The pair strode further and further, trudging through the tall grass until they found themselves approaching a wide clearing.

Liu dragged Jian Li back towards a tree before turning around, as though expecting danger.

"Do you see anyone?" Jian Li whispered.

Liu stared at the sky before answering.

"No, but something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Jian Li asked, looking up.

The sky was blue and clear, with very few clouds present. There was not a single bird or animal in sight either.

"The sky is too peaceful and the grass is too neat. It doesn't feel real." Liu replied, frowning.

Jian Li blinked in confusion, not quite sure how to answer that.

"Maybe you're just imagining things?" Jian Li answered.

"Maybe... We should stay alert." Liu answered, looking up and down the clearing.

Jian Li nodded and followed Liu further into the clearing.

After walking for a short time, Jian Li's foot suddenly caught on a root, causing her to trip and fall flat on her face.

"Ugh..." Jian Li muttered, lifting her head. She felt a sharp pain in her knee as she rubbed at the injured area.

"Are you alright?" Liu asked, offering her hand.

Jian Li took it and pulled herself up with Liu's help.

"I'm fine. Just feeling a little weak from earlier." Jian Li answered, giving Liu a weak smile.

Liu's expression softened as she nodded, letting out a small sigh of relief.

"Well, let's keep moving then. The sooner we can find shelter, the better." Liu said, brushing off the dirt from her clothes.

Jian Li nodded and followed her, continuing their journey.

But as the hours went on, things started to change.

The scenery began to transform around them. The trees became taller and more densely packed together, blocking out most of the sun's rays. The ground beneath their feet grew darker and wetter, almost like a swamp.

Jian Li frowned as she felt a chill run down her spine. She turned to look at Liu, who was already staring at her with a troubled look on her face.

"This place feels... odd," Liu said, wrinkling her nose.

Jian Li nodded in agreement.

"But there really is nowhere else for us to go." Jian Li replied, taking a step forward.

They walked for a few more minutes in silence, the only sound being the sound of their shoes as they stepped through the muddy ground.

Suddenly, Jian Li tripped over a large branch that lay in her path. She stumbled and fell forward, landing face-first in the mud. She pushed herself up and looked down at her dirty clothes with a frown.

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"This place seems to get worse the deeper we go in!" Liu exclaimed, running over to Jian Li's side.

Jian Li nodded in agreement before standing up.

However, as she stood, the world around her began to shimmer.

Jian Li could see a thin layer of what looked like mist surrounding her whole body, as though she was in a bubble.

"What's happening?" Jian Li asked Liu, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Liu looked at her with a concerned expression.

"I... I don't know," Liu answered, her gaze darting around the forest nervously.

Jian Li began to feel uneasy, as though something was wrong with her body.

She looked down at her hands to see that they were starting to disappear, fading away into nothingness.

"Liu..." Jian Li spoke up, feeling afraid. "What's going on?"

She tried to reach out for Liu's hand but her hand passed through Liu's arm as though she were a ghost.

"We need to get out of here!" Liu exclaimed.

Jian Li was beginning to feel frantic. She knew that something wasn't right but didn't know what to do. She reached out again but her hand phased through Liu once more.

"Liu!" Jian Li screamed as she collapsed to her knees.

The last thing she saw was Liu's tearful expression before the world turned black around her.

_______________

A gentle breeze blew through her hair, bringing a sweet aroma with it, she was lying on a soft patch of grass.

Jian Li opened her eyes slowly and looked around. It was so quiet. She saw a bright red flower swaying in the light breeze, its petals fluttering gently.

"How beautiful..." She murmured.

Jian Li sat up and looked around, wondering where she was. She was in a place much like the clearing they had just been travelling in, just more vibrant.

However, she was not alone in the clearing.

A beautiful woman with long, flowing black hair stood near a tree with her back to her. She was dressed in a long white dress which looked like it was made of silk, and she carried a long-stemmed rose in her hands.

She was ethereal and otherworldly as she looked over her shoulder, meeting Jian Li's gaze with eyes as black as coal. She gave her a kind smile.

"Hello. Are you lost?" The woman said in a gentle voice.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Yes... Hello," Jian Li managed to answer with a shaky voice.

"You are quite brave to come here alone," the woman replied. "How did you get here?"

"Um..." Jian Li stammered, not sure how to explain what had happened.

"Well, I was-"

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out behind her.

"Li! Are you okay?!"

Liu appeared from behind the trees and ran towards her, concern written on her face.

"Yes, I'm okay." Jian Li replied. "What happened? How did I get here? The last thing I remember was..."

Liu's expression darkened as she spoke.

"I don't really know what happened. All I remember was that we were walking and then suddenly... we were here." Liu replied, her eyes drifting towards the lady in white.

Jian Li frowned, feeling a sense of unease in her chest. She didn't know what was going on either.

"We need to get out of here," Jian Li said firmly, turning to face the woman.

The woman smiled softly. "I will take you to safety."

"Thank-" Jian Li started, but before she could say anything else, the woman vanished into thin air.

Jian Li stared in shock at the spot where she once stood, blinking several times as she processed what just happened.

"Did she just...?" Jian Li whispered, her eyes wide.

"Who was she?" Liu asked, looking back at Jian Li with concern on her face.

"I..." Jian Li began before trailing off, not knowing what else to say.

"She..."

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew past her, rustling through her hair. Jian Li shivered, feeling a slight chill in the air as she watched the wind dance through the forest.

A few moments later, she felt the soft touch of a gentle hand on her shoulder.

But nobody was there.

"Follow me," the woman's voice said in her mind, causing goosebumps to appear on Jian Li's neck.

At the same time, Liu and Jian Li turned to each other.

"You heard that?", they both spoke at the same time.

"You did?", Liu and Jian Li also responded at the same time, confused.

"Yeah," Jian Li nodded, looking towards the trees as she took in their surroundings. "It felt like the wind brought her words..."

"Hmmm..." Liu pondered the thought before giving a nod.

"Let's follow the wind then. We're already lost, so any help we could get is great." Liu shrugged, a wry smile on her face.

As if it could hear her, another gust of wind blew past them. They restarted their trek in the forest, following its gentle breeze this time.