A Cursed Land

A small village with a population of only a few hundred was holding a banquet past midnight. There seemed to be an unlimited supply of food and wine as the long tables continued to be filled with gourmet dishes. Hao Ren even began to suspect that the banquet would go on indefinitely, as though time flew in a circle there. However, his fear did not materialize; the feast was finally over when Lily could not help herself and dozed off.

The banquet may have ended, but the villagers seemed not to get enough as young men and women began to gather around the bonfire in their ancient dance. Others were talking loudly while drinking the fine wine. These villagers who seemed to be quiet during the day suddenly turned to become extremely animated at night as if they had obtained some spiritual power. 'Animated' was the only word Hao Ren could describe these villagers.