The first thing I lay eyes on is a tombstone.
Tall — at least seven feet — and imposing in its silence.
A grave. And not just any grave… this one feels important. Sacred, even. Oddly large for something hidden in the back of a forgotten cave.
I step closer, brushing away the dust clinging to its surface, and read the inscription carved into the stone:
"Lin Xunei."
Xunei…?
That's the same name as the sect — the Xunei Sect. The one my parents belong to.
Why would the remains of someone with that name — perhaps even the founder — be buried here, in secret?
I kneel, curiosity gnawing at me. As I study the tomb, a faint glow catches my eye.
It flickers beneath the soil — subtle, like a dying ember trying to breathe.
What was that?
I hesitate only a moment.
Then I begin to dig.
My fingers scrape through layers of dirt and dust, the glow growing stronger with each handful.
And then… I find it.
A corpse.
Wrapped in robes long faded and torn, the body lies still — undisturbed for what must be decades, maybe centuries. But it isn't the corpse that steals my breath.
It's the light.
A soft, steady pulse emanates from its chest — something embedded deep within.
Without thinking, I reach forward. My right hand slips into the hollow of its ribcage and closes around the glowing object.
I pull it free.
A radiant orb, no larger than a clenched fist, rises from my palm. Weightless. Humming with quiet power. The light it emits is gentle, yet strangely all-consuming — like it's gazing into me as intently as I'm staring at it.
Then, without warning, it moves.
The orb floats up, hovering at eye level for a single breath.
And then — it shoots forward.
Straight into my chest.
I gasp.
A sharp, burning heat erupts through my body, searing flesh and bone. My hands fly to my chest — but there's no wound. Only the sensation of something alive and electric coursing through me.
The pain is staggering.
Like lightning unraveling inside my veins, tearing through every nerve, every meridian. My back arches. Breath catches in my throat.
For a moment, I think this is the end.
And then — it stops.
Silence.
The heat fades. My body trembles, heart pounding in my ears.
What the hell was that?
My eyes remained blurry.
I look back at the corpse.
Slowly, I bury it again — covering the body with layer after layer of soil.
Then I rise, still trembling, and make my way out of the chamber.
Out of the cave.
If I don't make it back in time, my parents will find out I've been outside Bamboo Village.
If they do find out…
I don't want to imagine what comes next.