Fogs of Punishment

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Rara waited, her anxiety mounting with every passing moment. The old man had been dragged away hours ago, and the silence in her cell felt oppressive. Every creak of the old mansion seemed to echo her growing concern.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Assistant Panda appeared, his imposing figure framed by the dim light of the hallway. Rara looked up, surprised to see him, her heart fluttering with a mix of hope and suspicion.

“Why am I being released?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly. “Did something happen to the old man?”

Assistant Panda’s eyes were cold and unreadable. “You’re coming with me.”

They exited the mansion and approached a sleek black car waiting by the ornate palace gates. Rara’s curiosity was piqued, but Assistant Panda’s impassive demeanor offered no clues. As she glanced out of the car window, the world outside seemed to blur into an indistinct haze.

“We’re going to watch a show,” Assistant Panda said with a hint of irritation in his voice.

Rara’s eyebrows knitted together. “What kind of show?”

Assistant Panda’s lips twitched in a faint, enigmatic smile. “A special one.”

The journey felt interminable, the car winding through narrow roads until they finally reached the edge of a thick forest. The towering trees loomed like dark sentinels as Rara stepped out, the air growing colder and heavier.

She followed Assistant Panda and his two burly subordinates into the forest. The canopy overhead grew denser, casting eerie shadows that danced with the flickering light filtering through the mist.

“Why are we heading into the forest?” Rara asked, her voice echoing with a note of panic. Her footsteps crunched on the underbrush, and she glanced around, trying to make sense of their destination.

Assistant Panda didn’t respond, his focus fixed straight ahead. The deeper they ventured, the thicker the fog became, curling around them like a living entity. The fog was so dense that it seemed to swallow sound, creating an unsettling silence punctuated only by their footsteps.

Rara’s mind raced with dark scenarios. What if they intended to kill her here? The possibilities were grim:

...A shot in the dark?

...Feeding her to wild beasts?

...Burying her in a shallow grave?

...A public execution?

...Hanging her from a tree?

...Sealing her in a coffin?

She glanced back at Assistant Panda and his subordinates, her heart pounding. Desperation gripped her. Without thinking, she lunged and sank her teeth into Assistant Panda’s wrist.

His reaction was immediate and visceral. He howled in pain and fright, trying to wrench her away. “What are you standing there for?! Help me! She’s gone mad! A wild animal!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the forest.

The subordinates rushed to his aid, prying Rara off with surprising ease. Assistant Panda’s wrist was bleeding, and he winced with each movement. He sighed with relief when Rara, exhausted from her struggle, fainted and collapsed onto the forest floor.

“Really, what a bizarre woman,” Assistant Panda muttered as one of his subordinates quickly bandaged his wrist. “Biting people and fainting at the drop of a hat.”

The subordinates hoisted Rara’s limp body and carried her deeper into the forest. The fog grew even thicker, swallowing the trees and turning the path ahead into a swirling, indistinguishable mass.

They eventually emerged into a clearing. The area was a strange contrast to the encroaching fog—a large, open space surrounded by a dense, swirling mist. The fog seemed to pulse with an almost sentient presence, and the air was thick with an ominous chill.

A group had already gathered in the clearing, including Chief Lisun and several of his subordinates. Chief Lisun, a stern man with a commanding presence, observed as Assistant Panda and the subordinates brought Rara forward.

“Chief Lisun,” Assistant Panda said, his voice still tinged with annoyance. “I had to deal with this lunatic. She bit me and then fainted.”

Chief Lisun inspected Assistant Panda’s bandaged wrist, his eyes narrowing. “What happened?”

“Who else would do this but her?” Assistant Panda gestured angrily at Rara, now regaining consciousness. “She bit me and then collapsed. I have no idea what’s wrong with her!”

Chief Lisun shook his head, crouching down to inspect Rara. Without a word, he pinched her nose, causing her to stir.

Rara gasped awake, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. She pushed Chief Lisun away, struggling to stand. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as she looked around, trying to make sense of her surroundings.

“What is this place?” she demanded. “Why am I here?”

Chief Lisun’s expression was grave. “This is the Fogs of Punishment. It’s a place where the most severe offenders are brought to face their fate.”

Rara’s eyes widened in horror. “What do you mean, ‘most severe offenders’? Are you saying I’m going to be punished here?”

Chief Lisun nodded solemnly. “A prisoner who has committed the gravest offenses is tied to the stone in the center of this field. Rituals are performed by those who serve the fog fairies. Then, the fogs of fire, water, earth, and wind emerge from all directions, encircling the prisoner until only dust remains.”

Rara shivered violently, her eyes darting around the clearing, but she saw only the dense fog and the figures of those present.

“Wait, are you saying that I’m the one who’s going to be tied to that stone?” she asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.

Assistant Panda smirked, “You’re lucky it’s not you this time. But who knows? The Fogs of Punishment are unpredictable. You might be chosen.”

“No, this is nonsense! You’re just trying to scare me!” Rara protested, her voice rising with desperation.

Chief Lisun’s tone was firm. “You should consider yourself fortunate that the king and queen allowed you to leave the prison. The Fogs of Punishment, however, are beyond our control. It’s best if you hope you’re not selected.”

Rara’s eyes widened with shock and relief. “The king and queen let me go so easily?”

Assistant Panda scoffed. “Only because the court intervened. Otherwise, you’d be rotting away in the prison.”

Rara’s face hardened with resolve, and she shot a piercing look at Assistant Panda. Her emotions were a turbulent mix of fear and anger.

“Ah! Chief!” Assistant Panda exclaimed, glancing nervously at Rara. “Look at her! She’s going to bite someone again!”

Chief Lisun remained impassive, his gaze fixed on the mist swirling around them. The atmosphere was charged with tension, and the Fogs of Punishment loomed ominously in the background.

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