Night Pavilion 1

[ Tae Hua's POV ]

"That was intense" I heard Lady Suan Ming sighed as if pleased with her runes.

Our eyes gazed at the sight when the hall suddenly opened and a staircase emerges. This must be the acceptance of the challenge done. We smiled as we hopped on to the next level o0f the Pavilion.

"Death March" I heard Eun Jo said, I was about to say the same thing as I just nodded at him.

Death March is a sound wound floor of the pavilion. The sound will make you wounded, literally. This level is highly critical. People die at this stage because of the unnerving noise of the death march.

Eun Ji went to Weicheng's side as he asked him to close his ears to the first beat he was about to hear.

Lady Suan Ming gathered us in a small form to create a protection curse. She drew a circle where we entered, as she created another rune. The March started off the beat. Lady Suan Ming created a protection curse to keep us safe until the end of the march. The legend said that this march will only last for 6 minutes.

I suddenly hear a small tingling in my ear as Eun Jo started getting off on the floor trying to cover his ears. It was almost 3 minutes on the march, and this is probably the climax of it. My ears are also starting to irritate.

"I can't hold it any longer" she said as the beat started getting inside the protection. She was starting to drop onto her knees, still trying to hold it in.

"We will all die here" Weicheng said and went out of the protection. Despite feeling all the pain, we all shouted to stop him. Shock is an understatement. We were about to stop him when he threw his daggers at us, suddenly pinning our garments to the floor. I tried getting the daggers but I can't even move due to the noise. We all looked at him walking again.

He closed his eyes and started shaking his head. "Stay in the protection, I'll go alone. A counter-attack" he said, trying to hold it in. He tried to walk slowly.

Since we were also affected by the noise we can't even move anymore.

I saw how his ears started to bleed. I can't believe him. He started walking again slowly trying to counter the noise by moving his feet every beat of the march. He held his ears to stop hearing when the beat started playing again on its highest notes.

My mind started to be on haywire.

Weicheng crawling his way to the side of the room, struggled to reach for the guqin. When the instrument landed off to his back, he rolled as he sat holding it in. He closed his eyes and started of the few strings.

The death march went wild as Weicheng started scratching his head.

"He will either die or become insane" Eun Jo started screaming to stop him. But to no avail, he's already decided. As he tried creating a note with the guqin, he's struggling as he hold his head as if in pain.

After several notes, I saw how his lips formed into a smile. He started going wild with gu, the march started to subside. His fingers are bleeding too. The march came to an end as Weicheng is about to collapse. Running from the other side, we caught him before he could drop to the floor.

Eun Jo wiped his side-head which is full of blood coming from his ears. His state is in worst. His fingers are bleeding too. Lady Suan Ming checked his pulse as he was able to stabilize Weicheng. Once he got his consciousness back and his hearing. We hurriedly run to the next level before the top.

I am still looking at Weicheng who just tied his hand once again, as if nothing happened. I silently watched his moves as he sighed, he reached for a few dried lavenders on her waist and applied them to his wounds as he grimaced. It must be painful.

Why does he keep on pretending that he does not feel any pain? What kind of masochist is he? I heaved a sigh.

"Feast and buffet" Lady Suan Ming said to answer our questions.

I haven't seen this level on the books before. " This level was never recorded as harmful before" I stated.

"You must have missed this in the book, Tae Hua" I looked at Eun Jo. We were greeted by a long table with food and wine.

"It's fantastic" Weicheng looked so hooked as he was about to take a grape from the table. Eun jo threw his dagger before he could hold it. The grapes rolled on the floor. He looked at Eun Jo in confusion.

He was about to take the grapes from the floor when Lady Suan Ming halted him. "These are all illusions," She said. I looked at the table.

Since we found out it right away we started hopping off again to the next floor when the stairs also turned into dust. "Illusions?" I asked.

"What is happening?" she asked as she dropped to her knees holding her arm again. The third petal must have appeared.

"Another petal," Weicheng said as I took a glass of water from the table and a ceramic jar for pain. I immediately applied it on her arm and Weicheng took oil and offered them water to Lady Suan Ming. I looked at Eun Jo, who kept on watching the scene. I just shrugged at him.

His eyes are still on us as he pushed us away. Holding out his dagger he took all the things away using it. As the surrounding became a cemetery.

I closed my eyes and tried shaking my head. My mind was already clouded as I felt my body numb. As I opened my eyes, I heard Princess Xie'en 's voice near me. I looked at her as her eyes looked into mine. I can see her smile from ear to ear as she helped me sit down. I roamed around and saw that I am inside her chamber. The chamber I used to go to when I feel troubled. The only place I could run back to. and the only eyes I am always safe.

"I thought you will be sleeping on me forever, Tae Hua Gugu" she smiled

"Xie'en?" I held out my hand to reach for her face. How could I even forget such an angelic face? She's still young.

Before my hand could even reach for her face, she became ashes. I was already outside the Palace I saw her getting inside her carriage. This is the last time I will be seeing her before her exile. I can't lose her like this again.

I run outside the North Palace

"No!" I shouted, I saw her opened the curtains of her carriage and descended the stairs looking at me as I kept on crying. "Don't leave" I held her hand

She smiled. "I won't be staying here anymore" I followed her eyes as she looked far and gazed at the Feng Palace gates once more. This was the last scene before, I saw this before, still, I am seeing this even in my dreams. Not this time.

"Then, let me follow you through the border. To keep you safe" I said

"Are you willing to give everything up for me?" Her soothing voice, she held my wrist and slowly pat it in an up and down manner. She always does it when we were young, to calm my nerves.

Nonchalantly,I answered. "I am. I will" she smiled but her hand stopped as she steps back.

The guards hurriedly took me away as she gave back the hairpin that I gave her before.

"Why are you giving it back?" I asked confused.

"I don't deserve it. You need to stop looking and crying for me and move forward, now Tae Hua." She finally said these things. She followed her attendants as the carriage took off.

I stood in the middle of the road, dumbfounded. Still.... after several years.

"Tae Hua get over the hallucinations. It is not real!" I coughed as the voices started mixing up my head. I knew that Xie en will never say those words. These are just hallucinations. I was forced to open my eyes as the three of them greeted me as I lay down on the floor. I looked at the table as I realized the food and things on there were all but stones.

"You and Weicheng took something from the table and suffered hallucinations as a consequence." Lady Suan Ming, and assisted me to stand up. "The hallucination will either eat your soul alive or will trap you to the imaginary world you created."

I shook my head to clear off my mind. I held the hairpin I used to wear under my normal hairpin. It was the small hairpin, Xie en gave back. I sighed heavily.

"I'm glad you didn't take too much time under duress," Eun Jo said, looking far away as we hopped off to the next level. The last floor before the top.