3

Why are birds chirping in my ear? Did i get a new alarm without knowing?

Bai li yue forced one eye open. She groaned and sat up to look around her. The memories came rushing back. Returning home, meeting the monk and being taken against her will.

She wished it was all a dream! But reality chased he was on a grassy meadow surrounded by trees.

Cai han ke was standing a few metres away.

'good. You are awake. It's time to leave.'

He grabbed her arm and led her to a nearby hill. There was now a stone talisman in his hand that he pressed into a hidden indentation in the slope. A dark gateway opened.

' don't think of escaping from my side. This place is dangerous.'

He warned as he led her through the portal, stopping for only a breath of a second for her to get her bearings.

The sudden change from light to darkness was disorienting, but there was no time to inspect where she was going. There were distant specks of light illuminating the dark space.

'where are we?'

' the void. It's not that different from what you call space in your world.'

' we are in space?' there is no oxygen in space. How are we alive?'

' the void is just another plane of existence. Just not for humans. It has life in it. I promised to show you a whole new world. How is this for starters?'

Was there even a need to reply? She was a prisoner. On the way to a strange place to be drained for the rest of her life.

'excuse me if i can't enjoy this.'

' you'll get used to it.'

He said dragging her along into the nothingness.

They'd been walking for days now. She couldn't say how many since there was no sun. Just the silent darkness and their footsteps in the void when a hiss resounded to the left. A ferocious lizard like monster crawled out of the void.

' a void lizard. Stay back while i deal with it.' cai han ke ordered and went to attack the creature.

She watched the fight, not caring who the winner would be. Either way, she was doomed. She could die here and the world would continue on its merry way. Yes, maybe dying in the void of space wouldn't be such a bad thing for her. Forgotten in life, forgotten in death.

The space around her warped slightly, but she couldn't bring herself to inform cai han ke. He had warned her to look out for these sudden changes. If one wasn't careful, they could end up lost, transported to distant locations or worst trapped in a dimension in the void. For a person like her, it would be a death sentence.

If i'm going to die either way, wouldn't it better to die with dignity?

She closed her eyes and didn't fight the suction.

Cold.

Cai han ke was having a rough time. He hated void lizards more than anything in the void: more than void worms and void sharks put together. Void lizards attacked for no reason. They attacked if you entered their territory. They attacked if they were hungry. They attacked if they had nothing to do. They considered the void their domain and looked at every creature in void as food or a plaything. He feared and hated them in equal measure.

The fight was taking too long to conclude. He kept one eye on the girl as he traded blows with the lizard. If she tried to escape, he would be on her before she went anywhere. She was watching the fight without making any move.

'Smart girl! She knows to side with the lesser of the two evils.' he silently praised her.

Content with her attitude, he focused on the void lizard trying to end the fight quickly. It was already bruised and bleeding. It was only a matter of time before void sharks appeared.

He gathered his momentum targeting the side of the lizard to reach the soft underbelly.

Twilight fist: the sun sets on life.

Blue energy covered his fist as he drove it into the monster's already injured side. The lizard froze and crumpled. Cai han ke withdrew his gore covered arm from inside the lizard.

He quickly cleaned up. Those void sharks didn't distinguish between prey. As far he had blood on him, they were bound to give chase.

' girl, you were smart to stay still or i would have been forced to punish you.'

Hearing no response from the direction where she was, he turned. He was just in time to see a void wall sealing up where she'd been standing a second ago.

No! Noooo!

He appeared at the spot and threw a punch.

Twilight fist!

Armaggedon fist!

The air rippled slightly, but there was no response. His fist passed through air as the spot returned to its natural state.

He had lost her. He couldn't believe it. Cai han ke screamed at the empty void.

His only chance at advancing was gone now.

No. I must find her. I will find her. I'll find her even if it takes my whole life. I will find her.

The sudden elation after a century of despair was enough to make him mentally unstable. But this reversal was the tipping point. He had lost his hope. His eyes grew blood red; he couldn't believe his current situation.

'It can't be. It just can't be.'

Centuries later, void travellers would tell tales of the mad monk who roamed the void. Some pitied him and hoped that he'd one day find whatever he was looking for. Others were moved to greed wondering what miraculous treasure could drive even a monk to madness.