Essence "The Finish" 001. (Prologue) Beast Child

"Zzi... gah... gah..."\ What is that thing, scraping the wall with such force!\ This extremely sharp sound, one note after another, like a razor-sharp sickle, seemed ready to slice through the whistling snow wind, ravaging one's eardrums, even the soul!\ In this pitch-dark, damp, and wretched cave, a fissure on the slanted side reveals a glimmer of light, seeming about to freeze, faintly illuminating the edges of the cave—and that is the source of the sharp sound!\ This is a human boy. No, calling him a wild beast would be more accurate!\ Filthy snowwater, mixed with damp soil and the blood-red stench, had completely turned the boy into a savage beast! His long hair, matted and reaching his waist, was so dirty that its original color was unrecognizable, stuck together with thick mud, glued to his back. The roaring winter snow had frozen the boy's bare body, turning it patches of purple and red, even forming several hard lumps. The body heat beneath his skin glowed pinkish-red, seemingly struggling to survive the cold, gradually solidifying.\ And at this moment, this beast-like boy was clawing at the cave wall with his fingernails with brutal force, even carving out glaring streaks of blood. His long, filthy nails were already caked with bloody mud, as if they wanted to cling to some of the beast's hair!\ "Zzi... gii..." The forceful gnashing of teeth released a mist-like hot breath from his mouth. Suddenly,\ the boy turned his head, and his eyes were bright red, like fresh blood! Astonishingly, there was not a hint of emotion, only slaughter! These were truly, a pair of, beast-like eyes!\ "Awo... cough cough..."\ His torn, sore throat could no longer make the smooth, powerful roar of a beast, only harshly venting his own suppressed anger.\ "Hoo..." The cold wind howled even fiercer, sweeping the icy snow in gusts into the cave. The nearly frozen icy water, "tap... tap..." slowly struck each sound, sketching a chilling lament that pierced the heart.\ Huddled in a corner of the cave, curling up against the freezing rock, the boy fell into a deep sleep.\ The freezing wind roared past, and his remaining body heat vanished without a trace.Beneath the bloodstains on the cave walls, what remained were only some still bloody fragments of flesh and bones, and, beside them, an exquisitely crafted green wooden plaque. On it, in strong and vigorous red characters, were written two words:
'Qing Yan.'

The piercing snow had lasted for two days and two nights. When morning light speckled the cave entrance, the snow had already stopped.

"Creak... boom..."

A small figure, accompanied by the breath of the morning, swung along the branches like an ape, weaving through the forest. Wherever it passed, a blanket of silver snow fell. Soon, a vast natural lake appeared before their eyes. A thin layer of ice covered the lake's surface, smooth and beautiful like a mirror, reflecting the winter frost.

"Woo..." A deep beastly growl suddenly rose, a long low moan that sounded like a solemn call, quickly vibrating and spreading across the smooth ice.

A gentle cracking sound of breaking ice was heard. The figure had directly broken through a thin layer of ice, plunging into the icy water. Instantly, a loud splash echoed everywhere, and a joyful, lively atmosphere instantly enveloped this small world.

A long, silent pause...

"Whoosh..." A huge rush of water suddenly surged from the lakebed, breaking a section of the ice. A giant figure shot up, scattering droplets of water in the air. Every drop seemed to be crystal clear, ringing out like 'large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate,' striking the icy surface as if awakening all the life frozen by the winter snow.

It was the boy, gripping tightly onto the twin horns of the crimson dragon, facing the icy winter wind with an excited roar in his throat. Swinging the enormous dragon, the boy radiated an aura completely different from that of a beast—an aura that looked down upon everything, a domineering force capable of destroying the world!

Perhaps this was the boy's unchangeable trait, pride embedded in his blood, and a domineering force emanating from his very marrow!

For a long, long time, as the ice-bound lake was thoroughly melted by the joyful enthusiasm of the boy and the dragon, they finally came to rest facing the cliffs on the other side of the lake.

Gently caressing the frozen rock, the boy lifted his head toward it.His gaze extended straight up along the vertical cliff face, until it was cut off by clouds like fairy mist, and only then did he reluctantly lower his head...\ The boy's eyes were still blood-red, but now all traces of killing had faded, leaving only a strange emptiness. Because he felt something deep in his chest, a sharp pain.\ The boy's memory was blank, forever frozen on a single image:\ That one face, so familiar it could not be more familiar, laughing wildly, recklessly, like a lunatic. Suddenly, his body began to lose its support, falling out of her arms, plunging into this bottomless abyss! In his ears, besides the wind, there was her loud, piercing, heart-wrenching mad laughter! He struggled to reach out his hand, desperately calling out, the name of that person:\ "Mother…………"