Seeing Through the Trauma

THE UNDERWORLD(17)

When MK looked up, he hadn't really expected to find himself watching as the Bone Demon fell in front of him. Behind her, he caught sight of something shiny, and by the time he realized he was looking at the mirror, it was too late. 

To be fair, he hadn't known they'd moved. The last time he'd seen them only a few seconds ago they were behind him, so he hadn't really been worried about not looking in front of him.

He wasn't really sure what happened next because everything went dark immediately after like there was nothing at all. It was a bad feeling, so MK was more than a little surprised to find himself able to think right now. He didn't know where he was, and felt weirdly disconnected from everything, but was surprised to find that he could in fact open his eyes.  

Which was equally weird, because MK was supposed to be dead. He thinks. 

Maybe they'd brought him back? Something about that thought felt wrong though, because there was this cold feeling in his body, vibrating at the very core of his being and he felt like all the light in the world had been sucked out, the very air filled with suffering. 

When he opened his eyes, only one worked and it took him a second to remember why as he glanced around and found a large cave-like place. He tried to move, squinting at the torches of fire everywhere and the lack of natural light, but something stopped him, pulling back his wrist as the sound of clanking rang in his ears. 

Far off, he thought he could hear screaming, and swallowed down a lump in his throat.

"He-hello?" He called out, hating the way his voice shook and bounced off the walls uselessly. He went to call out again, tugging at the chains around his arms and legs keeping him trapped against a pillar but steady sets of footsteps coming in his direction made him snap his mouth shut. They weren't rushing, footsteps slow and controlled like the way the Lady Bone Demon had waltzed around the place and suddenly, he wasn't so sure he wanted someone to come.

From the shadows emerged a man, a man in a robe with gold accents, and the patterns on it made MK shiver, though he didn't know why. There was something about him that made MK instantly on guard, but he didn't dare tug against the chains again just in case it angered him. 

"W-who are you? Where am I?" MK asked as the person stopped walking, close enough that MK could see a bearded man with hair so dark it was black and a look in his eyes that made MK pale.       

"My name is Yama, one of the ten kings of the underworld. Which I believe should answer your second question, Qi Xiaotian." 

"You know my name?" MK asked, startled and the king nodded staring at MK with distaste. 

"Everyone down here knows of you. We have waited for this moment for as long as you've been alive. Many of the other kings are eager to oversee your torture." He said, and it was so blandly stated even though it was such a horrible thing to say that MK gawked, tugging on the chains as shivers ran down his spine, shaking with adrenaline.

"Wha- you're going to torture me?" He asked, voice trembling. The king nodded.

"Even though your soul isn't tainted by sins and evil, your father's is, and though it isn't commonplace for a child to take the place of their parent, Sun Wukong has evaded our grasp indefinitely. We were not able to punish him for his misgivings, for his name is no longer in the Book of the Dead and we cannot reach him." The man said, stepping around MK as his hands settled behind his back, something sinisterly gleeful in his monotone voice.

"Therefore you will be taking his place, to appease those like myself who have yearned for Sun Wukong's damnation after the chaos he caused here many millennia ago." He finished, and though his tone remained level, MK's heart, if he even had one anymore, would have been skyrocketing from stress.