Embracement

My heavy eyelids slowly opened to a chalky white landscape. It was an unfamiliar ceiling, with an unfamiliar number of lightbulbs. The smell of chloride wafted in the air. The warm piece of cloth on my body and the chill from the wind told me that I was on a bed, next to a window.

My head was spinning non-stop like a bicycle wheel as I tried to gain balance and sit up. I had a white bandage on my forehead, and on my left wrist was a butterfly needle, connected to an IV bag via a long tube. I was in a hospital.

"What happened...?", I mumbled to myself, trying to squeeze some memory out of my terribly aching cortex.

The door suddenly opened, and a familiar-looking teenager stepped in.

"Oh, you're awake. How are you doing?", he asked while grabbing a chair nearby and sat next to my bed, his arms crossing in front of his chest.

"It's you... I'm fine, I guess... Except for the fact that my head and my nostrils are hurting like hell. Wait... How long have I been out?"

"A bit more than 24 hours, as I am informed."

"24 hours...That means I have to pay for the hospitalization fee, don't I? Damn it, me. All I did was pass out at the wrong time."

My heart sank as I calculated this month's expenses in my head. It seemed like I had an extra fee to cover, adding to the already dire economic situation I was in. And then, a vivid image quickly flashed through my mind.

"The spider! Did you do it? Did it work?"

Yang gave me a firm look, and assured me, "Yes, it and its peers have all been vanquished."

Listening to Yang's words, the worry in my heart lightened as if a stone was lifted from my chest. Right before another thought got to me, Yang shifted the topic. 

"I apologize for bringing this up now, but I need to discuss something with you. The urgent situation I mentioned earlier when we were in the café."

Feeling like I wouldn't be able to get his head off this topic with a mere distraction, I reluctantly listened.

"Sure, tell me about it."

"You must have heard of the Hyakkiyakou, or the the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. It's a famous Japanese folklore anyways."

"Yeah... At night, numerous demons or supernatural beings would appear on the streets and do various stuff, right? What's with it?" I asked, unable to hide the doubt in my voice.

"They usually have no leader. Just some creatures wandering around, scaring people, or playing some prank on them. Some of them have an edge regarding intelligence or strength, but that's usually all what it's about. They wouldn't think of doing something truly dreadful, like completely escaping from the darkness and acting in an organized manner."

I was totally confused. What is his point in bringing up an unreal legend?

"Now this has changed recently. There is an 'ancient entity', named the "Entity of Chaos". He has existed from the beginning of humanity, according to my clan's ancient studies. He is the long-standing enemy of the Tailung Clan. This entity has somehow found a way to wield the demons of the Hyakkiyakou and has started to throw disastrous strikes on various places, especially in Japan."

"So...you mean the spider-like demons from yesterday...were also part of the scheme?", I asked, half joking because I was half done with this nonsense.

"Yes, they were one of those demons, though a very low-level one. I believe they were just some puppets sent by the Entity of Chaos to scout the region and seek for my presence. They highly likely belonged to Jorogumo, a higher-level demon."

The image of the woman with pearly white skin and bloody lips I saw inside the giant spider's soul flashed through my mind. It stayed stuck there like a kite stuck on a tree branch. 

I was flustered with thoughts. Scary, daunting thoughts. While my mind was dysfunctioning, Yang continued.

"Besides the Entity of Chaos, the scrolls in my clan's library also mentioned another celestial being, called The Psyrenthia. It was written that The Psyrenthia had the valuable power to counter the aforementioned Entity, but this celestial was mortal. Instead, the power was passed down to his descendants."

He stopped speaking. His glance scanned through me as if he wanted to make a statement but couldn't. After a short while, I decided to say something I didn't believe in. At this point, all the conclusions I've made sounded like a joke.

"You mean I am the descendant of that "The Psyrenthia"? And you want me to aid you on your mission of slaying the Entity of Chaos?"

Yang stayed silent for a few seconds, then a word slipped out of his mouth.

"Yes."

I laughed out loud, scaring the birds perched on the window ledge away.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS RIGHT NOW! How am I the descendant of that godlike being? In fact, none of this makes sense! Hyakkiyakou is just an urban legend, and your family's teachings are probably...you know what I mean."

To my surprise, Yang smiled. His gleaming white fangs sparkled under the sunlight.

"I know it's hard to accept this information. Anyways, I'm not forcing you, as this is my own mission as a Tailung Clan inheritor. Since we are still unsure about the Entity's true motive, involving yourself in this mission will undoubtedly pose a great danger to you. I simply want to warn you about his presence, as he might have his claws aimed at you, seeking to annihilate a threat. You are his bane at the end of the day."

Yang stood up and looked at me, who is completely confused and in disbelief. He tucked his hand into the left sleeve of his red kungfu uniform and pulled out a white sheet of paper and a pen. After writing some words on it, he put it on the table next to my bed. 

Leaving me stunned after our conversation, Yang headed for the door with a strangely calm expression. As he reached for the doorknob, he turned around and gave me an encouraging glance.

"The one that slayed that spider wasn't me after all. It was all thanks to your power."