The Dawn of the New World

1436 Phooew

The dust cloud continued to get bigger as more and more pieces of the ceiling continued to fall forcing Max to get closer to the well.

"Phooi, looks like the whole place is going to collapse, doesn't it?" he casually commented.

Hao Xuan picked up Claudia in his arms and went around the well to place her inside the coffin, "How...will you get out after?" he couldn't help but wonder after seeing the situation inside.

The only exit was blocked and even if it wasn't, an angry God was killing the last of their people right outside.

Max tilted his head sideways, "Are you worried about little old me?"

"Of course not, do I seem that stupid?" he swiftly rebuked, placing Claudia in the coffin while getting up on the well to look over at him, "Just making sure you understand there is no room in the coffin for a third person."

"Hahaha, you can be really cold sometimes, you know that?"

Hao Xuan lay down beside Claudia, holding her close so both of them could fit properly while the structure continued to collapse around them. It was a tight fit but much better than what he was expecting.

He glanced over his shoulder to peek at the tear in space and time. It was now wide enough for the Yellow River to be completely visible.

As its name suggested, it was bright yellow with blinding lights coming from the 'liquid' that flowed through the empty void. It was flowing from the left to the right without making a sound.

Hao Xuan swallowed a mouthful of saliva before turning towards Max, "This should be good, push us inside."

Max walked over silently, edging the coffin closer to the tear bit by bit.

*RUUUUMBLE*

Followed by a tremor pieces of the ground broke and started to fall apart, dropping into the darkness below.

"Hurry!" Hao Xuan urged upon seeing most of the floor vanish in a span of two seconds.

"It's...heavier than it...looks," Max muttered through gritted teeth while pushing nearly half of the coffin inside.

He had to pause midway to catch his breath.

"What the hell are you doing?! How can you be so weak all of a sudden?!" Hao Xuan glared at him thinking he was trying to delay it on purpose.

Max muttered through heavy breaths, "You try...pushing...an object...that is feeding...on your lifeforce...and tell me...how easy...it is..." before continuing his efforts in much the same manner.

With nothing else left to stay Hao Xuan closed the lid and waited. The bottom of the coffin slipped onto the river while the top remained in the material world. Max quickly circled around to push from the other side but paused at the very last moment.

"What are you-" incensed, Hao Xuan cracked open the lid only to see Max's face inches away from his.

"Remember me!" he whispered while staring unflinchingly into his eyes, "I might look different the next time we meet but you WILL recognize me! No matter how many centuries may pass, no matter which corner of the world you hide in, I will always find you!"

Hao Xuan could see his own reflection being burned into Max's retinas by a blood-red flame just as he pushed the remainder of the coffin into the river.

With a shock and a bob, the coffin vanished from sight. The tips of Max's fingers started to burn with the same red fire which continued to climb up his arms and slowly cover the rest of his body.

His skin boiled and evaporated in an instant but he neither screamed nor recoiled from the pain. There was a calmness about him as he watched the tendons of his hands snap and crackle from the heat.

"The promise...fulfilled..." he spoke in a raspy voice before suddenly jumping through the tear and diving headfirst into the river of time.

Only now he screamed when the golden liquid crawled into his wounds while swimming against the current to follow behind the coffin that was teetering on the edge of his vision.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

**

The coffin's lid slammed open making waves in the yellow water, in time itself.

*GASP*

Hao Xuan held his throat trying to breathe but he realized after a moment that not only there was no air here but he did not need to breathe either.

*Cough*Cough*Cough*

And yet the other bodily functions seemed to be working just fine as he almost coughed out a lung upon hearing the echo of a distant scream.

It was odd. There was no air and certainly no other sounds to go along with it. They floated above this golden liquid but made no noise.

Hao Xuan could hear his clothes ruffling and fingers scraping against the old wood but something was amiss.