That same day when the night fell, Nian Yue descended once again. She descended back to the same forest, but now with a plan in mind.

  She analyzed her surroundings to make sure she was in the right place before navigating her way towards the same path she followed last night. Trees passed by her as she ambled further. Her hand brushed past the rigid surface of each tree. Her eyes were closed, trying to feel the energy of her atmosphere. The lozenge communication core pulsed with energy in her palm.

  Without even realizing the energy surrounding the place seemed to navigate her and slowly but surely she was making her way back on the same path she followed last night.

  Suddenly she paused in her tracks. A sudden chill ran down her spine and she shivered. Her eyes shot open. When the surrounding scene came into view, she immediately recognized it. This was the exact same place where she ended her investigation last night. The same tall trees and its thick leaves and the sprawled little plant.

  Nian Yue’s eyes lit up. The coldness and familiarity of the place told her something her core couldn't. She turned around and scanned the area, almost empty all around, until from the corner of her eyes she spotted a blur of something. “Wait!” She called out and without even thinking darted in the direction of what she recognized was a distorted figure running away from her.

  Nian Yue did not give up. She followed behind the unknown entity without a care of where she was going. Her eyes were only locked on the leading figure which she couldn't afford to lose. She stumbled across countless lower trees, leaves, bushes and branches, not because she was careless but because the entity was leading her that way. Unknown paths and tight spaces greeted her as she squeezed past them until her view cleared. She had run all the way out of the forest and to the border of the Yincu village that connects the two areas.

  Nian Yue panted. Her chest rising and falling with evident loss of breath. Her eyes trailed around desperately. It was unfortunate but the figure she was chasing was now nowhere to be found. It was as if it disappeared once the lights of the outer world hit its surface.

  She pursed her lips and tried to calm herself down despite the loss. Once she composed herself, she had a better idea of what was around her. She saw a dimly lit path in the distance with small light sources lined up, leading to the starting trail of the village houses. The streets were hauntingly silent. The small crackling sound of burning wood as small torches were the only sound being produced in the dead of the night. The scene looked nothing less than witchcraft itself. But It was obvious after what this village had been suffering from. The tightly shut houses and stalls were all obvious signs of security.

  Nian Yue rubbed her arms to produce some heat. The chilling coldness was still there. But now along with that was a sudden uneasiness. Her heart was racing as if there was danger all around her and that she shouldn't be there. A warning of an Unknown.

  Suddenly a strong gust of wind tore past her face, forcing her to close her eyes shut. The force of the wind was so sudden and strong it left Nian Yue’s light hair flying in all directions before they unfurled and settled back down. Some of the strands settled on the sides of Nian Yue’s shoulders. When she opened her eyes a deafening scream almost forced her to stumble back a step. Such a strength, who was it?

  “Show yourself-!”

  Suddenly a figure ran past her side, appearing out of thin air, leaving Nian Yue frozen and wide eyed. Whoever it was, Nian Yue couldn't recognize them. Simply because..

  They did not have a face!

  A figure of a human child who wasn't quite one. No eyes, no nose or a mouth, only a blur of nothing. She immediately looked back, still as shock struck. “Please wait!” She called out again. She did not know what she was expecting from her call. It's not like these spirits listen when they are told to.

  Without wasting any time she ran behind the figure. Her steps led her back inside the dense forest. Once again, she couldn't see where she was going. Whoever this spirit was, It liked playing with unnecessary distress or that's what Nian Yue thought was happening.

  The entity was surprisingly fast, two times faster than her as the figure vanished from her sight in no time, leaving her confused and disoriented.

  This time when she stopped she found herself in a strange place. Trees stood in an unpredictable manner, creating an illusion of some sort. The eerie silence only served them a purpose beyond themselves. However this wasn't what Nian Yue was thinking. This place was unmistakably familiar to her. As if she has seen it before. As if she has known it before.

  “Wait a minute..” Of course she knows this place! She has come here before. This was the exact same place where she saw that child spirit for the first time. The child that hid behind that tree in front of her. Could it be that all this was the doings of the spirit itself? Was it trying to lure Nian Yue in this place for some reason?

  Determined, Nian Yue moved further, approaching the mysterious tree where once the child hid. Her steps were calculated and cautious as if an unknown danger awaited her. She stretched a hand forward and felt the rough surface of the tree on her palm before leaning in, peeking at the back of the thick wood.

  Nothing. There was nothing.

  Nian Yue released the breath stuck in her throat. Her muscles relaxed. Just as she thought her distress was for no reason, a quiet plink of liquid meeting liquid caught her attention.

  The sudden sound was so sharp in the dead of the night it caught Nian Yue’s attention right away. Her gaze lowered lowly, feeling uneasy in spite of herself. Her eyes widened when she realized it was blood! Thick and pooling right around her feet.

  Nian Yue immediately took a step back before crouching down. While doing so she did not notice a particularly jagged part of the tree which was out growing. Due to her fast movement the sharp edge of the jagged part brushed against her arm painfully. She hissed and turned to her arm. The bruise wasn't deep but it scratched enough to draw blood. She ignored it and turned her head back towards the ground.

  The blood she was seeing had an unnatural odor as if it was rotten yet hadn't dried up. Besides this the color of the blood was black. It was no ordinary blood. She reached her hand forward and dipped the tip of her fingers into the small pool with rippling blood. When she pulled back, the blood around her fingers had already dried up, that was in mere seconds.

  She noticed the strange behavior of the liquid but decided not to assign a meaning to it. Yet. She closed her eyes and focused on the essence on her fingers. Slowly the noises around her faded to a ringing silence. When she finally opened her eyes, she was still there, crouched down beside the tree. However her surroundings were a little different now as if she was in a dream, as if she was watching the world from someone else’s eyes. Misty atmosphere and the unforgiving chill. Frozen trees and dripping water from the moisture accumulated around the leaves; The scene looked like a distorted dream indeed.

  She lowered her head. The pool of blood which was rotten black a few minutes ago was now a fresh crimson shade as if someone had tried to stab themselves to death. She turned her attention to her fingers. The dried blood was melting around her fingers leaving a trail of crimson down her wrist.

  Suddenly her breath picked up at the sight of blood, an uneasiness spread in her chest. It shouldn't be happening, it was not the first time she had seen blood. Which had only one explanation, it was not her. Her eyes had turned an empty shade of white, horrified. Her hands were shaking and she felt like she's losing control over her own body. As if it's not her but someone else screaming through her body without a single squeak.

  “Yu!! Don't do that! Don't!!”

  Suddenly an unfamiliar voice that sounded like it belonged to a young lady echoed from her back. The voice was laced with terror and exhaustion as if they had run miles searching for their lost dear one.

  Nian Yue stared in terror. Her body begged her to get up and run!

  “Yu! I BEG YOU!!”

  This time the call was much more clear and sounded like it was nearing. Nian Yue did not hesitate for even a second. She immediately rose to her feet and ran. She ran in the opposite direction of the voice. Her head was overwhelmed with buzzy voices which she did not understand at first but as seconds passed the voices became clearer. A constant cry of a child rang in her head. The voices increased as she ran farther, stumbling past the trees. Her vision was blurry and her head was starting to hurt, exploding. She did not know anymore what was happening. It all looked like a bad nightmare.

  Adrenaline rose in her chest which was supposed to be a human function. Fear and rush clouded her vision. The trees looked like a blur passing by her. Until all of a sudden the density cleared and her vision gained some sense. There was a high cliff in front of her. Her eyes widened. It seemed like she won't be able to stop in time and then it happened.

  Nian Yue’s feet slipped at the edge, almost at the verge of falling. Her eyes closed shut, already accepting her fate.

  However when she thought she was going to fall, a hand gripped her arm, supporting her in the middle of the air from falling. The fingers around her arm felt like burnt flesh. Nian Yue’s eyes fluttered open. When she tried to look back to see who saved her, the hand pulled her back with a sharp tug. The force was so strong, Nian Yue stumbled a few feet away from the edge of the cliff and landed on her back.

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  She let out a pained moan and finally heard the pounding of her heart against her chest when everything came to a sudden pause. Fortunately, the ringing in her head was starting to fade, giving her at least some relief. Once she composed herself she looked up to thank the person who helped her but when she did there was no one.

  “....”

  Speechless, Nian Yue cupped her forehead with both of her hands. Her head was still throbbing from all the chaos. She did not know what to expect anymore.

  “Xiaoyu!!!”

  Just then a deeply pained scream broke her preserved silence that lasted only mere seconds. Nian Yue turned her head in the direction of the scream and saw a girl emerging from the void of the trees, looking shocked to her core. Her eyes were blown wide and her lips were quivering.

  “No.. No.. NO!!!!”

  She cried out loudly and ran over to the edge of the cliff. She fell to her knees and screamed down the cliff as if aiming for someone to hear. “Nooo!! Xiaoyu!!” Thick tears rolled down her cheeks. She cried as if she had lost everything. Sobs and screams were not enough words to describe the pain in her shaking voice.

  While so much happened, the girl did not once recognize the presence of Nian Yue. As if the goddess was invisible. As if she was never there to begin with. It felt as if Nian Yue was watching a play unfold, one tragic one. She realized just then what was happening as her shoulders slumped.

  Who did this girl lose? Was she mourning someone?

  Nian Yue gazed at the woman’s face with confusion, curiosity painted all over her face. Her eyes then followed the line of sight of the girl which led her to the cliff in front of her. She gave another glance to the Woman’s face with doubt before slowly leaning forward, just enough so that she was peeking down at the depth of the height. Dark and misty—a strange aura.

  As if struck by lightning, Nian Yue’s head throbbed as if her skull was bursting open. All of a sudden her vision blurred. Her body felt like it was tightening and clenching from the inside. As if all her bones were suddenly broken. For a moment she believed she was being pulled into that terror attack once again. She gasped out loudly for breath but felt as if something was stuck in her throat and it wouldn't come out.

  Desperate beyond normal senses she choked and she tried vomiting whatever was stuck in her throat. However all that came out was blood! She lowered her head and spat a mouthful of blood into her hand. The blood swept out from between her fingers, painting her white robes red. Her breath came out finally, although shaky but it did once she was done. Her pounding heart became composed once again as the shock subsided.

  After such strong physical vision, she dared not look back down at the cliff. That was when she realized whoever this girl was crying for had either slipped off the cliff or jumped themselves.

  Nian Yue turned her head to look back at the girl, but when she did the girl was no longer there! Nian Yue immediately looked around and fortunately spotted the girl. The girl was running down a path leading down the cliff.

  Nian Yue did not hesitate and followed the girl from behind. The girl was hurrying down a risky path with next to no space to even settle a proper foot. The small bridges made of tied wood and sticks to connect the occasional split between the path were basically crumbling but she kept going. Nian Yue feared for the girl’s safety but couldn't intervene either.

  Fortunately the girl made it down safely. She must be used to it. She ran forward to what looked like a huge rock having been showered in blood. A small, lifeless body laid on it. The head was cracked open. Blood was still flowing endlessly from where the body laid. The scene was a pure sight of horror.

  Nian Yue realized the one on the rock was just a small child. He must be around the age of seven or eight and this was what had become of him. At first it wasn't even possible to recognize if the body was of a girl or a boy but judging by his tattered simple clothing now drenched in blood gave it away.

  “Xiaoyu..” The young lady whispered with disbelief. Her tone was numb, her expressions were blank as if the emotions she showed before was all that was left. She slowly approached the corpse of the child with limping steps and then fell down to her knees right beside him.

  Nian Yue was forced to witness it all, unable to do anything. She felt helpless, powerless. Fate has its distorted ways of revealing hidden suffering. She approached the aggrieved woman and sat there beside her in the dirt, watching as the young girl silently mourned for whoever this person was to her.

  A single palm, trembling and in disbelief, caressed the pool of blood that approached the girl’s kneel like a growing reminder of what she has lost. Her earlier tear filled eyes were losing their light. Even with the overwhelming numbness, the woman tenderly laid the boy’s head in her lap and caressed his cheek. A slow and gentle touch that was refusing reality.

  Nian Yue felt familiarity in the situation, haunting familiarity. She glanced at the girl’s blank face, watching as the woman rocked the boy like he was a little infant again.

  “Xioayu..wake up. It's soon going to be morning, wake up..” The words came out small and cracking but melodious as if she was singing a lullaby.

  Wrong. Everything was wrong. Nian Yue closed her eyes shut. Her face contorted with complex emotions.

  “Xioayu..! Wake up!” The girl whined, now desperate.

  Silence. The boy would not speak. He can't.

  “.......”

  The girl patted the boy’s cheek. And kept patting as if that would wake the boy up.

  Nian Yue couldn't take it anymore. “He is dead..” Nian Yue said. The girl was showing signs of refusal to reality. It was neither good nor helpful. It could become something she won't be able to forget for the rest of her life.

  “Cry. He is.. dead.” She reminded her mournfully.

  Even though the girl seemed as if she couldn't see or hear Nian Yue, her breath turned rigid as she started gasping for air before she broke into a loud wail. She cried loudly, hugging the dead body of the boy as if she just had an ugly realization. He was dead. He was dead.

  “Forgive me!” The young lady cracked in the middle of her sobs and running tears. “Forgive me, Jie Jie couldn't protect you. Jie Jie had been.. had been careless, couldn't.. couldn't see your pain..!”

  Nian Yue watched with pity in her eyes as the girl sobbed, roaring out all her pain, regrets and grief.

  Soon her sobs slowly died down leaving behind a desperate gasping—the visible raising and falling of her chest. Silence hadn't even settled in before the gasping turned into growling. The girl started breathing out through gritted teeth. Each drag of breath filled with rage, disgust and hatred. The sudden change left Nian Yue speechless. The girl’s distressing emotions and the negative aura overwhelming her hid nothing and Nian Yue saw it clearly.

  Nian Yue did not want to assume the worst. She cautiously tilted her head to the side and leaned forward to get a clear look at the woman’s lowered face. “......!” Nian Yue’s breath almost caught in her throat when the girl suddenly turned her head and looked directly at Nian Yue. Her eyes were wide, red, with tears rolling down her cheeks as she stared into Nian Yue’s. That rage, it was clearly directed towards her.

  She can.. see me-?

  There wasn't any time to conjure an explanation, as the girl started screaming with a very painful and distorted noise coming from her throat. “This is all YOUR FAULT!! You are a murderer!! YOU ARE A MURDERER!!!”

  Nian Yue could feel her heart race as the girl’s voice became something that was anything but of a human being. The woman’s eyes were wide open with something between terror and hatred. Her surroundings were starting to darken. There was a moment where Nian Yue couldn't hear anything other than the girl’s repeated words as she screamed with her jaw open, so wide it looked like an evil in disguise.

  “MURDERER!”

  “MURDERER!!”

  “MURDERER!!!!!!!”

  Splash!

  Nian Yue let out a sharp gasp as a heavy wave of thick liquid splashed all over her face. The liquid was blood! Her body was dripping with blood all over. Her white dress painted red in mere seconds. One would assume the dress was anything but white, leave for the back which was saved from the sudden tragedy.

  Her light, silver hair was drenched equally in crimson. Strands of her wet hair sticking to her face and forehead. Her eyes were painted red with blood but she did not blink once.

  There were three adult bodies piled over one another. One woman and two men. Their bodies were a crooked mess. The huge rock where once the boy laid was now the death bed of these three new people. Their heads had probably been smashed either onto the rock or into each other.

  Blood and gore was everywhere, at least in the line of sight of Nian Yue but not a single squeak came out of her lips. Her body was frozen in place as she stared at the dead bodies with empty eyes. In that moment, silence had only one sound, the droplets of blood hitting its own pool.

  Suddenly.

  “Princess.. Princess Yue..”

  A shocked voice called from behind Nian Yue. She recognized it.

  There stood prince Han Junyao, the senior guiding general of one of the martial groups who patrol around the verdant root. The junior martial deities stood behind him. All of them were equally as shocked as the prince was to witness the goddess in such a state. Their faces contorted in disbelief. Some even took a step back, as if the mere sight was cursed.

  “Goddess, what have..” Han Junyao called out once more and took a cautious step forward so as not to startle the goddess.

  Nian Yue rose to her feet and turned around. Her blood soaked robes sticking to her skin. And then all of a sudden fresh sunlight hit her bloodied face. The sun was rising. It was yet another morning. If anything, this was the worst time for such an arrival for holy light when there were three dead bodies and a goddess bathed in blood.

  Whatever that proceeds after this night, It will either be the ending of a long nightmare or the starting of a lost lingering one.

  “Nian Yue!”

  Before Han Junyao could reach forward to aid the goddess, she lost her vision right in front of him and slumped to the ground. The prince immediately rushed to her. The junior deities followed after him from behind.

  Nian Yue barely had any more strength left in her body. Fortunately the celestials were there.

  ___ ___ ___

  Character Names

  [晓宇 (Xiǎoyu) — “Little Universe”]

  To be continued:-

  —----------—