She felt as though she was awakening from a dream she could not remember. Her body seemed to be floating through a pitch black void, steadily allowing itself to be carried back into consciousness.
Why was everything so dark? she thought.
My eyes must be closed. As her senses returned, Lady Mei could feel she was laying on something cold and hard. An old cot, maybe. Letting out a few low grumbles, she slowly opened her eyes. Her mind a fuzz, she couldn't recall how or why she had fallen asleep. Her arms and legs were still heavy with sleep and it was an effort to push herself into a sitting position. Her back cracked and ached from having apparently laid on a hard surface for quite some time.
"Aiya… what on earth happened?" she asked aloud to herself. As the grogginess passed and awareness returned, Mei realized she wasn't in her home… or anywhere she recognized for that matter. She took a look at her surroundings, and found herself in a small, dark guest room. The walls were coarse stone, the bed she sat on was aged and awfully uncomfortable with tears and loose springs. It seemed no one had ever stayed in this room, until now.
"Where… am I?"
Everything from before she passed out was a blur, as though her mind was trying to prevent her from remembering something. The last thing she could recall was heading towards the edge of town to look for the doctor… had she gotten lost in the thicket and someone found her? No, there was a piece missing. What could it be?
The confused woman stood up, brushed off the skirt of her dress, and headed for the door. She kept trying to remember why she had fainted. As she wrapped a gloved hand around the handle, the cold metal sent a familiar chill up her arm. Before she fainted, her blood felt like ice. Something frightened the living daylights out of her. Something big, something… unnatural. Taking a moment to compose herself, and to think if she really wanted to venture further into the unknown, she reminded herself that there was a reason she was in this mess… And she hadn't found who she was looking for, yet. She had to keep going.
She opened the door and found herself at the end of a dimly lit hall. The walls were constructed of weathered stone saturated with cold that washed over Mei, causing her to shiver. Whether this was due to the temperature or fear, she didn't know; maybe it was a combination of the two that filled her with a sense of dread as she prepared herself to travel through the bleak halls. With a moment of hesitation, Mei pulled together all the courage she could muster and made her way through corridor. The only sound was from her heels echoing against the hard ground.
The hall seemed to go on forever, though she may just not want to know what awaits at the other end. Taking cautious steps, Mei reached an aging staircase with steps cracked and a banister that was missing most of its railing. Unsure of its safety, she took her time testing each step as she proceeded to descend deeper into her prison. The wooden railing creaked as she held on to what she could to prevent from falling into the dark unknown. Finding her footing as she completed the final step, Mei looked up to find a much wider corridor than the one she had come. Suits of armor lined the walls, rust covered the once brilliant silver and bronze shields they held. In the light, Mei could imagine these suits welcomed visitors to roam their abode. Now, they seem frozen in misery and disgrace, no longer having the strength to take arms. Mei ran her hand over the metal, flinching as the cold shot through her fingers.
Continuing on, Mei could catch glimpses of the insides of the rooms she passed. Most were near empty, while others were in complete disarray with shattered furniture and broken glass. What happened here? Even more questions flooded her mind. Most importantly, just how much danger was waiting for her the more she explored?
Descending another stairway, Mei heard a faint moan in front of her. She couldn't tell what made that noise, but she knew it was far ahead of her. Pausing for a moment, Mei contemplated if continuing on was a good idea. However, she knew it was the only way. Eventually, she found herself in what appeared to be a common room. The ceiling was high with half a chandelier dangling on a thick chain. The shards of ornate glasswork clattered together as drafts wafted through the room. Dazzled by the enormity of her surroundings, Mei didn't immediately notice when the moaning from before grew louder, closer. Paralyzed with fright, Mei felt she was not alone. The moaning seemed to get closer and closer… Mei finally turned around. A mangled metallic figure, green liquids oozing from its eyes and mouth, reached a twitching hand out towards. Mei screamed and nearly tripped over herself. The zombie-like thing edged closer, the liquids dripping onto the floor, sizzling as it made contact. The terrified woman mustered the strength to kick it away, creating just enough space for her to rush past it.
"What IS this place!?"
She bolted down another area, meeting with another door. She flung the door open, only to be met with the horrifying sight of more mangled figures. This room looked like a combination of a lab and a torture chamber. "Dead" figures were scattered about, some leaned up against the wall, some strung out on the floor, all torn apart. One zombie-chine lied on the table, bolts and wires exposed, appearing as though they were ripped out. The hot liquid drooled down the side of its face as it twitched violently and looked at the petrified woman, a moan garbling out of its throat. Mei, panic-stricken, took off in the opposite direction. She found herself in the East wing of the fortress. Even worse, a swarm of mangled wandered the area.
"Stay away!" she yelled, hurrying up the stairs to the double doors up top. The creatures slowly pursued her, arms outstretched and grimly moaning. She prayed these doors were unlocked. Lucky for her, she was able to burst them open, then immediately slammed them shut. She scrambled for any kind of lock, found one, and sealed off the wailing wanderers behind her. No longer being chased, Mei felt the burn in her dry throat, breathing fast from all the running. She rested a hand on her chest, taking a moment to catch her breath, swallowing to ease the ache. Once she'd collected herself, the fearful woman surveyed where she had ended up. This room was much larger and a bit nicer than the one she had woken up in.
The dull gray of chipped stones was replaced by faded amber tiles, almost brown with a layer of dust covering the floor. A grand window stretched across the far wall of the chamber, the only source of light coming from a nearly full moon that was reaching its zenith in the night sky. Mostly intact chandeliers rocked gently, glasswork delicately dancing around in the moonlight- reflecting dozens of individual beams that cascaded all around her. One of those little glimmers drew her eyes toward another corner.
Mei inhaled a quick gasp when her eye caught sight of a silhouette standing on the far end of the room. The shadowy figure was tall and lanky- an unnerving sight. Mei held her breath, too frightened to move. A chuckle emanated from whatever she was looking at. The fear-stricken woman remained paralyzed, the pace of her heart rate increasing rapidly as the figure turned and began stepping towards her. It made its way into the light that shone through the window, soon to reveal itself.
"Good evenin', Miss Mei."