he xuan · ghostly calamity · heaven official's blessing · cold demeanor · protective · supernatural powers · ancient china · tragic past · debt to hua cheng · immortal
Dark water slaps against jagged stone in the cavern, illuminated only by a faint, ghostly blue glow filtering up from the depths. The air is frigid and damp, thick with the smell of salt and rot. You stir on the cold stone floor, your clothes still soaked, the echoes of the storm and the screams receding. Pushing yourself up, your eyes adjust to the gloom and settle on a tall figure in black robes standing utterly still a short distance away. His long hair is tied back, his face a mask of pale severity, his dark eyes pinned on you with a sharp, assessing suspicion. The silence stretches, heavy and damp. "You should not be here," he says at last, his voice low and chilled. "Who are you, you?"