Quick Escape

**Chapter 1: Quick escape**

Screams and wails echoed through the night, the village was atacked by The Golden Order, a relentless force of righteousness, descended upon them like a storm, branding their blood and shadow cultivation techniques as demonic. The air was thick with the scent of blood and fear, Lucas stirred awake, heart pounding, as the chaos outside intruded upon his dreams.

"What the hell is going on?" he gasped, adrenaline coursing through his veins. he had activated he's blood world traversal as violence erupted outside, the sickening splat of flesh meeting steel echoed trough the air. The sound was grotesque, and before he could process the horror, he felt a tug, a violent pull, and in an instant, the world around him dissolved into crimson mist.

He reappeared in his little sister Audrey's room, her wide eyes reflecting the terror that mirrored his own. "Lucas?" she whispered, her voice barely a breath above the chaos outside.

"Shhh, we're leaving!" he urged, urgency lacing his words as he grabbed her hand. With a swift flick of his wrist, he invoked his blood teleportation technique, the air shimmering as they were whisked away to a blood-red replica of their home—a bloody replica of the home they lived in .

Seconds later, they materialized in their backyard, the familiar sight now tainted by the echoes of horror surrounding them. Lucas's heart raced as he took in the chaos of the village. They lived on the edge, isolated from the heart of the turmoil, He hadn't searched for he's siblings for he recalled that their parents and elder siblings were away on tasks.

"Audrey, wait here. I'll be right back," he instructed, his voice firm despite the tremor in his hands. She nodded, fear etched on her face, but Lucas had no time to reassure her. He dashed back inside, knowing he would not return to the village unless he received a summoning trough the bloodline that signifies their elders' triumph.

Inside, the remnants of their home felt suffocating. The cupboards were nearly bare, and Lucas's heart sank as he saw their meager supplies. Only a few weeks worth of food remained. "Dammit!" he cursed silently, snatching what little he could carry. He also gathered the family's ancient techniques, scrolls that whispered of power and legacy, knowing Audrey would need them.

As he turned to leave, the walls seemed to shudder, shadows flickering in the corners of his vision. The village felt alive with malevolence, and Lucas could almost hear the whispers of the fallen elders warning him of the darkness that lurked beyond their sanctuary. He sprinted back to Audrey, urgency propelling him forward.

"Let's get moving," he said, his voice a low growl as he took her hand once more. With a surge of will, he teleported them to the entrance of the forest—a dark, sprawling expanse that loomed like a hungry beast.

Lucas could feel the weight of the blood path his family had followed pressing down on him, a curse and a blessing intertwined. With he's little essence he could only teleport so far, and fear gnawed at him.

"Lucas, what's happening?" Audrey's voice broke through his thoughts, tremulous yet fierce.

"They're hunting us," he replied, his gaze fixed on the twisted trees ahead. "We need to find shelter. The elders… they must have fallen." The weight of his words hung in the air, heavy with the truth of their situation for the village to be in such a bad state to begin with meant they had fled or perished long ago.

As they stepped into the forest, darkness enveloped them, the screams of their village fading into a haunting echo. The path ahead was fraught with danger, and every step could be there last if they where found.

A hoarse voice shouted from behind them. Lucas turned to see a familiar face: a neighbor and fellow clansman, flanked by two soldiers of the Golden Order. Just as the clansman revealed their location, a swift arc of a blade severed his head from his shoulders.

"I can't traverse the blood world while carrying my sister; I'm running low on essence. What do I do?" Panic rose within Lucas, but a simple solution flickered to life in his mind. He could lift his sister onto his back and run. Without hesitation, he did just that.

"If I can reach the cliff to the north and can drag Audrey with me into the blood world. From there, and We escape to the east from there," he thought desperately.

Unbeknownst to Lucas, a crimson cloud was coalescing at the center of the blood clan village. It hovered ominously, siphoning the blood essence from fallen clan members—leaving nothing but husks in its wake. The cloud silently began to track Lucas and Audrey, having already consumed the two righteous cultivators who had pursued them.

As Lucas sprinted toward the edge of the cliff, he sent his sister over to safety before leaping himself. Just as he fell, he activated his blood world traversal.

 "Why hasn't my essence pool replenished?" he wondered, panic rising. He attempted to activate his powers three more times mid-air before despair seeped in. At least Audrey Will survive and wouldn't witness such an embarrassing death of her elder brother.

But then, amid his self-pity, he felt a flicker of essence returning. Desperation birthed determination, and he tried again.

A sickening splat echoed within the cave Lucas fell into. He had regained just enough essence to survive but felt immense pain coursing through him—especially within his spirit. Immobilized, he could only gaze helplessly at the sky.

As he lay on the ground, he noticed the crimson cloud drawing near. It lingered above him, then descended, transforming from mist into liquid blood that began to engulf his body. Trapped in his weakened state, Lucas could only watch in despair with tears welling in his eyes. His voice failed him; he could not scream.

Yet, thanks to his family's blood cultivation techniques, as long as his heart continued to beat, he would not perish. He watched in horror as the crimson liquid consumed his lower body, inching closer to his heart. Just as it threatened to overwhelm him, ancient symbols appeared within his heart, releasing a terrifying aura that pushed back against the encroaching blood. The swirling crimson was sent into a frenzy, but the pain was overwhelming, causing Lucas to lose consciousness.

In the midst of the chaotic bloodstorm that had once again taken the form of a cloud, a dark droplet materialized, absorbing the remaining essence. It fell upon Lucas, attempting to merge with him. Yet, his weakened body could not contain its power. The droplet stopped then began to reshape Lucas's Body slowly and painfully till he's body was strong enough to bear the power of all the essence contained in the crimson cloud. As Lucas's spirit began to dissipate it was forcefully dragged back into he's new Body Using the dissipating souls left in the blood essence that had been forcefully infused into Lucas's body is sowerd Lucas's Torn soul back Together.