The Path To Darkness

Lin Jian didn't know how long he lay in the forest, his body trembling, his mind spinning. The mark on his palm still burned, but he couldn't bring himself to look at it. He could feel the power, but it was more like an oppressive presence than anything else. It wasn't just inside him; it surrounded him, feeding on his every thought and emotion. It was inescapable, like a constant storm inside his chest.

He managed to get to his feet, legs shaky beneath him. The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting long, twisted shadows across the forest floor. Lin Jian stumbled forward, barely aware of his surroundings. His only thought was to get away from the strange sensation that was consuming him. He needed to escape. But where? The forest felt alive, as if it were watching him, waiting for him to make a move.

The further he walked, the more he could feel the presence of something else—something ancient. It was as though the trees themselves had eyes, their branches twisted and gnarled like clawed fingers. The air grew colder, thicker, and Lin Jian's instincts screamed at him to turn back. But there was nowhere to go.

After what felt like hours, he emerged into a clearing. His eyes were drawn to a structure ahead. It was a temple, half-hidden beneath vines and moss, its stone walls cracked and worn by the passage of time. The temple seemed to pulse with energy, its presence filling the air with an unsettling hum.

Lin Jian felt an overwhelming pull toward it, as though the mark on his palm was guiding him there. His legs moved of their own accord, carrying him toward the ancient structure. He tried to resist, but it was pointless. The power inside him was too strong. It wouldn't let him stop.

As he entered the temple, the air grew colder, the silence deafening. The walls were adorned with faded carvings, their meaning lost to the ages. Lin Jian's fingers brushed against the stone, feeling the ancient energy that lingered in the very fabric of the place. It was like a living thing, waiting to be awakened.

His palm throbbed again, the mark now burning hotter than ever. He winced, but before he could move away, the altar at the center of the room caught his eye. It was old, its surface worn and chipped, but there was something undeniably powerful about it. The energy in the room seemed to gather around it, drawing Lin Jian closer.

He reached out, his hand trembling, and touched the altar.

Immediately, the power inside him surged, a violent rush of energy that almost knocked him off his feet. His vision blurred as the force of the power consumed him. He gasped, his breath coming in sharp, ragged bursts as the heat from his palm intensified.

"You have been chosen," the voice echoed in his mind again, this time louder, more forceful.

Lin Jian gasped, his chest tightening. "What do you want from me?" he whispered, his voice hoarse.

The voice did not answer. Instead, the air around him seemed to crackle with an invisible energy, and the mark on his palm flared even brighter. The power was no longer something he could control. It was controlling him. He felt his body lock in place, as if the very air were holding him captive.

The temple around him seemed to pulse with life, the stones groaning as if the building itself was alive. Lin Jian's mind spun, unable to comprehend what was happening. The voice grew louder, its command unrelenting.

"You will walk a path that no mortal has ever walked before. You will face trials, and you will be tested. If you fail, the world will fall into darkness."

Lin Jian clenched his fists, his body shaking with the overwhelming power surging through him. He didn't understand. He wasn't a hero. He wasn't someone meant to wield this kind of power. He was just a boy. A simple boy who had stumbled into something beyond his comprehension.

But there was no turning back now. The power was inside him. And it wasn't going anywhere.