As Calvin, Lizzie, and the rest of the team cautiously approached the darker section of the ravine, a sense of dread settled over them. The mist hung heavier here, clinging to their skin and filling the air with an almost suffocating humidity. The sound of their footsteps seemed unnaturally loud, each crunch of the wet forest floor magnified in the unsettling silence.Calvin’s steps slowed, his eyes narrowing as he peered into the gloom. There was something wrong here—he could feel it. And then, as they rounded a bend, the scene unfolded before them.Lizzie gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as her eyes went wide in horror. Before them lay a blood-soaked clearing, the ground slick with dark, congealed pools of blood. Pieces of what had once been human bodies were scattered across the ground, limbs torn apart, entrails strewn across the rocks. The metallic scent of blood hung thick in the air, mingling with the dampness of the ravine.It was a massacre.“Oh my God…” Lizzie whispered,

The ravine’s oppressive silence wrapped around them like a shroud, thick and suffocating. The chill in the air wasn’t just from the damp walls of the gorge, but from the unshakable feeling that something terrible was lurking just beyond the shadows. Each step echoed softly against the cold stone floor, swallowed by the blackness that stretched endlessly ahead.Lizzie’s sudden halt was like a ripple of fear shooting through the group. Her sharp intake of breath made Calvin’s stomach drop, and he turned to her, dread already forming in his chest. The ravine seemed to darken further as if the shadows themselves sensed the tension.“Lizzie, what is it?” Calvin’s voice cut through the silence, low but urgent. His eyes darted between her and the pitch-black surroundings, muscles tense, preparing for whatever threat she sensed.Lizzie stood still, her figure outlined by the faint glow of their lanterns. Her wide, alert eyes stared into the abyss ahead, and she was breathing shallowly, like a

Lizzie cursed under her breath, her steps quick and frantic as they raced back through the shadowed ravine. The thick, oppressive darkness seemed to close in around them, making every sound, every rustle of the rocks beneath their feet, feel amplified. Her pulse hammered in her ears, and every few seconds, she shot Calvin a sharp glare. “You’re insane, you know that?” she hissed, her voice laced with frustration and fear.Calvin didn’t answer. His jaw was set, eyes trained ahead, unyielding. In any other moment, he might have laughed at her remark, maybe even ruffled her hair like the older brother he was, but not now. The weight of the looming danger pressed heavily on him. There was no room for jokes, not with the terrifying sounds of battle growing louder ahead.The distant roars of the creatures mixed with human screams—harsh, guttural cries of desperation that made Lizzie’s skin crawl. It was chaos in the distance, and it was only getting closer. The air smelled of earth and fear

Lizzie, still catching her breath beside him, stiffened as the reality of the situation dawned on her. She shot Calvin a sidelong glance, her face pale but her eyes hardening with resolve. The leader’s hand gripped the pistol tighter, his patience wearing thin.“You saved us,” he continued, his tone a mockery of gratitude. “And I thank you for that. But make no mistake—we’ve come too far, lost too many to leave empty-handed. Show us the way, or…” The cold metal pressed harder against Calvin’s skull, driving the threat home.Calvin swallowed, his mind racing for a solution. He could feel Lizzie tensing beside him, the familiar glow beginning to stir in her eyes again. He needed to keep her calm, keep her from doing anything reckless.“Listen,” Calvin said slowly, his voice low and measured. “You don’t want to do this. We’re not your enemies. We’ve all been through hell together, and there’s no need to make this any worse.”The leader’s chuckle was dark, devoid of any warmth. “Spare me

As they reached a darker, more ominous part of the ravine, the atmosphere thickened with tension. The air was cold, damp, and filled with the faint echoes of water dripping from unseen cracks in the rocks. Calvin slowed his pace, glancing around as if searching for something. Then, he stopped abruptly, his movements deliberate.“This is where we need to stop,” Calvin said calmly, his voice cutting through the uneasy silence. The Han Xin soldiers, weapons still trained on him and Lizzie, exchanged skeptical glances.“Why stop here?” the leader asked, suspicion heavy in his tone.Calvin turned to face him, his expression unreadable but composed. “In order to find the Fountain of Health, I need to meditate. The path ahead is full of dangerous forks and dead ends. If we take the wrong one, we’ll be lost, or worse.”Lizzie shot Calvin a quick look, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it, sensing this was part of his strategy.The leader of the