Zhou’s interest was piqued as he cautiously stepped deeper into the gloomy cave. The air was damp and heavy, carrying the faint, metallic tang of blood. Shadows danced along the walls, cast by the faint glow of moss that clung to the rocks.
He moved silently, every step measured. The cave was lined with ancient statues some cracked and broken, others almost entirely consumed by vines. Their shapes were strange, their faces distorted into snarls or serene smiles, as if frozen mid-expression.
Zhou found it unsettling. And yet, for some reason he couldn’t explain, something deep within him stirred a strange sense of familiarity, like he had walked this path before in another lifetime.
He stopped abruptly.
Before him stood a weathered stone tablet, its surface covered with bizarre inscrip
