Illusion

(Here's the third update, three thousand words! Thanks again to Zombie Turtle Immortal for the tip and the update tickets! I'm writing, I'm writing, I'm writing-writing-writing, I'm a happy little writer! Sob, my fingers are sore! Sixue is rolling around begging for recommendations. I'm going all out today, working on a fourth update and aiming for twelve thousand words!)

The campfire in the cave still crackled, but the temperature had dropped by an uncanny degree!

Bei'er burrowed closer against Er Dongsheng's chest and smacked her little lips. She felt cold!

Little Lulu tucked her head completely beneath the fur blanket, mumbling as though she were talking in her sleep.

No one saw the Soul-Luring Grass set off to one side suddenly flare with intense blue-black light. It shone across Er Dongsheng's face as he sat cross-legged nearby, making him look eerily frightening!

His face was pale, his features twisted, as though he were dreaming of something...

Endless pain, endless darkness. He reached for that tiny glimmer of light, only to fail again and again!

Heaven and earth turned upside down. Time rushed past. His mind was a sea of chaos, as though something were churning through his brain!

Then, all at once, he seemed to wake.

"Where am I?" His head still swam. He narrowed his eyes slightly, looking as though he had just woken from sleep!

Boundless white light swept over him, dazzling yet strangely warm! A confused buzz filled his ears, perhaps a jumble of footsteps. Someone seemed to be calling out again and again!

Thump!

A sudden pain struck his head. Er Dongsheng opened his eyes fully and looked around!

This was...

Sunlight poured over the earth, streaming through the crack beneath the door and the clear glass of the windows! Waves of warmth washed over