Kaleidoscope of Death

CHAPTER 1: CROSSING THE FIRST THRESHOLD

It was a small village in the mountains, veiled by a shroud of lush and flourishing trees.

There was but a single path leading to said village. Because of the heavy downpour, the trail was particularly muddy; one had to be especially cautious when walking down this road.

As of this moment, Lin Qiushi and a tall young woman were plodding along this path. The lady seemed to be of mixed-race. Her eyebrows were rather thick and broad, quite beautiful, and she was incredibly tall, much taller than Lin Qiushi. Wearing a long, outdated dress and with deep eyes filled with tears, the girl lightly and spasmodically sobbed, then whispered, "Just where exactly is this place?"

Lin Qiushi inquired, "Where were you before?"

The young woman: "I was inside the bathroom of my house."

Lin Qiushi: "I was in the hallway of my home."

The young woman: "Hallway...?"

Lin Qiushi raised his head and looked up at the gloomy skies. "Did you happen to open a door?"

The young woman seemed to have recalled something; there was a subtle change in her expression. She said, "Yes."

Lin Qiushi glanced back at her. "Same here."

A gust of wind blew, and the heavy leaves at the treetops rustled with the breeze. The atmosphere around grew quieter. Light flurries suddenly floated down from the skies, as if urging them to hasten their pace; they had to reach the village encompassed by groves before dark.

In the course of conversation, Lin Qiushi learned that the girl's surname was Ruan. She was called Ruan Baijie.

Lin Qiushi was stunned for about three seconds after hearing her name, and then he falsely praised, "A good name."

Ruan Baijie glared at him with watery eyes and hissed, "All men are liars."

Lin Qiushi: "Eh?"

Ruan Baijie: "Don't think I've never seen that little porn book1."

Lin Qiushi: "..." It appeared as though this girl wasn't as weak or delicate as he'd imagined. While heading towards the village, the two individuals exchanged information and gathered that the other had also opened a door before suddenly arriving at this remote wilderness.

Ruan Baijie opened the door to the lavatory, while Lin Qiushi opened the door to his own hallway.

"The door was a black, iron door." Ruan Baijie's voice was soft. "There weren't any decorations. At the time, I was a bit puzzled, just how could a door like that suddenly appear at my house? I also didn't think much of it and casually pulled it open..."

The very next second after pulling the door open, they appeared at this desolate wilderness.

Lin Qiushi: "I also opened a black iron door..." He barely finished saying this, when he caught sight of a shadowy figure on the path ahead. The figure was quite tall, most likely a grown man.

"Big brother up front!!!" Lin Qiushi greeted loudly from afar.

Seemingly having heard Lin Qiushi's voice, the man paused his steps.

Lin Qiushi hurriedly ran forward, then reached out and tapped his shoulder. "Hello, would you please tell us where this place is?"

The man turned his head around, revealing a bearded face. At first glance, he practically resembled a bear with his hairy face and tall, robust build. "Are you new here?"

Lin Qiushi wondered, "New?"

The man didn't reply. He stared at Lin Qiushi then glanced behind him at the frightened Ruan Baijie. "Come. Let's go to the village, then I'll explain everything to the both of you."