You, the apocalypse and me! [YiZhan FF] Fantasy

Chapter 41 - The Creepy Tunnel

After a series of silly and mostly pointless ideas on how to get our equipment back, we lay on our hay beds and tried to sleep. After all, we had no new or at least minimally useful ideas to discuss, and there was nothing else we could do.

Yibo and I were lying quite close to the door, still talking quietly. I had my head on his shoulder and he had both arms around my body. Every now and then he stroked my cheek, kissed me and told me how much he wished we were alone because he had naughty things in mind with me.

We giggled quietly and at some point I pulled Yibo to me and he was lying on top of me when we heard a rustling sound. We immediately looked around and thought it might be a mouse or worse, a rat. But it wasn't. We actually saw nothing more than a shadow. A huge shadow that was bent over Cheng and Haikuan.

Yibo and I held our breath. Was this really happening? Or were we just imagining it? What was it? When Cheng apparently sensed that something was there, he opened his eyes and was about to scream in terror again when he saw the shadow. But the shadow thrust out its arm and held its hand over Cheng's mouth to stop him from screaming.

Cheng fidgeted, Haikuan froze, and He Peng sat in his corner of the room with his eyes wide open, staring just like Yibo and me at that shadow creature. It slowly released its hand from Cheng's mouth and appeared in front of He Peng the next moment. It swayed its head back and forth a few times and then came to Yibo and me.

The shadow knelt in front of Yibo and me. I raised my hand and wanted to touch the shadow, but the shadow backed away. I said, "Sorry. Are you afraid of us? Who are you?"

"Afraid of us? Are you crazy? This thing is a giant shadow. If anyone should be afraid, it's us!" Grumbled Cheng.

The shadow backed away further and seemed to cover its ears. "Be quiet." Said Yibo and said to the shadow, "He won't be so loud anymore. Can you communicate with us? Can you speak?"

A soft voice rang out. "I won't hurt you."

"Okay. Who are you and why are you here?" Asked Yibo. Apparently the shadow trusted Yibo and it responded to Yibo.

"My name?" Asked the shadow.

Yibo: "Yes, what is your name?"

Shadow: "Ian."

Yibo: "Hi Ian. I'm Yibo. My partner is Zhan. Over there that's He Peng, Cheng and Haikuan."

Shadow: "I know. You are friends of my master."

Me: "Who is your master?"

Shadow: "King Bac. He is my master."

Yibo: "Bac? And where is your master?"

Shadow: "He has important things to do. Zhan?"

Me: "Yes?"

Shadow: "You are my master too."

Me: "I am your master? But how? And why?"

Shadow: "I'm here to watch over you and help you."

Yibo: "Help with what?"

Shadow: "To escape!"

Me: "Bac wants you to help me or us escape?"

Shadow: "My master said to take care of Zhan. Put him and the others out of danger."

Yibo: "So he knows where we are?"

Shadow: "He knows. He sees everything Zhan sees. Hears everything Zhan hears. Feels everything Zhan feels."

Yibo: "That's um, well. Zhan is my mate and that sounds kind of..."

Shadow: "He sees, hears and feels you too." The shadow pointed first at Yibo and then at He Peng. "You are connected to him. Forever. A bond that cannot be broken."