NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Lonely Road
Series 2 of "Drifting Through The Hell of Earth", series 1 is FREE on kindle unlimited now
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Mo Wen decided to leave the big city and journey alone to Yuehu Temple， located on the border between District 19 and District 17， to uncover the secret of his father’s identity and the reason for his disappearance. He knew the journey would require caution and discretion， so he avoided advanced public transportation and densely populated areas. Occasionally， he hitched a ride along the highway or found a spot on a village ox cart to move a few more miles， but he mostly relied on his own two feet.
The journey had been long and arduous， the wind and frost biting at him as he trudged along dusty roads. Whenever the wind rose， clouds of dust would envelop him， obscuring his face. Days of relentless travel left him no time to care for his appearance. His once-shiny， neatly combed hair now hung in disarray， fluttering in the breeze. The harsh conditions of the road had worn his clothes to tatters and sapped his strength， yet his youthful eyes shone all the brighter.
As the sun dipped below the horizon， his shadow stretched long across the plains， his solitary figure blending with the desolate surroundings. After the sun had set， he crossed a dimly lit border river. The water flowed slowly， reflecting faint glimmers of light. Standing on the riverbank， Mo Wen turned back to gaze at the distant city lights， which twinkled like lonely stars in the night sky. He watched the scene in silence， a slight smile playing on his lips. An invisible barrier seemed to separate him from those lights， placing him in a threshold space between the city and the wilderness. For anyone else in his position， the profound solitude and melancholy might have been overwhelming. But for Mo Wen， it was as if he were admiring a beautiful painting.
Before him lay a dark forest， its dense trees blocking the moonlight， with the eerie howls of nocturnal animals piercing the night. Mo Wen began to feel afraid; the rustling of the leaves sounded like the forest whispering lonely stories. His spine tingled， and the overwhelming silence around him made it feel as though it could swallow him whole. In this desolate place， he felt like the only soul in the world， with no one to share his solitude.
He bowed his head and let out a deep sigh， feeling a sense of helplessness and despair. Mo Wen's heart grew heavy， and his steps became increasingly sluggish. Suddenly， the image of his father appeared in his mind， serving as his motivation to keep going. Despite the fear and loneliness brought on by his surroundings， he knew he had to continue forward.
Mo Wen took out the photo his father had left behind. His father's smile brought him a bit of warmth and solace. He longed to see that smile again but was also afraid of facing the loss it represented. Memories often caused silent tears to fall， leaving his heart feeling anchorless. He tightly held the photo， took a deep breath， wiped away his tears， and looked up again. Though fear and loneliness remained， he knew he couldn't stop his journey.
Humans are creatures of inertia; once stopped， it is hard to start again.
Ahead of him lay a dark forest， its dense trees blocking the moonlight but unable to mask the eerie howls of nocturnal animals. The rustling leaves sounded like the forest's whispers， telling stories of loneliness that chilled his spine. The overwhelming silence around him made it feel as though it could swallow him whole. In this desolate place， he felt like the only soul in the world， with no one to share his solitude.
As night fell， the cold wind on the plains penetrated his clothes. He stuffed some dry grass into his clothes for warmth and curled up in the hollow of a dead tree. Sleep came unbidden until a cold gust woke him. When he opened his eyes， he saw stars scattered across the sky like gems set in the vast darkness. The Milky Way stretched across the sky like a silver ribbon.
He had never seen such a magnificent night sky; he felt as if he had entered a mysterious dream. Against the backdrop of the boundless universe， he felt insignificant， his life fleeting and small. However， this realization did not bring fear; instead， it filled him with deep humility and awe.
Suddenly， he noticed an open space beyond the forest， seemingly housing a structure that emitted a faint orange glow. It had to be a cabin or a remote village， surely offering warm rooms and hot food. Days of hunger and cold prompted him to stomp his feet and head swiftly towards the light， which beckoned him like a lighthouse guiding him home， a glimmer of hope and warmth.
As Mo Wen reached the edge of the woods， he involuntarily paused. Traversing the forest at night was far from a good idea. Yet the light seemed so close， just a short stretch of dark forest away.
Mo Wen’s pace slowed， his heart filled with hesitation. Suddenly， he spotted a white shadow flit past a tree， reappearing not far ahead. His pupils dilated—it looked like Red Rave’s white fox. An old friend， this fox had saved him once before but had vanished afterward. To see it here again was unexpected.
His heart raced， and he shouted， causing the white shadow to pause before darting deeper into the forest.
“Is that really the white fox?”
Unconsciously， he gave chase， the trees flying past him， but the shadow remained at a tantalizing distance.
“White fox， wait for me!”
Mo Wen's heart pounded wildly in his chest， his breaths growing more labored， each inhalation feeling like it was consuming the thin air around him. The forest's silence was shattered by his hurried footsteps， startling the occasional bird or beast.
Suddenly， he felt an icy gaze lock onto him， a bone-chilling coldness seeping through his spine. Mo Wen stopped abruptly， his eyes scanning the area until they landed on a hidden wolf den. The entrance was narrow and concealed by dense shrubs and vines， forming a natural barrier. The entrance exuded a strong， pungent wolf scent that sent shivers down his spine.