Figure

Abel's heart seethed, his breathing became labored.

It was rebellion—a determination that would not be quenched. Like an ember in the endless night sky, a feeble but relentless spark, dancing against the shadows.

Even the flames themselves could not quench it.

In his previous life, he had been a normal man, one who had never really known courage. He had survived this long by mere chance, blundering through danger after danger, never really fighting back.

But now… something was different.

"No."

A tidal wave rolled through his mind. A torrent, wild and uncontrollable, broke against his thoughts, engulfing them in its power.

His body was on fire.

The rabbit continued to suck greedily at his blood, its small jaws locked onto his throat, its little body impossibly strong. But Abel hardly even registered that anymore.

For something else had possessed him.

Blue fire erupted from his body. They screamed like the ocean, cold but burning, incinerating anything in their way.

The rabbit didn't even get a chance to scream.

One moment, it was there—its fur matted with blood, its blue eyes gleaming with hunger. The next, it was nothing but ash. 

The silence that followed was eerie. 

No whimper. No dying shriek. 

Only the crackling of fading flames.

Then, as suddenly as the fire had appeared, it disappeared. A numbing frost crept from the inside of Abel's body, sweeping over him like a sigh of death.

His mind, previously muddled in confusion, cleared abruptly.

"What… just happened?"

He could move now. Whatever had frozen him in place was gone.

But as his eyes focused, he saw something—or someone—standing before him.

A shadowy figure, ethereal and ghostly. Hazy, like mist under the moonlight. It was cold, unfamiliar, yet… somehow, deeply familiar. 

It stared at him in silence. 

Then, it spoke.

"I don't know who you are, nor how you came to have my body…" the figure whispered, its tone neither angry nor benevolent. "But… in any case, I am still you. And you cannot die. Not yet. Not until you have avenged me."

It hesitated. The dancing embers glinted in its empty eyes.

"I ought to hate you for stealing my body. I ought to struggle to reclaim it. But whoever you are." The figure breathed gently. "This is my offering. Because I will not let 'me' die in this cursed forest."

The shadow trembled, its outline becoming more transparent. Flickers of light dissipated from it like extinguishing embers.

Even as it dissipated, it never broke its gaze from Abel.

And with its last gasp, it spoke a final word.

"Revenge."

And then, like mist evaporating before the ascending sun, it vanished.

Abel gazed at the space where the figure had been, his mind ensnared in bewilderment.

"Why did I own this body?"

He looked for an answer, but there was none.

"Is this even real…? Or just a dream?"

But in spite of the questions raging in his head, his instincts took control. He clenched his teeth and pushed himself into a lotus position.

He had to heal.

But then—

"Right… I have no Qi anymore."

A bitter laugh escaped his mouth. He had nearly forgotten. His cultivation lost. His dantian destroyed. He was no better than a mortal now.

Perhaps it was the shock. Or perhaps his body had already lost too much blood. The pain that should have been excruciating felt far away, muffled.

But as he looked down at himself, reality hit him hard. His clothing was drenched in blood. The open cut on his neck still continued to bleed. 

"Damn it… I shouldn't have trusted that rabbit."

Frustration burned in his chest, but he suppressed it. It didn't pay to dwell on his failures now.

With trembling hands, he ripped a piece of fabric off his shirt and applied it to the wound, binding it securely.

His eyes blurred. His body trembled.

"I lost too much blood…"

He rested against the trunk of a tree, gasping for air. The evening air was bitter, cutting through his flesh. His fingers were not only trembling with cold, but with weariness.

He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath.

And then, deep within his soul, something began to stir.

A peculiar energy. Tenuous, yet vivid. Flickering, yet alive.

A will that would not be snuffed out.

Abel tightened his fists.

He could sense it—the remnants of power flowing through his veins. Not Qi, but something else. Something more profound.

"Life Essence."

A power that went against nature. A force that could heal wounds at the expense of one's own strength.

He had no other option.

Shutting his eyes, he directed the energy along his body, intertwining it with his flesh. Gradually, laboriously, he compelled it to restore the damage.

"Solar Thread Stitching."

A golden glow of light hung above his head, coalescing into a small sun.

His wounds under its radiance began to mend. The blood slowed in their flow. His rent flesh was knitting back together.

But it was at great cost.

His complexion paled. His hair dulled. His weakened body felt as if it had been years older in an instant.

And yet, the wound remained not quite healed.

"I can't… keep going."

With a last gasp, he released the energy. The golden glow dissipated, vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared.

Abel fell to the chilly ground, his body exhausted of all strength.

"Damn it… One disaster after another."

His pulse was slow. His breathing quick. His muscles felt as though they were cast in iron. 

And again, a spike of hunger pounced on him like a bulldog.

Abel clenched his teeth and pulled himself closer to the campfire, where a little remains of yesterday's meat sat there.

"Fortunately, I saved something for tomorrow."

Pushing aside the ache, he forced the food into his mouth. The heat of the meat permeated his body, warding off the encroaching chill.

"I can worry about tomorrow someday. Tomorrow I just have to make it through."

Leaning back, he let out a weary sigh.

His eyelids drooped. Slumber raked at him.

But he couldn't sleep. Not here. Not outside.

"No. I cannot sleep."

He yanked his eyes open.

He had to seek shelter.

Scanning the surroundings, his eyes fell upon a big tree about a few meters away.

Would he be able to climb it?

No… his body wasn't strong enough. He would not go too far before fainting once again.

"I need to seek something else."

Forcing himself upright, he lurched forward. Every step was wobbly, his vision tottering.

He had no idea how far he had gone. He had no idea how much time had elapsed.

But then—

His eyes grew wide.

A cave.

Hidden among thick underbrush, its opening was small—just large enough for a human to squeeze through.

Ideal.

Had he not accidentally glimpsed it, he might have walked on right by. 

Abel quieted his breath, biting his tongue about giving away how thrilled he felt. He didn't want to draw attention.

Gradually, he crept closer to the mouth of the cave, secreting himself amongst the leaves. He held still, holding his breath. 

Quiet. 

There were no noises. There was no stirring. 

The flood of relief swamped over him. 

"Finally… I can finally rest."

Struggling to crawl, he wriggled into the cave through the narrow entrance. 

The instant he entered, he fell onto the cold rock floor. 

It was wet. Hard. Cramped. 

But it didn't matter. 

For the first time since the dark had descended, he felt safe. 

And with that, his weary body gave in to sleep.