Archiacs live in the graveyard, are born in the graveyard, and die in the graveyard. Everything they touch becomes a graveyard.

Archiacs are a unique species of the dead. However, they are not truly dead themselves, as they do not simply wake up after dying, which would make them immortal. Instead, they possess a distinctive ability to be born through the cultivation of death. They grow stronger by consuming the corpses of other Archaics.

Archaics are born from the corpses of others. When an Archaic is born, the eyes of the corpse they arise from transforms into green flames. These flames are believed to represent the soul. The corpses that are revived do not retain any attachment to the lives they once lived; they merely serve as vessels for the Archaics, rather than being twisted ghosts attempting to return from the dead.

The species did not have a kingdom of their own, nor a ruler. However, there was a ruler who was deceased, and all intelligent Archaics desired to revive this Dead ruler, as it was the ultimate devotion of their faith. Elloise was no exception.

Elloise, with his gaunt stature, hunched over a twisted and roughly crafted circle made from a variety of materials. The list contained 216 items, ranging from materials found in any forest to those even a duchess would find expensive. These were the necessary components to create a perfect three-circle ritual altar.

After inspecting his work to ensure everything was as it should be, Elloise straightened up, feeling satisfied and proud of his achievement. How many others could perform such intricate art? Very few, he snorted dismissively.

"Have we decided when we are going to awaken Lord Tristial?" a childlike voice asked. Elloise turned around, finding a girl no older than 16 standing on the other side of the circle, even though she was at least five decades old. The bodies of Archaics did not age, but the fire in their eyes revealed their true age.

‘

Beside her stood a boy who was identical to the girl, a twin Archaic. Such occurrences were rare and brought great joy to Elloise. However, they were not well-versed in the art of Ritual, unlike him, and they were much younger compared to him. They were Archaics born from those who had died in this forest.

"We shall proceed with the ritual on the night following tonight," Ellipse replied. "How do our guests fare? They mustn't be harmed, as we need them untouched. Our lord prefers the offering to be nothing short of perfection."

"They are completely fine, just sleeping, just sleeping. Isn't that right, little brother?" Her voice was a whisper, as if coming from someone out of breath.

"Yes, little sister, yes. They sleep," the boy replied, matching his sister's tone.

"Very good. Now go watch over them. I have a few finishing touches to perform," the girl mechanically nodded and walked back to the poorly constructed house.

"We?" Elloise whispered insidiously, spitting on the ground. "There is no 'we.' You two will be mere sacrifices in the ritual. Fresh and blissful twins, how fortunate am I, my lord? I'm sure you will find them delectable." Elloise laughed, coughed, and spat again. He clenched his skeletal chest, the dry skin sinking into his bony frame. His back hunched, supported by a staff. His face was sunken, filled with hollows, and his eyes were completely black and large, with only a small flicker of fire remaining. It was a sign that his end was drawing near.

"Lord Tristial will save me, he will," Elloise consoled himself, his eyes fixated on the beast at the center of the circle. The creature was indescribably repulsive, with yellow soot streaming down its eyes and nose. Its teeth were uneven and protruded from its mouth, all of them canine, while a red liquid oozed through the gaps. Its skin was covered in bulbous growths, oozing pus. Something slimy coated its body, translucent but visibly sticky and revolting even from a distance. The beast was wounded and restrained.

"Oh, what has become of you, Enchantress of the Youling Forest—Xi Shi. And then those humans proceed to label us as demons. I promise you, the pain of this accursed forest, I will rid you of it, of this agonizing existence," the Archaic spoke, his voice filled with pity. He was the one who had wounded the Enchantress, but it was the only way to subdue the beast. He wished there had been another way, but there wasn't. He had to end the life of the forest spirit—a truly heart-wrenching existence. Why must humans harm them? Elloise could not comprehend.

Inside the shabby hut were two disciples of the Youling Clan. The first one was Xiuqin, whom we have met before, and the other was her classmate. They had been chosen, along with two senior disciples, to investigate and assess the conditions of their Cursed Forest. Xiuqin sighed, her hands tied above her head and chained to the wall.

Her entire body felt numb, a side effect of the Abyss Veil. Their party had been ambushed, and someone had used a smokescreen infused with Abyss Veil, draining their strength and cutting off her ability to sense the flow of Luminance.

Xiuqin was unaware of the whereabouts of the two senior disciples. She hoped they were not dead. As she heard footsteps approaching, Xiuqin looked towards them, recognizing the Archaic twins who had captured her.

"Han Dao, Brother Han, are you awake?" Xiuqin whispered to her partner, who pretended to be asleep.

"I am not, Sister Xiuqin," he muttered, still appearing as if he were asleep.

"What should we do?" Xiuqin, lacking practical experience outside of books, was uncertain.

"We wait, keep quiet, and hope they don't kill us. Until the effects of the Abyss Veil wear off, we are essentially powerless. Try to play dead," her partner advised.

"That... is stupid. Of course, they know when our Luminance would return before us. I will think of a plan," Xiuqin insisted, racking her brain for ideas, but nothing came to her mind. She couldn't believe the absurdity of the situation.

In her frustration, she attempted to pull her hand, only to hear a peculiar clicking noise that was unlike iron. Looking up, she noticed that her chains were made of an entirely different substance. It appeared like water.

"What is this thing?" Xiuqin questioned herself.

"No idea. It won't break. I've already tried when you were passed out," her partner replied.

"Then..."

"We stay still. Moving too much would only make you a burden to them, and we don't want that," he scolded, his words carrying a hint of frustration.

Xiuqin remained silent, unsure of what to do next. She had nothing at her disposal in this confined space. The sound of a door opening drew her attention towards the source of light, causing her to squint. It was the twin Archaics standing at the door.

"How do you feel? Are you awake? Are you dead? We wishes to know if you're injured, scratchs or bleeds." the girl twin inquired.

"What did you do to the other disciples who came with us?" Xiuqin asked, her voice filled with anger and determination.

"Other than the two of you, not you two, they are dead. Cold and rotting. Another Archaic will be born from them. Isn't that right, little brother?" the girl twin stated.

"Yes, little sister. Archaics, archaics are going to be born," the boy twin agreed.

"As for you two, we will find a use for the little ones, the little ones to use, soon, soon," the girl addressed Xiuqin, her words causing a sense of horror to wash over her. Xiuqin's mind struggled to comprehend the fact that two people had died so abruptly.

"The little one has not seen the dead, has not seen the dead. Should we take her to see them?" the girl twin pondered.

"No, no, we mustn't. The old man would be furious if they were to escape," the boy replied.

"We know," the girl replied, her green flame flickering for a moment as her gaze drifted outside the room. Under normal circumstances, it would have been an opportunity for Xiuqin to strike and kill her.

"The girl thinks she can kill us," the boy commented.

"The little one is naive. Let her be. We shall not waste our time here. There is much to prepare. Follow us, little brother," the girl commanded.

Xiuqin clenched her teeth as she watched them leave. Why had she eagerly joined this suicide mission? She regretted her decision, realizing that Elder Yu had warned her not to impulsively involve herself in matters she had no experience in.

"Dead? They can't be dead just like that. It has to be a lie, right, Brother Han?" Xiuqin asked in disbelief, her eyes trembling at the thought of her senior disciples being dead, even if they hadn't been the friendliest.

"They are dead, and so will we be if you don't shut your mouth," Han snapped.

Xiuqin's jaw tightened, but she remained silent. What now? Would Elder Yu come and save her? The elder possessed mythical powers unfathomable to Xiuqin. Surely, she would know if her only student's life was in danger.

"Elder Yu will save me," Xiuqin muttered under her breath, desperately clinging to a fragile hope to prevent herself from breaking down.

Xiuqin tugged at her restraints, but they remained steadfast. She continued to try, her frustration growing.

"Quiet!!" Han shouted, startling Xiuqin. She immediately stopped muttering.

"No one is coming. If you weren't prepared for a situation like this, then why did you choose to come?" Han scolded, causing tears to well up in Xiuqin's eyes.

"I wanted to impress Elder Yu. I thought this was a dead forest, but why are there so many creatures wandering around? It's the sect's fault for allowing inexperienced students to venture into this trap, not mine," Xiuqin's voice trembled with frustration.

They remained silent, and Xiuqin continued to panic and mutter to herself. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the little light filtering through the gaps between the woods faded away, marking the beginning of the second chapter of this harrowing tale.