Xuan Huo’s Heart Demon

--- (POV – Xuan Huo) ---

Similar to Yan Yin's and Sing Wei's experience she was confused at first with how her surroundings where now nothing but darkness. She waited, waited for something to change but it never did. For what felt like days to her passed by in an instant.

Unable to tell how long she had been there she slowly started to get scared and nervous. She did many things to try find something to get rid of the uncomfortable feelings rising within her. First, she tried running around, looking for something.

So, she ran in a straight line, hoping to eventually see light. The more she ran the more darkness was shown to her. As if the darkness was stoking sealed and forgotten feelings she started to call out as the walls protecting her sanity corroded away.

"Brother Chang, brother Chang where are you? Please help me brother Chang. I can't find my way out."

She kept on calling out but the darkness swallowed the sounds she made. Making her feel isolated within the inky blackness. Unwilling to give up and stop, she kept running with only the thought of finding Chang keeping her from mentally breaking down.

Days turned into weeks and it wasn't long before a month had passed for her. Well, she assumed a month but the darkness prevented her from being able to tell the time, so she could only guess off her feeling.

Her entire demeanour has changed throughout this time. Her hair dishevelled with parts clumped together and some sticking out weirdly. Her eyes where dark and red from obvious crying. Her clothes were torn in places and sprawled out over her body.

She is now nearing her end as her previous hopeful run, in search of Chang is now nothing more than a wobble with despair clear in her eyes. Her mind already passed the breaking point can only seem to say one phrase.

"Brother Chang, please help. Brother Chang, please help. Brother Chang, please help…"

Suddenly she stopped muttering as her mind completely fell apart. Collapsing on the ground she huddled her self into a ball, with her hands covering her head as if she was trying to protect herself.

Her last clear remaining thought vanished. As if that was a trigger, memories long sealed away came flooding out. Each memory filling her with more negative emotions. Anger, hatred, sadness, and many more.

Memories of her life before meeting Chang came to light bringing forth the emotions she felt at that time, but out of all these memories one stood out in particular and when she remembered the events she started to scream out.

Her high pitch scream, sounding like a wailing ghost reverberated throughout the darkness. Unlike her previous attempts of speaking, the darkness didn't swallow the sound of her scream, but instead as if it enjoyed the despair within the scream, it was echoed many times over.

Her surroundings changed as the dark mist started to solidify and make the shape of buildings. She sensed her surroundings has changed as light seeped through her hands covering her face.

She got up and looked around, seeing the previous black fog was gone and instead replaced with a large run-down street being illuminated by a bright full moon.

Her heart started to beat at incredible pace as she looked around the street before her eyes where glued to the house she was standing in front of. Like all the other houses on the street it was a dilapidated wooden house with many holes and rot patches that have been shoddily covered up by cloth, twigs and other junk.

Before her thoughts could wonder her surroundings changed once again. A haze clouded her vision and once it cleared up she was now inside the house she was just staring at.

Before her very eyes were a middle-aged man and woman looking lovingly at her. Her eyes teared up and the negative thoughts invading her mind vanished. "Mother? Father? Is it really you?"

They smile and bring her in for a hug not saying a word. This was confirmation enough for her though and like she was a little kid again she started to cry uncontrollably in their embrace.

*Bang*

In an instant the front door was burst open with splinters flying everywhere. Her mother quickly stood in front of her, as if to act like a shield. A few of the rogue splinters pierced both the parents causing small cuts.

A group of rough men came walking in trampling everything in their path without a care in the world for repercussions. The leader steps out and starts mumbling to himself just loud enough for Xuan Huo to hear.

"This family should make a good sacrifice for senior divine. The woman is a beauty as well, I wonder if he will let me have a taste before she is sacrificed."

After mumbling he then addressed his underlings. "Men, take them!"

"Don't you dare!" Xuan Huo screams out and try's to attack using her new found power. To her shock she couldn't find any Qi within her body. She was unable to resist as the men stormed in and forcibly grabbed herself and her parents.

The men wanted to knock them all out for easier transport but before that her parents finally spoke something while looking at her dead in the eyes. "This is your fault for being so weak!"

Her mind blanked before she started to scream in madness. Many different versions of this event started to take place in her head. Some where her parents where beheaded, raped, slaughtered and many more. Each instance playing in her head ended with her parents saying the same words. "This is your fault for being so weak."

Each time the scenes where replayed her sadness was replaced with anger and hatred. Hatred at herself for being weak but also the men who caused this. Something within her woke up and another memory came forth and the surroundings once again changed.

She was sitting on the ground in ragged clothes with an old man sitting next to her desperately trying to sell junk wares to passers-by. She remembered this entire situation and jumped on the old man who was her grandfather and started to cry in his embrace.

Unlike her parents during the event, he didn't stay quiet and worryingly inquired as to why she was so upset. "Little Huo are you okay? Why are you so upset? Its ok I am here for you."

She talked about her horrible experience and he comforted her saying it was a nightmare. "Little Huo remember that although that was a nightmare. Your parents where still taken away, you need to grow stronger to protect yourself. Remember you are never alone, even once I am gone from this world, you will find someone to be there for you."

Her memories of her time with Chang and her new sisters emerged, no longer blocked by her foggy mind. Her fear of being alone disappeared as she was reminded by her grandfather and the correct memory of how her parents sacrificed themselves to let her free and said similar words at how they will always be with her.

Revenge and hatred were still within her but she didn't let it control her but instead used it to fuel her motivation to get stronger and steel her heart. The faces of all those she recently killed appeared in her mind but with her new found resolve for getting stronger and staying with Chang so she isn't alone she cast those thoughts out and accepted that to become strong one must be at peace with their actions and accept that it will happen.

The scene around her started to break and the scenery was returned back to the normal darkness ready for her to start her last trial. A man appeared in front of her, silent and unmoving with a savage aura radiating from him.

The hatred within her riled up, as this man was the leader of the group who caused her so much suffering. Taking to heart the teaching she received as a young girl from her grandfather and Chang about controller emotions she drew her sword and without hesitation she attacked.

The man stood unmoving at her sword penetrated his flesh, as blood ran down the cold metal blade. Droplets of scarlet red blood ran off from her hands as she withdrew the sword from his heart.

Without her hesitation and feelings of loneliness the heart demon lost all its strength and was forced to watch itself be destroyed. Her vision became blurry as she returned to the normal world with a new conviction for getting revenge but also fulfilling her family's wish of not being alone anymore.