Tomb Wars: The Rewritten Destiny - Fanfiction Edition
Chapter Zero: Flashback – The Tomb of the Sea's Aftermath
The evening air was thick with the weight of disappointment. Li Cu stood frozen in the doorway of his home, his father's voice cutting into him like a blade.
"You think you can just disappear for days, Li Cu? You've been gone for weeks! Where were you? What have you done?"
Li Cu's hands clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. His mind was still lost in the darkness of the Tomb of the Sea, in the nightmares that had followed him out of it. The grotesque carvings, the suffocating closeness of the underwater tomb, the chilling whispers he couldn't quite decipher – they clung to him like a second skin. But his father didn't care about that. His father never cared about what Li Cu had been through—only about what he had failed to be.
"You think you can just go around and uncover ancient relics like you're some kind of hero?" His father's voice rose, filled with anger and something worse—disappointment. "Look at you. You're a mess, Li Cu. A mess I don't know how to fix."
Li Cu tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it only grew heavier. He had always felt the distance between them, the gap that no amount of effort on his part could ever close. But now, after everything he had endured in that terrifying tomb, it felt impossibly vast. He had faced death, stared into the abyss, and returned… only to be met with this familiar, crushing disapproval.
"I didn't ask for this," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. The words felt weak, inadequate against the storm of his father's fury.
His father's eyes darkened, a dangerous glint in their depths. "What did you say?"
Li Cu shook his head, biting down on his lip to keep it from trembling. But it was too late—his carefully constructed walls had fractured. His emotions, raw and exposed from the trauma of Gutongjing, cracked wide open. His father wasn't going to listen. He never did.
His vision blurred as he turned sharply on his heel, rushing to the cramped confines of his room. He yanked open his worn duffel bag and stuffed it haphazardly with clothes, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His chest ached with a familiar hollowness, his hands shook uncontrollably, but he couldn't stay here. Not another second under that oppressive weight.
Throwing the strap of his bag over his shoulder, he bolted. The slam of his bedroom door echoed the finality of his decision.
He didn't know when the tears started falling, only that the night air was cold and sharp against his wet cheeks as he sprinted down the dimly lit streets. Each footfall was a desperate attempt to outrun the suffocating atmosphere of his home. His legs burned, his lungs ached, but he didn't stop. He ran past shuttered shops casting long, eerie shadows, and quiet alleyways that seemed to whisper his failures back to him. His mind screamed a single, desperate command: get away.
By the time he reached Su Wan's familiar doorstep, his heart was pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He hesitated for only a moment, his hand hovering over the worn paint of the door, before knocking—once, twice—a silent plea in the quiet night. The door swung open almost immediately, revealing Su Wan's concerned face.
Su Wan blinked at him, startled by his disheveled appearance. "Li Cu?"
Li Cu couldn't trust himself to speak. His breath hitched in his throat, a strangled sob escaping his lips. His body trembled violently as he looked at his best friend, the one constant in his chaotic life, the only person who had ever truly seen him, understood him without judgment.
"Can I stay here?" he finally choked out, the words thick with unshed tears and years of unspoken pain.
Su Wan didn't ask any questions. His usual bright demeanor was replaced with a quiet understanding. He simply stepped aside and opened the door wider, a silent invitation into the warmth and safety of his small apartment. "Yeah. Come in."
Li Cu stumbled inside, the familiar scent of old books and strong tea a small balm to his wounded spirit. He stood in the small entryway, the weight of his father's words, the trauma of the tomb, and the sheer exhaustion of his escape finally crashing down on him. His shoulders began to shake, and the dam finally broke. Tears streamed down his face, silent and raw, each one a testament to the years of unspoken hurt.
Su Wan didn't say anything. He simply stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Li Cu, holding him tightly. Li Cu clung to him, burying his face in Su Wan's shoulder, the sobs wracking his body. In that moment, amidst the vast uncaring galaxy and the echoes of a terrifying tomb, Li Cu found a small, fragile anchor in the unwavering presence of his best friend. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he could breathe.
Author's Notes for Chapter Zero (Fanfiction Edition):
Hey fellow adventurers! Welcome to my little corner of the fanfic universe where the gritty world of Daomu Biji crashes headfirst into the epic saga of Star Wars, with a sprinkle of Yu-Gi-Oh! magic waiting in the wings. This opening chapter is all about setting the stage for Li Cu's emotional journey after the harrowing events of Gutongjing. We needed to see the push factor that sends him seeking answers and a new path.
The timeline is deliberately set against the backdrop of the Rebel victory at Endor, creating an interesting contrast between galactic hope and personal turmoil. Li Cu's age (born March 31st, 1996) helps ground him within this specific Star Wars era. The Yu-Gi-Oh! elements will make their grand entrance later, so keep your duel disks ready!
Looking ahead to Chapter One: Fast forward to January 12th, 2016. Years have passed, and Li Cu finds himself unexpectedly drawn back into the world of ancient mysteries, where whispers of Duel Spirits.
Thanks for diving in! Your comments and thoughts are always welcome. Let's see where this crazy crossover takes us!