The door was right in front of him.
Yet the young guard stood frozen in terror.
The dilapidated double wooden door had lost half of it, while the remaining panel was barely hanging on. There was no need to push it. One light step would be enough to cross the threshold.
However...
The scene outside the door was no longer the official road they had come from.
It was a Buddhist Hall!
There were no electric lights inside the Buddhist Hall, but it was not dark. He could clearly see the meditation cushions on the floor, the offering table bearing fruit, and the smiling Buddha Statue.
"What's going on..."
He was utterly terrified.
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed several words carved into the nearly fallen Door Panel beside him.
"Do not go outside!"
The four words were crooked, as if they had been gouged out with fingernails.
The marks were very fresh.
They carried an indescribable eeriness.
Who had left them?
The young guard's hands trembled slightly. He instinctively took a step back, looking at the Buddhist Hall that had appeared out of nowhere, then at the words on the door. For a moment, he had no idea what to do.
Just then.
An unusual sound came from behind him.
"Scrape! Scrape! Scrape!"
"Scrape! Scrape! Scrape!"
The sound was very faint, as if someone were rubbing the ground with the soles of their shoes.
"Who's there?"
He whipped around.
In the darkness.
There was nothing.
But the sound continued, gradually coming from all directions.
Scrape, scrape, scrape!
Scrape, scrape, scrape!
The sound grew closer and clearer.
"Damn it!"
"Who the hell is it?"
"Come out!"
Gripping the saber at his waist, he shouted loudly, though his voice lacked confidence, "If you've got the guts, come