In the desolate forest, Monkey walked alone, step by step.
The night wind swept through, pressing the wormwood flat and whirling up fallen leaves, bringing a hint of chill. As it threaded through the woods, it raised a sound like wailing ghosts.
Monkey wandered on aimlessly, just walking and walking.
Somehow, the further he walked, the darker the world became. The stars above and the crescent moon between the clouds vanished. It was as if not a trace of light remained between heaven and earth.
In the end, even Monkey's eyes could no longer make out the scenery around him.
"What is happening?" He rubbed his eyes in confusion, though he didn't feel anything was truly amiss.
More precisely, his mind had already emptied out, so none of these oddities managed to alert him.
Gradually, he felt a heavy drowsiness and had to stop, leaning on his Golden Staff to rest.
Suddenly, a black shadow swept past in front of him.
"Who!" Monkey was startled, instinctively gripping his Golden Staff.
Yet in front of him, the darkness revealed only a few trembling branches—nothing else.
He stared at that spot for a long time before finally letting out a slow breath and lowering his Golden Staff.
"What is happening to me? Where... where am I?"
Only now did he seem to realize that all his external senses had failed him.
He could not feel the flow of spiritual power or energy, had lost his night vision, and even his hearing seemed confined to just the small area around him.
Just as he was lost in confusion, a voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
"It is me."
"Who are you?"
"I am you."
"You're me—then who am I?"