Road to the Dead

Chapter 5: Bird of Nightmare

I woke up in the morning with a pair of sore feet. Yesterday's all those running and walking and jumping sure is paying off in a way! Ah! I realised there's one thing that was different after death. I no longer have to pee or poo! It must be the most Amazing fact yet!

Done with breakfast but I'm in no position to explore the forest again today. But I still had tonnes of questions to ask. "So, Angel! When are we even going to this so-called Helevan place?" Kind of hinting that this place maybe doesn't even exist.

Ling Xi, as if he just realised something, "we cannot enter Helevan right now. The gate to Helevan only opens every full two moons, which is once every 30 days. We have to wait for about 15 more days to enter Helevan."

Totally ignoring the 'two moons' part, "Ah, this world sure is quite complicated and interesting." Almost murmuring.

Playing with Xiao Bai reminded me, "so, how can I use this little one's abilities?"

"Oh, yes. The blood contract allows you to communicate with your beast telepathically and you can also see what it sees if you close your eyes and command it. It will send spirit energy which will allow you too see by it's eyes." He patiently explains. "You can use it's abilities but it will take time. You must meditate with the beast everyday to be able to combine the spirit energy. It doesn't require any spell words, you can use the abilities by just thinking about it." Also adding, "cufflings cannot attack, only can hide or conceal." He said with a stoic face.

"Cool!" I exclaimed and raised my hands putting two fingers of my hands on each side of my forehead and stared intently at Xiao Bai as if trying to throw words telepathically through my eyes. Those lame gestures aren't really needed!

Hey Xiao Bai!

Yes master Guardian. A very cute kitten voice replied in my head. My head almost exploded because of the overly cute soft voice.

So adorable ~

Thank you master.

This time I really didn't bother to change how they call me!

Let's meditate. I thought giving a genuine smile.

As you wish master.

We meditated till afternoon. Ling Xi left in the morning saying he has some work and will be bringing food as well. I didn't ask any more questions as he himself didn't mention much details.

After hours of meditation I tried using the ability of invisibility. Trying out for a few times, I could make myself invisible for about 5 seconds and then my mind would become unfocused and I would return to normal. Shit! Only 5 seconds? I seriously need to improve. Damn! Even meditating got me tired!

But I wanted to try out another thing! I closed my eyes and...

Xiao Bai, let me see what you see.

I got a tingly feeling and some blurry image started to form. Xiao Bai was looking at me, so my face was the only thing I could see at first.

Average lashes, thin eyebrows and pink plump lips, pale fair skin and dark brown hair. Also I have sky blue eyes.

Turn around and look throughout the room.

I could get the full view of the room without even opening my eyes. It was awesome. But my head started to hurt after sometime. And then suddenly someone entered. Angel? He's back. I quickly open my eyes. "Hello my Angel! You're back!" I said waving my hand.

"Yes" and he smiled the most soothing smile. He brought some fruit and other food stuff which I have no idea what but as long as they taste and look good, I'll devour them all.

By the time he arrived it was already afternoon. So we had lunch and talked about random stuff. Don't ask me what! Me trying to bring out every expressions possible from Ling Xi's face. I showed him the abilities I could do.

"Sir Guardian, it's impressive how you managed to do this much in just few hours. For others it would take weeks." He remarks with an amazed expression. Woah! How cool am I!

The day went just like that. Having dinner we all went to sleep.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

I was following my Angel in a field of beautiful flowers. After a while a thick cloud of black mist covered everything around me. I could no longer see the flowers or my Angel. The darkness completely engulfed me. When I opened my eyes I was in that very dark pitch black of nothingness, on that very never ending road. I was horrified, I couldn't find any sign or board of Helevan. I desperately called out to Ling Xi and Xiao Bai but there was no response. I quickly tried to call Xiao Bai telepathically but still no response. I was devastated and warm droplets of tears started to flow from my eyes down my cheeks. Was it all a dream? Is it all gone now? Ling Xi, Xiao Bai, where are you all?

My whole mind was in utter chaos. I frantically tried to run but I suddenly realised I couldn't walk anymore. Something was holding my legs with a tight grip. I look down to see a pair of bloody distorted hands holding my feet down to the ground. I tried to scream but not even a single word came out, as if someone stole my voice. I was completely frozen in terror. The intense pain rushes through my feet tearing every vein inside.

A murky shadowy deformed figure started crawling around my legs to my waist with a screeching laughter. It then crawled to my neck and started entering my mouth. I was stupefied in aguish. My chest froze in pain and I was struggling to breathe. The murky shadow pierced through my every organs, bones and nerves, rotting and eating out the insides of me. My face turned pale and ghastly. I feebly collapsed.

Just when the murky shadow started to engulf my mind, an image of Ling  Xi suddenly flashed in front of me. I could hear a faint voice calling me, "Zhu Shen! Zhu Shen!" I could do nothing and mind went blank.

But suddenly I felt a tight slap out of no where. Stinging pain ran through my cheek and I somehow opened my eyes. Blurry with all the tears, I saw a very handsome figure in front of me. With a broken faint voice I tried to speak, "a-a-ang-le..?" Almost inaudible.

"Yes! Yes, it's me! It's me, Ling Xi, your angel! Wake up, please!" Ling Xi sightly exclaimed with reddened eyes and a very worried tone. That was an expression I would never forget.

After about a whole ten minutes, I finally came to my right mind and sat on the soft bed blandly staring down, thinking what just happened.

It was still midnight and Xiao Bai also woke up because of all the ordeal and was lying on my lap.

"This was some seriously realistic nightmare. I was almost dying twice." I said with a sigh of relief but my hands were still trembling.

"It was no normal nightmare, Sir. It was the nightmare shadow. One of the dark mystical beast, known as the Bird of Nightmare, releases nightmare shadows till a certain radius depending on their spirit energy." He slightly paused but continued with a concerned look. "If someone doesn't have strong enough spirit energy in them, they can be paralyzed temporarily or for life. In extreme cases death can also occur. It also depends on how close the bird is." He glanced at me and lowered his voice. "Sir Guardian has a very strong spirit energy to be able to get out of it easily." Easily you say? I don't know what 'easy' is anymore!

"It was really painful you know." I said almost with an unamused face.

He gave a gentle apologetic smile. "Next time you can use a spell to reduce the pain and also can more easily come out of the nightmare. I will show it to you tomorrow, Sir Guardian." He calmly added, "And please do not worry anymore today. These shadows cannot attack the same person twice at the same night." He said after making me lie on the bed and covered me with a fluffy blanket.

"Well that's a relief..." And I was soon fast asleep. All that nightmare totally exhausted me!