The Realm Without Restraint
1026 Words
The moon shone faintly in a sky where stars were scarce.
The bell signaling the end of evening study rang, and students trickled out of their classrooms in small groups, chatting and laughing as they walked into the night. After a whole day of mental strain, this was perhaps their most relaxing time—no homework, no teachers, just a few close friends beside them. Once home, a hot shower and the comfort of bed awaited. What could be better?
Amid the scattered crowd, a group of over a dozen people emerged, moving steadily and in formation toward the school gates. In the center, a boy with his eyes wrapped in black silk was tightly surrounded, like the filling inside a dumpling. Such a large and orderly group instantly drew the attention of nearby students.
"Actually… I can walk home on my own, really," Lin Qiye said with a twitch of his lips, his tone a little helpless. "I can see—just not well in bright light…"
"No need to explain, Lin Qiye!" Jiang Qian interrupted, speaking with righteous determination. "We promised your aunt we'd look after you, and we will keep that promise!"
"Yeah, Qiye, our homes are in the same direction anyway. It's no trouble."
"Same here."
Lin Qiye: …
Honestly, at that moment, he almost wished he was the one being ignored. After so long in the dark, he wasn't used to being fussed over by so many people—it made him uncomfortable. Of course, his aunt and Yang Jin were different. They were family.
Still, their intentions were good, so he couldn't really say anything. He just followed along.
"I turn right at the next intersection, but I can walk with you a bit farther."
"This is where I split off. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
"…"
The farther they got from school, the more classmates drifted away. Within minutes, only five people remained with Lin Qiye. The noisy atmosphere quieted, and the space around him suddenly felt less cramped. He let out a long sigh of relief.
"Do you think… that mist will really return and swallow the whole of Daxia?" Li Yifei asked curiously, glancing over his shoulder.
"Haven't you heard the experts? The chances are low—it might not change for another hundred years. And by then… well, we won't be around, so why worry?" Jiang Qian rolled her eyes.
"Pfft, you know those so-called experts are the least reliable. What if we finally get into university and are just starting to enjoy life, and then the mist swallows Daxia? Wouldn't that be the worst?"
"So that's your excuse for slacking off instead of studying?" Jiang Qian stepped in front of him with a serious look. "Let me remind you—Mr. Wang already said that if you get last place again, you'll have to move your desk to the front of the class."
"Got it, got it," Li Yifei replied sheepishly.
"Well, I don't think the mist will revive," Wang Shao, who had been leading the group, suddenly spoke. "It's just a natural phenomenon. Once it reaches a certain threshold, it fades away—like the Ice Age. When glaciers covered the land, they eventually receded as temperatures rose, ushering in a new era."
"Oh, I've heard of that—it's called the Natural Disaster Theory, right? It's pretty popular now," Jiang Qian nodded.
"But what if… the mist isn't a natural phenomenon?" Lin Qiye spoke for the first time.
Wang Shao paused, then chuckled. "Qiye, you don't actually believe those theologians, do you? The ones who say the mist is linked to supernatural forces?"
"This is the 21st century. We believe in science. There's no such thing as gods and ghosts," Liu Yuan chimed in.
Lin Qiye didn't answer. He knew better than anyone whether there were things beyond science—but there was no need to share that with outsiders.
Li Yifei muttered under his breath, "Honestly, if that stuff really existed, the world would be way more interesting."
"Why waste time on this? It's not our problem. Instead of worrying about mist revival, we should be thinking about sleeping in during the three-day Survival Day holiday," Jiang Qian laughed.
"Yeah, holidays are what really matter!"
…
Meanwhile, in the old district of Cangnan City—
A man was carrying a warning sign down the dim, empty street. The aged streetlights cast dull yellow pools of light, stretching his shadow long across the ground.
He checked his phone, then stopped at the entrance of a narrow alley.
"This is the place…" he murmured, setting the sign upright.
Under the flickering light, the sign's shadow wavered. Against its black background, four blood-red characters stood out vividly—**No Entry Ahead!**
Leaning against the streetlight, the man lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then switched on his earpiece.
"Captain, the third sign is in place."
"Copy. Begin."
"Understood."
Cigarette still between his lips, the man stepped in front of the sign, pressed his thumb against his teeth, and bit down hard.
A bead of blood welled up. Crouching, he smeared a long horizontal line across the four crimson characters with his b****y thumb.
His gaze sharpened, and a strange pressure burst outward from him.
Looking up at the black night sky, he whispered words only he could hear—
"f*******n Ruins… Realm Without Restraint."
At once, the blood mark on the sign faded as if absorbed, and the four red characters flared briefly before returning to normal.
The man slumped to the ground, exhaling deeply.
"Damn… drained again…"
If someone were watching from above Cangnan City, they would see three points of light glowing near the old district. In seconds, they connected into a dark red equilateral triangle.
The moment the triangle closed, half the old district seemed to vanish from the map—yet from the ground, nothing appeared changed.
At the center of the triangle, six black-and-red cloaked figures streaked across the sky like lightning.
The leader looked up at the blood-red heavens, hand gripping the hilt of the blade on his back, eyes narrowing.
"Operation Ghost Mask—begin."
- Writer
