lives. By noon, I was ready to go and meet the monks, to finally hear why my amulet was responsible for this tragedy.
As I entered the first room I could find, I could immediately sense danger. No monks could be seen, and it was again deathly quiet. Dim as a tomb, cobwebs covered the ceilings, and there was an unmistakable stench of blood. Human blood. Blood flushed to my face as I frantically looked around the room. As my eyes got accustomed to the darkness, I could make out the profile of lying bodies. I walked closer, but I already knew what I would find. My suspicions were confirmed. The 8 monks were all ruthlessly murdered. Spears jutted out of their stomachs, and knives had gashed their upper body, from their temples to their bellies. Seeing that the red blood was still oozing, and the blood had not congealed yet, the shadows must be nearby. They must have attacked while I was reminiscing in the creek. Oh why did I have to be so self-conscious? If it wasn't for that, maybe I could have gotten to the monks. Maybe I could have actually figured out the meaning behind my amulet. The truth to why all these disasters were occurring. At this point, I gave up. Despite all this turmoil I persevered through. All the deaths I witnessed. It was for nothing. The monks were already dead.
Before I had even regained my emotions, four shadows were upon me. Taking me by the neck, they stabbed me again and again in my abdomen. Blood poured out, soaking the clothes of the shadows. Staining the black cloth dark red. Instead of dying, as normal people die, I suddenly felt stronger. I could no longer feel any pain. And instead of the blood pouring out faster, it started to subside. The blood thinned, and the gash healed. I knew what had saved me. It was the protection from my amulet. It provided me with strength at the point where I was going to give up. I knew what I had to do now. As the shadows gazed upon my invigorated body, I seized the nearest sword and swiped the heads off of the four shadows; slicing them in half, as one would slice a salmon. Only four shadows dead. It was now up to me to avenge my family, and the villagers.
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