Wu Xie

What wake up Wu Xie was not the discomfort of sleeping over a hard surface while tightly hugged by a handsome mysterious man, but the rampage of thunders over the distance that seems to penetrate his mind even on his dreams. The sky was still dark, which only intensify the eerie feeling as he saw the flashes over the dark clouds, even from where he was laying with Xiaoge beside him.

His head was already in pain and he was a bit dizzy for it, waking up to something that he didn't remember, yet the noise was killing him. The roar of the lighting storm was something hard to ignore and he could understand now why it was so dangerous, not only by the endless lighting from the storm, but also for the effect of the sound on the mind.

Yes, he could see now why it was a place tied with hallucinations, because to be honest he wasn't even there and he already was experiencing hell right inside his head and not only that, he could also swear he could feel something coming, dark and ominous like the storm itself, making him shudder to the bone.

He moved closer to Xioage, trying to bury his aching head on his chest and gaining some extra heat as well or at least a sense of security. The man by his side reacted in return, adjusting himself to make Wu Xie more comfortable and hug him back quite gently. It was a sweet thing for him to do, but Wu Xie was in no mood to truly appreciate the kind gesture, when he was in pain and overloaded with things he didn't understand.

Xiaoge however, had been watching Wu Xie sleep for around an hour at that point. He had wake up when Wu Xie begin to mumble things on his sleep, calling his name over and over while mumbling something about a bronze door and been chosen by him. He had also dream with Wu Xie that night, although his dream was a bit different. In his dream, there were not in front of the bronze door, but inside it, which meant that Wu Xie was indeed chosen to be a guardian, however it felt different than the others... very different, as if Wu Xie's existence was somewhat special, even among them and what Wu Xie told him was not what he had whisper to Qiling on his sleep.

It had been a chilling 'I hate you', while he screamed in pain over a cold stone platform, as his body was cover with the same bluish Qilin's fire that he had experience that night, but ten times worst and he was completely unable to help him at all.

That alone had disturbed Qiling's sleep and he was no longer able to get back to his previous slumber. The last thing Qiling wanted was for Wu Xie to hate him, not only because he had been a mysterious part of his nights for years, but also because he kind of like him. Wu Xie was indeed innocent in many ways, which was on itself a contradiction of his own existence, which was perhaps the reason why he was so drawn to him and wanted to genuinely protect him with the best of his ability.

As he had ponder on to why the Wu Xie on his dreams hate him, he saw that the real Wu Xie safely on his arms was equally restless until he seems to wake up quite troubled or in some kind of pain. Did he had a nightmare too, or was he awake by his presence, as he had never let go of Wu Xie since they lay down on the cold floor. Perhaps in his own nightmare he had disturbed Wu Xie's sleep or even pass it on to him, as they seem to be strangely connected somehow.

"Wu Xie... did I wake you?" The voice talking to Wu Xie was very soft and even caring, but Wu Xie was too sensitive to the noise at that moment that even a barely whisper make him frown in pain and bury his head deeper into Xiaoge's chest. It was an improper thing to do, even when Xiaoge was holding him, mostly because he was pretty much imposing himself into the other man.

One thing was for Xiaoge to holding him during the night, perhaps wanting to keep him warm, as he seems to care for him that much, but another was for Wu Xie to press in their contact into a more intimate one, even when he was only trying to find comfort.

"No... It's that storm... is giving me a headache. Why is it so loud even from this distance? Are the others awake too?" Wu Xie asked in a whisper, still with his eyes closed.

"No, we are the only ones awake." Xiaoge answer and Wu Xie moved his head up to look at him seriously.

"Huh? You have to be kidding me, right? I get Pangzi sleep like a log, but Xiao Hua at least is sensitive to noise and is so loud out there..." Wu Xie whisper and then it was Xiaoge's turn to frown. Yes, he had been awaken for a while now, but so far he had not been disturbed by the thunderstorm in the distance. Actually, aside from some flashed in the night sky, there was nothing else to disturb the peace of their resting place.

"Wu Xie, it's not loud... just a bit flashy." Xioage told him a bit concerned and even more so when Wu Xie looked at him with confusion. Was he hallucinating already?

"Xiaoge... can't you hear the sound? I mean not only the thunders, but like the roar of some beast... a dragon, like my grandfather call it." Wu Xie asked and Xiaoge closed his eyes to concentrate. He was not going to lie to Wu Xie, so he really did make an effort but didn't hear the same thing Wu Xie was describing, just far away thunders.

"Sorry... the only thing I hear are distant thunders." Xiaoge answer.

"What about feeling something wicked coming closer?" Wu Xie asked again.

"Wicked?" Xiaoge asked quite surprised.

"Yeah, like a dark presence... something that reeks of an ominous something I can place it, sinister even..." Wu Xie try to explain and Xiaoge this time was quite alarmed.

"How far?" Xiaoge asked.

"Several miles away, I guess." Wu Xie answer absent minded, rubbing his aching forehead.

"In which direction?" Xioage insisted.

"North? It seems to come from the storm... maybe that's why is so loud?" Wu Xie said pretty much questioning himself more than to answering Xiaoge.

"Oh no..." Qiling whisper and gently pushed Wu Xie away so he could sit. Wu Xie was going to protest, for been back into the hard stone floor, but after seen Xiaoge's dead serious expression he swallow his complain.

Wu Xie watched Qiling get up in a hurry and walk to the border of the ruins they were in that was facing the storm, then close his eyes and extend his arms, like he was trying to expand something he could not see, yet feel. Wu Xie was sure that Zhang Qiling was releasing a kind of strange energy in waves that seems to go through him and out into the vast desert, as if probing something out of that place.

"Xiaoge?" Wu Xie whisper, but Qiling simply ignored him while still standing there like a mysterious dark god defying the night. Soon after Qiling started 'searching', Wu Xie heard steps coming up in a hurry that end up belonging to Hei Xiazi in the flesh.

"Yaba Zhang, was that you? Are they coming?" Xiazi asked out of the blue and Qiling turned to look at him expressionless as usual.

"Yes." Qiling answer coolly.

"What's coming?" Wu Xie asked alarmed and this time, Qiling's gaze fell over him almost like he was scanning him from head to toes as well.

"You should know that, why asking me?" Qiling whisper to Wu Xie who looked at him a bit flustered.

"Huh? What? Just how should I know? Don't make fun of me, I'm not feeling well right now." Wu Xie said as he stood and was about to walk down when Qiling get a hold on his arm.

"Don't go down, they are coming. You will be safer here." Qiling told him and Wu Xie moved away from him, now angry.

"Safer from what? Ants? Oversized lizards? Sandstorms? Or is it the turn of the desert corpse eating beetles now?" Wu Xie asked in exasperation.

"Did he really knows?" Xiazi asked curiously.

"Yes, he sense them way before me." Qiling answer and Hei Xiazi faced the fuming Wu Xie.

"Actually none of them, young man. This desert is not that simply, as you should know from your grandfather's notes. What is coming is far worse than all those things combined and if Zhang Qiling said you know of them, then you should think harder about your own existence. Yes, you are been chosen and know I know why. I will set a barrier into the camp, you deal with Wu Xie and hell... tell him something about us, because want it or not he is in our boat now." Xiazi said before he headed down the stairs to reach the camp. Leaving the both of them on their own once more.

"Xiaoge what..."

"Wu Xie didn't you told me before that something wicked was coming?" Qiling interrupted him.

"Yeah..."

"Then what do you think it is?" Qiling asked again.

"That I don't know... something bad, I guess. Come on, just tell me already." Wu Xie said impatiently. His head was now throbbing more painfully than before.

"Demons... demons are coming from the storm, just like you sensed them... and they are heading this way." Qiling answer him, which only make Wu Xie wide his eyes in shock and felt like a lighting had stroke him in the spot, his head now hurting so badly that he could feel the coming void even before his vision turned black and his body give up on him, falling into Xiaoge's strong arms before hitting the floor.

He drifted into his unconsciousness and just like he had before in his dream, he found himself standing in front of a huge bronze door that was perhaps inside a tomb. However, there was no Xiaoge next to him to either guide him or protect him from the dangers that lurked around such a strange place that even irradiate strong power.

He was left there to his own mercy while several beast-like creatures moved to get closer to him with bloodlust reeking out of their fouls bodies. As he looked around there was really no way out of his sudden predicament, so he moved backwards which was the only place free of danger even when power was pulsating from behind the door. At the end he was only left with the feeling that he was going to be cornered by the beasts and be killed without him even knowing why was he there to begin with.

However, as he started to panic and retreat toward the door, he suddenly heard Xiaoge's voice calling him from behind the bronze door and when he turned to look, he was even more surprised that the huge thing that had been closed before had actually now... open.

AN: Thanks for reading, it going to get interesting next. Take care dear readers.