Death or Survival

Inside a dark and cold dungeon...

"Ji" slowly regained consciousness, his head pounding with pain. As his eyes fluttered open, faint light streamed through cracks in the stone walls, revealing the cold, hard floor where he lay. Beside him, "Levin," the prince, remained unconscious.

Ji (shaking Levin's shoulder): "Get up, Levin! Wake up!"

Levin (weakly opening his eyes): "It's over... We're not getting out of here alive."

Ji looked at him angrily and replied:

Ji: "Don't say that! I won't give up so easily."

Levin: "Can't you see? They've placed a curse barrier in this prison. It blocks our full power."

Ji (surprised): "So that's why I can't use my abilities?!"

Levin: "You can use them... but only for ten minutes. I'll shield you from the barrier's effects for that long."

Ji stared at Levin for a moment, then said firmly:

Ji: "Ten minutes is enough... Now, what's our next move?"

Levin (offering a faint smile and extending his hand): "Let's introduce ourselves properly. I'm Levin Dailorg, prince of the Human Empire. And you?"

Ji (awkwardly, as memories surfaced): "I... I'm Ji, from the Cold Region."

He paused, remembering the moment he was saved.

Ji (quietly): "A girl... A beautiful girl saved me from dying."

Levin (smirking mischievously): "Who's the girl?"

Ji (blushing): "Her name... Her name is Takai."

Levin (grinning): "Do you love her?"

Ji (shouting, embarrassed): "Whaaaaat?! No!! She's just my close friend..."

Levin (teasing): "Are you sure she's not your lover? You don't sound very convincing."

Their conversation was interrupted by a female voice from the opposite cell:

Mysterious Girl: "Who are you two? Are you new here?"

Ji and Levin turned towards the voice. It belonged to a woman in her thirties with long, disheveled gray hair and sharp, intelligent eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

Ji: "Who are you?"

Mysterious Girl: "I'm Zelistina. I ended up here after wandering into the Shadow Forest, hoping to escape and reach the Human Empire."

Ji (nodding): "The same thing happened to me..."

Before anyone could respond, the cell door burst open violently, and a massive black beast appeared, growling in a harsh voice:

Beast: "Get out, now!"

Levin stood frozen, muttering:

Levin: "This is it... We're going to die here."

Ji, Levin, and Zelistina were dragged to a dark hall, where the Beast King awaited them. In the center stood a stone gallows, surrounded by laughing monsters with sinister grins.

Beast King (mockingly): "What a feast we'll have today. Fresh meals for everyone!"

The monsters seized Levin first, dragging him toward the gallows.

Levin (struggling): "No... Let me go!"

Ji screamed furiously as he fought to break free:

Ji: "Leeeeevin!! Let him go!"

The Beast King smirked cruelly and gestured to his minions:

Beast King: "Fine... Leave the prince. Take this boy instead!"

The monsters grabbed Ji, pinning him against the stone gallows despite his violent resistance. Zelistina tried to cast a spell to control the guards, but one of the beasts shocked her with electricity. She collapsed, whispering weakly:

Zelistina: "I'm... sorry... Ji..."

Levin struggled to break free, shouting in desperation:

Levin: "Ji! No!"

The Beast King approached Ji, whose head was locked in place by the gallows, and spoke with mock pity:

Beast King: "So, boy... You'd rather die than see your friends killed? How foolish."

Ji (glaring at him): "Monsters like you deserve to burn in hell!"

The king's expression darkened.

Beast King: "Very well... Cut off his head!"

As the blade began to fall, Ji roared with all his might:

Ji: "I'll kill you... ALL OF YOU!!!"

Just before the blade struck, Ji's body began to transform into a skeletal form. But the guillotine struck first, severing his head.

In a different realm...

Ji opened his eyes to utter darkness, feeling an unsettling sensation. His voice was faint and raspy:

Ji (whispering): "What... is happening... to me?"

He glanced down at his body—or what remained of it. He was now a skeletal form, yet something strange occurred. Black bones began to grow from his spine, moving like tendrils and weaving together to reconnect his severed head to his body. Blue energy, glowing like lightning, pulsed through the dark bones.

Ji let out a muffled cry of pain as the bones pierced through his remaining flesh, locking his head in place with a grotesque but functional bond.

From nearby, Levin and Zelistina stared in shock and fear.

Levin (trembling): "W-What's happening to him?! Is... Is this normal?!"

Zelistina (whispering anxiously): "This isn't ordinary power. There's something deeper inside him. Something dark."

As the bones fully secured his head, Ji stood up slowly, breathing heavily. His head remained slightly tilted, held in place by the black skeletal framework.

Ji (quietly, with simmering rage): "I will not die... Not here."

He took a step forward, a dark force swirling inside him.

Levin (approaching hesitantly): "Ji... Are you okay? Your head... you look... different."

Ji (turning, his glowing blue eyes piercing): "I'm not okay... But I won't stop until they're all dead."

Suddenly, the ground trembled as the Beast King emerged from the rubble, his expression a mix of disbelief and anger.

Beast King (snarling): "Impossible! You still live after I severed your head?! What kind of cursed power is this?!"

Ji clenched his skeletal fist, black claws forming as he growled:

Ji: "A power you'll never understand. I'll show you the price of crossing me."

He charged at the Beast King, his movements faster and more erratic than before. The black bones seemed to enhance his speed and strength. A brutal clash began, shaking the hall as Ji unleashed his fury.

Moments later...

Ji, now an inferno of blue flames and skeletal rage, dealt the final blow. His claws pierced the Beast King's chest, followed by a devastating blue beam that obliterated him.

As the dust settled, Ji collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily. The second blue crystal rolled toward him. He grabbed it with his trembling hand, and "Don" appeared before him.

Ji (weakly): "Don... Is it over?"

Don (calmly): "Not yet. You've pushed your limits, Ji. Those black bones will consume you if I don't intervene."

Don reached out, attempting to stabilize Ji's body, but the black bones refused to fully disappear, leaving faint markings along Ji's neck.

Levin and Zelistina rushed toward Ji, relieved to find him breathing.

Levin (joyfully): "His heart's beating! Ji is alive!"

Zelistina (tearfully): "We'll take care of him... until he's strong again."

Amidst the rubble and fading blue flames, Ji lay unconscious, his skeletal form a reminder of the power—and the cost—he carried.

End of chapter...