The cold stone slabs hurt my spine.
Su Wang opened his eyes and saw the blood-red moonlight leaking from the hole in the dome of the stone palace, shining on a circle of twisted runes around it. The air was filled with the sweet smell of rust and rot.
"Are you awake?" The voice exploded directly in his mind, like rusty gears turning in his skull.
He pushed himself up and saw the wriggling black shadow in the center of the altar. There was no shape, just pure, sickening presence. At the edge of the altar, three corpses dressed in black robes knelt in strange postures, with neat cuts on their necks - those were his own masterpieces, although the memory still retained a tearing pain.
