An Ox with a goatee

When Ji Yao opened his eyes he was expecting to be met with Rui Fei's handsome face leaning closer to steal a kiss but instead he was met with the same eerie forest. This time he had changed positions.

Instead of being surrounded by nightmarish insect-like creatures crawling all over the place while trying to sniff him out he now stood on a cleared path that stretched a great distance. The chill feeling in his body amplified as he gazed further down the path brimming with an ominous air.

He wanted to go back where he came from but for some reason, he felt an insurmountable amount of pressure on his aether which meant he wasn't going anywhere. Whatever was running the show in this forest was preventing him from leaving.