Shadows of tyranny

Liang's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Ming crumble to the ground, his body reduced to nothing but ash. Fear gripped him like a vice, his mind racing with a thousand questions and doubts.

"Why... why did this happen again?" Liang muttered, his voice barely a whisper as he struggled to comprehend the tragedy unfolding before him.

Beside him, Mei trembled, her hand clinging to his with a strength born of desperation. "Liang, what's happening? Why did that boy... why did he..."

"I don't know, Mei," Liang replied, his voice tinged with frustration and helplessness. "I don't understand any of this. It's like... like we're all just pawns in some twisted game."

As the shock of Ming's death rippled through the crowd, murmurs of fear and disbelief filled the air. Some villagers wept openly, while others stood frozen in place, their faces drained of color.

"This... this can't be happening," one villager whispered, his voice trembling with disbelief. "We were promised a chance at cultivation, not... not this."

But even as fear threatened to consume them, anger simmered beneath the surface. Anger at Kunan, the immortal who held their fates in his hands. Anger at the cruel twist of fate that had claimed Ming's life and threatened to claim others.

"He's a monster," another villager spat, his voice laced with venom. "He's toying with us, playing with our lives like we're nothing but insects."

Liang's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides as a surge of defiance coursed through him. "We can't let him get away with this," he declared, his voice ringing out with unexpected strength. "We have to stand up to him, fight back against his tyranny."

Mei squeezed his hand, her eyes shimmering with determination. "We'll find a way, Liang," she vowed, her voice fierce and unwavering. "We won't let him win, no matter what it takes."

Together, they stood amidst the chaos and uncertainty, their resolve as unyielding as the mountains themselves. For in the face of adversity, they had found strength in each other, a bond forged in the crucible of fear and defiance.

As the villagers gathered their wits and prepared to face whatever trials lay ahead, Liang and Mei shared a silent vow -a promise to stand together, come what may, and never surrender to the darkness that threatened to consume them all.

But, alas! Kunan, he was no ordinary man. Quite literally, he wasn't. 

The villagers cowered beneath Kunan's oppressive aura, their bodies trembling with fear as he unleashed his power upon them. The pressure was suffocating, crushing, like a weight pressing down on their very souls.

Some fell to their knees, gasping for air, while others struggled to remain standing under the immense strain. Elderly villagers bore the brunt of the assault, their frail bodies unable to withstand th force of Kunan's wrath.

Kunan's laughter echoed through the village, a cruel symphony of malice and contempt. "That's the spirit, mortals," he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Try if you dare."

The pressure intensified, threatening to crush them all beneath its relentless weight. Bones snapped, and cries of pain filled the air as Kunan's power wreaked havoc on the villagers' bodies.

"If it were not for the prophecy," Kunan continued, his voice cold and merciless, "your village would be nothing but dust by now. Know your place."

Mamu coughed up blood, his body ravaged by internal injuries, while others lay writhing in agony, their bones shattered by the force of Kunan's aura.

No one dared to look up at the immortal, their heads bowed in submission as they grappled with the harsh reality of their existence. In that moment, they understood the true extent of Kunan's might, and the futility of their resistance in the face of such overwhelming force.

The villagers gasped and wheezed, struggling to draw breath under the weight of Kunan's oppressive aura. Mamu, blood dripping from his lips, managed to utter, "Please... mercy..."

But Kunan's laughter drowned out his plea. "Mercy?" he scoffed, his voice dripping with contempt. "You dare to beg for mercy from an immortal?"

A young woman, her face streaked with tears, cried out, "We're sorry! We didn't mean to offend you!"

Kunan's eyes narrowed, his expression cold and unforgiving. "Offend me?" he spat. "Your ignorance is offensive enough."

The pressure continued to bear down on them, crushing their spirits and breaking their bodies. A young man, barely more than a boy, gritted his teeth against the pain and managed to choke out, "We'll... we'll do better! We'll do whatever you ask! Please spare us, almighty immortal!"

But Kunan merely shook his head, a cruel smile playing across his lips. "It's too late for that," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "You've already shown me your true colors."

And with that, he released them from his suffocating grip, leaving them battered and broken, but alive-for now. The villagers lay in the dirt, gasping for breath and trembling with fear, their hearts heavy with the knowledge of their own powerlessness in the face of Kunan's wrath.

Returning to the task at hand, Kunan compelled the children to step forward onto the platform one by one. The quill and floating scroll hovered beside him, ready to record their names, ages, and aptitudes.

As each child approached, the scroll shimmered with a faint glow, revealing their information in intricate detail. Names appeared in elegant script, followed by numbers denoting their ages. Beside each name, symbols representing their aptitudes began to materialize, glowing softly with an otherworldly light.

For some, the symbols appeared as flickering flames, indicating an affinity for fire. Others saw swirling gusts of wind or cascading waves of water, signifying their connection to different elements. A fortunate few witnessed the emergence of sturdy earth symbols, representing their potential for mastery over the land itself.

But amidst the excitement of discovery, tragedy struck. As young Liang stepped forward, his heart pounding with anticipation, the scroll faltered. The symbols flickered and faded, leaving nothing but an empty space where his aptitude should have been displayed.

Confusion rippled through the crowd as Kunan frowned, his brow furrowed in consternation. "Impossible," he muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. "There must be some mistake."