth could not. He knew in his heart they were fruitless. With every jolt the cart made he felt his hope die in his chest.

Wretch

Okay so I know that this one doesn't have any fluff, but I... well, there's always the next chapter!(//ω//) Also I made an official site! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° It's still being fixed up but it's live! (I may or may not upload chapters faster there.) Yell at me in the comments if anything is bad.