The wind howled as it swept over our heads. Ten days had passed, and we still couldn’t see the Shadowwood. Right now, we were in a small basin.
The abandoned houses in these small villages would turn to dust at the slightest touch. Rachel Lan found a relatively flat stone for us to lean against. She held me, eyes closed, resting.
In just a month, Rachel Lan had grown thinner. Her cheekbones jutted out, and the sight pained me. Uncle Horne was napping quietly not far from us.
The wind suddenly picked up. Walking through this rubble, the stones would occasionally be blown about, so we chose to rest. We’d barely covered any ground that day, but it seemed intentional on Uncle Horne’s part—Rachel Lan needed a proper break. Looking at her oily skin, cracked lips, and utter exhaustion, I worried she wouldn’t last much longer.
Fortunately, my weight had been dropping steadily these past few days—I was much lighter now, which eased some of the burden on Rachel Lan.
Uncle Horne said the cure for my illness could only be found deep within the Shadowwood. This strange disease was called the Stilled—as the name suggested, residents of the Dark Place occasionally succumbed to it.
I watched Uncle Horne quietly. He opened his eyes and yawned.
“You want to know about the person I cured before, don’t you?”
I couldn’t reply, but Uncle Horne seemed to read something in my eyes. Rachel Lan was sound asleep, and Uncle Horne spoke softly.
“It must have been a few centuries ago. No one believed I could cure it. There was a monk named Leo Yuan.”
I was surprised—Leo Yuan was the senior brother of the Ghostworm Monk, a true master.
"Looks like you recognize him. That’s good."
Uncle Horne continued speaking.
"That monk had only just arrived in the Dark Place when he began showing early symptoms of the Stilled—frequent unexplained fainting spells. Most people told him there was no hope, but he remained optimistic, searching for any possible cure. Eventually, he came to me."
Uncle Horne chuckled and glanced at Rachel Lan beside me.
By then, Leo Yuan could barely walk—he crawled to Uncle Horne’s home and pleaded for help.
Uncle Horne told him plainly that the only way to save him was to find a medicine deep in the Shadowwood, a place few dared to enter—and it was extremely dangerous.
Leo Yuan agreed without hesitation. For nearly half a year, Uncle Horne led him through the forest searching for the needed herbs. Eventually, Leo Yuan’s Stilled erupted—he became just like me.
At last, Uncle Horne found the medicine. After half a year—nearly a full year—Leo Yuan awoke from the Stilled, as if reborn.
"After that, I don’t know where he went. I never heard of Leo Yuan again, but there were rumors—some say he journeyed to a place of light that doesn’t exist in this darkness."
I was puzzled, but Uncle Horne soon drifted back to sleep.
I quietly watched Rachel Lan, cradled in my arms. She’d cut part of her hair—now it hung to her shoulders. It must have been hard for her, but short hair was better for the forest. Uncle Horne had warned there were many beasts and countless unknown dangers in the woods; you couldn’t let your guard down for a moment, or you might lose your life.
Uncle Horne had ventured into the forest several times, each time barely escaping with his life. He wanted to find more medicine for the Stilled, but that cure was rare and elusive.
A few days ago, Uncle Horne told Rachel Lan and me to be mentally prepared—it could take a year, maybe several years, to find the medicine. My symptoms had only just begun, but in two months, I’d lose all thought and movement.
I had no idea how much time had passed. Rachel Lan stirred slightly, waking up and looking much more refreshed. The wind had died down.
"Uncle Horne, get up."
Rachel Lan gently nudged Uncle Horne, but he didn’t move at all. I started to worry. Then Rachel Lan shook him vigorously, but there was still no response. She reached out to feel for breath under his nose.
"He’s not breathing, Qingyuan."
My heart skipped a beat. What should I do?
But just then, Uncle Horne opened his eyes and began breathing normally again. He stood up and apologized.
We left the basin and continued toward the Shadowwood. The path was still treacherous—uneven rocks of all sizes forced us to take detours; we couldn’t walk in a straight line, even though there were no mountains nearby.
I didn’t know how much farther we had to go—it had already been eleven days.
"Uncle Horne, how long have you lived here?"
Rachel Lan asked, and Uncle Horne shook his head.
"A long time, I suppose. I don’t really remember. I used to live in villages like the one we just passed, but more and more people flooded in. The plants died, the animals perished, and we had to keep moving until we settled in the place with the big pillars. That’s where things finally stabilized."
"It’s so strange, Uncle Horne. So many things here just exist—you don’t have to make them. How does that work?"
Uncle Horne smiled and sighed.
"Starting a few centuries ago, things just began appearing from the living world. I don’t know how or who did it, but the residents here—if they don’t eat or drink, they die."
I was shocked—I’d never heard that before. Rachel Lan was just as surprised.
"Really?"
"Of course. That’s why everyone works so hard to earn money. After all, you can buy food here, and if you have a bit more, you can enjoy life. For the residents, survival comes down to making money—making enough to eat, making enough to live a little."
Rachel Lan sighed helplessly.
"Days like these are just as dark as this place—dim and lifeless."
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"Little Rachel Lan, you arrived here five months ago, right? If you’re still saying things like that a hundred years from now, we can talk about it again."
We fell silent for a while and kept walking. I looked at Rachel Lan’s smiling face—maybe even after a hundred years, she’d still be the same. The hope in her heart would never die.
On the fifteenth day, our rations were less than half gone. Though we could find water here, food was critical for both of them.
Especially Rachel Lan—she hadn’t eaten properly in days. Uncle Horne often urged her to eat more, but he barely ate himself. I could tell Uncle Horne was utterly exhausted.
"Little Rachel Lan, take a break."
"I’m fine, Uncle Horne, I can still walk."
Uncle Horne smiled helplessly. Rachel Lan kept carrying me forward, even though Uncle Horne had offered to take turns. My weight had dropped, but I was still heavy, and the rough terrain made every step exhausting.
But Rachel Lan insisted on carrying me. Uncle Horne didn’t press the issue—he was a good man, always looking out for both of us, even caring about our feelings.
On the twenty-fifth day, both of them were utterly exhausted. In a pile of rocks, their food was nearly gone—and in the distance, we finally saw the Shadowwood.
"Let’s rest today and continue tomorrow. Don’t be fooled by how close it looks—it’ll still take two days to get there. This is our last meal."
Uncle Horne spoke, and Rachel Lan started eating the rations. Soon, both of them were too tired and fell asleep.
Guilt gnawed at me—I couldn’t do a thing. Maybe this was the most direct feeling before becoming Stilled, just like Yixue Han. She must have tried desperately to think of a way, but nothing ever worked. In the end, she too became Stilled, knowing nothing at all.
The final stretch was perhaps the hardest. Their steps grew heavier, hunger nearly stopping them in their tracks as they staggered through the rocky ground.
The Shadowwood drew closer, bit by bit. Rachel Lan’s eyes lit up with joy—reaching the forest meant there’d be food. It would take some effort to find it, but at least they could rest for a few days.
I didn’t know how the other people in the Dark Place were faring—I had no energy left to care. I couldn’t speak, could only watch it all in silence.
"Not bad, Little Rachel Lan. You made it this far."
Staring at the sparse forest ahead, Rachel Lan sat down and set me beside her. Uncle Horne took the bow from his back, nocked an arrow, and watched the forest closely. The calls of insects and birds echoed around us.
"Once we rest in the woods, we can start looking for food."
We entered the woods and sat down by a large tree. Uncle Horne squatted and searched the ground for any sign of animals.
After a while, Uncle Horne climbed a nearby tree and found two bird eggs in a nest.
"No luck today. Let’s eat these first."
Uncle Horne handed both eggs to Rachel Lan. She took only one; Uncle Horne was hungry too.
After eating the eggs, they looked even hungrier—they needed more food.
Just then, a rustling came from the woods nearby. Rachel Lan and Uncle Horne immediately stood alert, watching closely.
It was a massive wild boar—nearly a meter tall, tusks bared. It seemed to notice us and, enraged, charged. Rachel Lan drew her dagger, and Uncle Horne fired an arrow.
But the arrow bounced off the wild boar’s hide as it barreled forward.
In a flash, the wild boar was right in front of Rachel Lan. She leapt up, dagger in both hands, ready to strike—but a hand suddenly grabbed her.
With a crash, a small tree was snapped in two—Uncle Horne had saved Rachel Lan’s life.