Shadow Being System

He couldn\'t see the end, couldn\'t feel anything except the chill of the air rushing past him and the weight of his impending doom. I\'m going to die, he thought grimly, his pulse hammering in his ears. It wasn\'t just the fear of death; it was the sheer helplessness that sent a wave of panic through his system. His fingers clawed uselessly at the air, the world around him a blur of nothingness.

---

Meanwhile, standing at the edge of the deep chasm was a man holding a traditional Chinese fan, the delicate folds snapping open and closed with practiced ease. His face was an unreadable mask, but his eyes... his eyes held a dangerous glint, as if the fall had ignited some twisted amusement deep within.

The man\'s gaze remained fixed on the swirling fog below, his lips twitching into what could have been a smirk.

The sound of rustling leaves broke the eerie silence. His ears perked up, and without turning fully, he cocked his head to the side. Emerging from behind a tree was a disheveled figure—unkempt hair sticking out in all directions, dark eye bags sagging beneath hollow, tired eyes, and clothes so worn they looked as though they hadn\'t felt the touch of an iron in years.

The newcomer\'s posture was hunched, his shoulders slumped in a way that suggested defeat or perhaps exhaustion. He shuffled up to the man with the fan and stood beside him, peering into the chasm below.

"Why did you do that?" the man with the sunken eyes asked, his voice hoarse, carrying the weight of countless sleepless nights.

General Zhao, as he was called, didn\'t respond immediately. His shoulders began to shake as he tilted his head back slightly, and before long, a deep, booming laugh erupted from him. He laughed so hard he had to clutch his stomach, bending over as if the sheer force of his amusement was too much to contain.

"Did you see that?" Zhao managed between bouts of laughter. "Did you see the look on his face? Priceless!"

The disheveled man, still looking into the fog, shook his head. His tone remained flat, unimpressed. "We don\'t have time for this," he said. "It\'s almost curfew."

Zhao wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, his laughter dying down as quickly as it had started. His expression shifted again, morphing into something more serious. He straightened up and glanced back at the chasm. Without hesitation, and with a final, dangerous glint in his eyes, Zhao leaped into the abyss, his body cutting through the fog like a blade.

The wind whistled around him as he plummeted downward, faster and faster, tearing the fog apart as he passed.

---

William, still falling, noticed something strange. The fog, thick as it was, began to thin, bit by bit, until there was none at all. His eyes widened. I\'m close, he realized, his heart racing. Below him, the surface of the ground finally came into view—a shimmering expanse of what looked like blue glass. No, not glass.

Water. Relief flooded through him. Thank God, he thought, but then, just as quickly, his stomach dropped.

At this speed, hitting water would be just as deadly as hitting solid ground.

Gritting his teeth, he braced himself for impact. The moment his body collided with the water, a massive splash followed, his momentum driving him deep below the surface. But to his astonishment, the expected bone-crushing pain never came. Instead, a warm sensation enveloped him, seeping into every inch of his body. It felt... good.

Cleansing. As though every impurity, every bit of exhaustion, was being washed away.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

William opened his eyes, expecting to struggle for breath, but found that he could breathe effortlessly underwater. This water isn\'t ordinary, he realized, his mind racing with possibilities. Kicking his legs, he began to swim upward, the surface of the lake shimmering with a soft blue glow.

---

When his head finally broke through the surface, William gasped, his eyes quickly scanning his surroundings. The lake was small, more like a serene pool, surrounded by stone walls and several cave openings, all of them dark and foreboding. The water itself emitted a soft, otherworldly glow, and it was in that glow that William spotted a figure leaning casually against the wall of one of the caves.

It was General Zhao, his eyes closed, his fan resting at his side. The sight of him sent a surge of anger coursing through William\'s veins.

"That bastard," William muttered, swimming toward the shore with renewed fury. His uniform clung to his skin as he dragged himself out of the water, dripping wet and seething with rage. Zhao\'s eyes fluttered open, a faint smile playing on his lips. Explore more adventures at empire

"How\'d you like the bath?" Zhao asked, his tone light, almost mocking.

William\'s fists clenched, his teeth grinding together as he glared at the man. "Was that fun for you?" he spat, barely able to contain his anger. "Did you enjoy throwing me into a death trap?"

Zhao shrugged, the fan snapping open with a flick of his wrist. "Now, now," he said, fanning himself lazily. "Don\'t you feel different?"

William paused, confused. As much as he hated to admit it, he did feel... different. Lighter, sharper. His senses were heightened, and there was a strange sense of clarity running through his mind. He frowned, glancing down

at his hands. "What... did that water do to me?"