The next morning, the oasis remained as tranquil as ever. The sun cast golden rays over the water, making the surface shimmer like liquid sapphire. The gentle breeze rustled the palm trees, sending soft ripples across the crystal-clear lake. It was a paradise, untouched and eternal.
Xin stretched his arms, breathing in the warm, refreshing air. His muscles were sore from climbing the rocky outcrop the day before, but beyond that, everything seemed… normal. Belial was still asleep beneath the tree, Raven sat by the water, and the world remained blissfully undisturbed.
Except it wasn't normal.
It was though?
Xin exhaled slowly, trying to push the growing unease from his mind. He had spent the night telling himself it was nothing—just a trick of the light, a scrape from the rocks he hadn't noticed before. But that excuse no longer held weight. The numbers didn't add up.
Still, he couldn't deny that he was enjoying himself here. There was an undeniable peace about this place, like it had swallowed all of their worries, all of their struggles, and replaced them with something lighter.
Even Raven, who was always wound tight and watchful, had changed. He still wasn't what Xin would call relaxed, but there was an unfamiliar calm about him. He sat near the edge of the water, absently running his fingers through the ripples, staring into the reflective surface as if searching for something just beneath.
Belial, on the other hand, was sleeping too much.
He had always been lazy, prone to napping whenever given the chance, but this was something else. He hadn't moved from beneath the tree since yesterday. Even now, his chest rose and fell steadily, his expression eerily peaceful. Almost too peaceful.
Xin frowned, looking at his two companions. He knew they were supposed to be doing something. Something important.
But what?
He pushed the thought away. It didn't matter. Not yet.
Instead, he decided to explore again. Maybe it was just restlessness. Maybe it was something else. Either way, he found himself retracing his steps from yesterday, wandering beyond the lush greenery and back into the dry, cracked terrain surrounding the oasis.
The contrast was striking. Behind him, paradise. Before him, wasteland.
Everything beyond the water's reach was lifeless, barren, stretching endlessly in all directions. And yet, the moment he turned around, there it was—this impossible miracle, this sanctuary carved into ruin.
He climbed the rocky outcrop again, ignoring the dull ache in his limbs. The stones were dry and crumbling, brittle beneath his touch. It wasn't a particularly steep climb, but every step felt strangely heavy.
Like something didn't want him to reach the top.
When he finally pulled himself up onto the ledge, he took a deep breath, wiping sweat from his brow. From here, the oasis was even more surreal.
A perfect circle.
The trees, the water, the grass—it all ended at the exact same point, as if someone had drawn a boundary around it with a divine hand. The transition was unnatural. The grass didn't thin out, the trees didn't fade. They stopped. Completely.
His stomach twisted.
Then, his foot slipped.
Before he could react, the ground beneath him gave way, and he tumbled down the rocky slope. The world spun—sharp stones scraped against his arms and legs, dust and debris clouding his vision. His body hit the ground with a painful thud.
For a long moment, he just lay there, dazed. His breath came in uneven gasps, his limbs throbbing from the fall. He groaned, pushing himself up onto his elbows.
Then, his eyes flickered down to his leg—and his blood turned cold. Cuts, They were real—some of them older, some fresh.
And Not just a few.
Many.
Eighty seven in fact.**
His pulse pounded in his ears as he counted. His hands trembled as he traced the lines, his fingertips brushing over both fresh wounds and old scars. They layered over each other like echoes from a past he didn't remember.
His breathing quickened. He scrambled to his feet, his mind racing.
This wasn't right.
Something was wrong.
He turned and ran.
Back at the oasis, Xin stormed toward his companions. The moment he entered the cool shade of the trees, it was as if the air itself became heavier, pressing down on him, urging him to forget.
But he wouldn't.
He wouldn't let himself.
"Raven," he called, his voice sharp. "Something is wrong."
Raven barely reacted. He glanced at Xin, then back at the water, his fingers still swirling slow patterns across the surface.
Belial didn't even stir.
Xin clenched his fists. "Are you even listening? This place isn't normal. It's—" He hesitated, searching for the right words. "I found more cuts. Sixty-one. They weren't there before. I didn't get hurt. They just… appeared."
Raven blinked slowly, tilting his head. "You're overthinking."
Overthinking?
Xin's chest tightened. "No. I know what I saw. This place—it's messing with us."
"It's fine," Raven said, voice eerily calm. "You should stop worrying."
Xin's skin crawled.
Belial was too still. Raven was too calm.
And for the first time since arriving, Xin realized he couldn't remember how long they'd been here.
A day? A week? A month?
His breath hitched. What were they supposed to be doing?
There had been a purpose. A reason they were traveling through the Black Country. But now, it felt like a distant dream, slipping further and further away the more he reached for it.
He turned in a slow circle, taking in the oasis—the impossibly perfect trees, the glassy water, the warm, inviting light filtering through the leaves.
It felt like home.
No.
It wasn't.
It was an oasis in a hellscape. It was a trap.
And yet…
He wanted to stay.
A safe haven. A place untouched by pain, by struggle, by the endless fight for survival.
Would it really be so bad to let go?
Xin gritted his teeth, shaking his head violently. No. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.
"We need to leave," he said, his voice hoarse.
Raven's expression didn't change. "Why?"
Xin stared at him. "Because if we don't, I don't think we ever will."
He grabbed Belial's arm, shaking him roughly. "Wake up."
Nothing.
His heartbeat quickened.
"Bel!"
Belial's eyelids fluttered slightly, but he didn't wake. His breathing was slow, too slow.
Xin turned back to Raven. "Help me."
Raven finally looked up, his golden eyes too empty.
For the first time since arriving, Xin felt something deep and terrible stir in his gut.
Because in that moment, he wasn't sure if Raven was still Raven.
Are you stupid of something?
Xin's hands trembled as he stepped back from Raven, his mind racing. The oasis, once a sanctuary, now felt like a prison. The beauty of it was suffocating, the serenity a mask for something far darker. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched—not by anything visible, but by the very air itself, the trees, the water.
"Raven," Xin said again, his voice low and urgent. "We can't stay here. This place… it's not what it seems."
Raven tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid," Xin snapped, though the lie was evident in his voice. "I'm being cautious. Something's wrong. Can't you feel it?"
Raven's gaze drifted back to the water, his fingers trailing through the surface once more. "I feel… peace. Isn't that what we've been fighting for?"
Xin's stomach churned. This wasn't Raven. Not really. The Raven he knew would never let his guard down like this. He would never ignore the signs, no matter how subtle.
"This isn't peace," Xin said, his voice rising. "It's an illusion. A trap. And if we don't leave now, we'll never make it out."
Raven didn't respond. His silence was more unnerving than any argument.
Xin turned back to Belial, desperation clawing at his chest. He knelt beside the sleeping figure, shaking him harder this time. "Belial, wake up! We have to go!"
Belial's eyes fluttered open, but they were clouded, unfocused. He mumbled something incoherent, his voice thick with sleep.
"Bel, please," Xin pleaded. "You have to fight this. Whatever this place is doing to you, you have to fight it."
Belial's gaze settled on Xin, but there was no recognition in his eyes. Just a hollow, empty stare.
Xin's heart sank. He looked back at Raven, who was still sitting by the water, his expression serene, his movements slow and deliberate.
"Raven," Xin said, his voice breaking. "Please. You have to remember. We have a mission. We can't stay here."
Raven's lips curved into a faint smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Why not?"
Xin felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He didn't know how to make them understand. He didn't even know if they could understand. The oasis had them in its grip, and he was the only one who could see it.
But he couldn't leave them behind.
He wouldn't.
Taking a deep breath, Xin straightened. If they wouldn't listen, he would have to make them. He grabbed Belial's arm, slinging it over his shoulder, and hauled him to his feet. Belial groaned, his body limp and uncooperative, but Xin didn't let go.
"Raven," Xin said, his voice firm. "We're leaving. Now."
Raven didn't move.
Xin's jaw tightened. He adjusted his grip on Belial and started walking, dragging his companion toward the edge of the oasis. Every step felt like a battle, the air growing heavier, the trees seeming to close in around him.
But he didn't stop.
He couldn't.
As he reached the boundary between the oasis and the wasteland, he glanced back one last time. Raven was still sitting by the water, his reflection rippling in the surface.
And in that moment, Xin knew.
If he didn't leave now, he never would.
With a final, determined breath, he stepped across the threshold, dragging Belial with him.
The moment his feet touched the cracked, barren earth, the weight lifted. The air was hot and dry, the sun harsh and unrelenting. But it was real.
And so was he.
Behind him, the oasis shimmered, its beauty fading into the distance.
But Xin didn't look back.
He couldn't.
Because somewhere, deep in his mind, the whisper lingered:
You're clearly retarded, Youve done this before.