I stared blankly at the mysterious magical barrier, and the anxiety in my heart was rising like a tide.
Darkness gradually enveloped the entire Lost Valley. That darkness seemed to be alive, flowing slowly like a thick liquid and devouring everything.
The surrounding temperature also seemed to drop accordingly. A chill rushed from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head, making me shiver involuntarily.
Just when I was full of distress and didn't know what to do, a gloomy wind blew in from the valley entrance.
The wind howled like the wailing of ghosts, scraping my cheeks painfully.
That wind seemed to have sharp claws, scratching across my skin and leaving a series of tiny stings.
Along with the sound of the wind, I heard a series of heavy footsteps. The sound went "thud, thud, thud", and each step seemed to be hitting my heart.
My heart rate instantly accelerated, as if it was about to jump out of my throat.
Fear tightly grasped my throat, making it almost impossible for me to breathe.
I clenched the mysterious key in my hand. The key glowed faintly in the darkness, as if it was my only hope.
I looked around warily, my eyes straining to search in the darkness.
I saw a huge figure slowly emerging from the darkness. It was a giant as tall as a mountain.
The giant's body was tall and mighty, with bulging muscles that seemed to contain endless power.
Each muscle was like a hard rock, with distinct lines.
His skin was as rough as stone, covered with traces of time and battle scars.
It glowed a dull sheen in the faint light, like an ancient armor.
His face was hideous and terrifying, with his facial features twisted together. His two eyes were like burning fireballs, revealing a fierce light. That look seemed to be able to burn me to ashes in an instant.
He walked towards me step by step, and each step made the ground tremble slightly.
The ground groaned painfully under his heavy pressure, and small stones bounced, as if fleeing in fear.
I involuntarily took a step back until my back was pressed against the magical barrier. A cold force came from the barrier, making me shiver involuntarily.
The giant stopped and looked down at me. His figure was like a huge dark cloud, completely covering me in the shadow.
His voice boomed like thunder: "Little girl, hand over the key in your hand, or you won't leave here alive!" His voice echoed in the valley, making my ears buzz.
I gritted my teeth and shouted loudly: "I will never give this key to you. I'm going to use it to save my Senior!" Although my voice was trembling, it was full of determination.
The giant sneered, and that laughter seemed to freeze the surrounding air.
He stretched out his huge palm to grab me. That palm was like a dark cloud looming overhead.
I quickly dodged to the side. The giant's palm brushed past the corner of my clothes, bringing up a gust of wind. That wind made my clothes flutter loudly, as if it was going to tear me apart.
I turned around and ran deeper into the valley. The ground under my feet was uneven, and I ran with deep and shallow steps.
The giant chased after me closely. His footsteps were like the drumbeats of a death knell, and each step made my heart tremble a little more.
Each step he took was equivalent to several steps of mine. I felt as if his breathing was right behind my head, and that scorching breath seemed to burn my back.
The terrain in the valley was complex, with boulders everywhere. I shuttled between the boulders, hoping to slow down the giant's speed.
But the giant effortlessly rammed through those boulders, and gravel flew everywhere. Some hit me, bringing a burst of pain.
Suddenly, I found a steep hillside covered with loose stones.
I didn't hesitate and climbed up it, using my hands and feet and struggling to climb upwards. Every time I grabbed a stone, I felt that it might fall off at any time.
The giant also climbed up. His huge body made the hillside start to tremble, and many stones rolled down the slope. Each rolling stone was like a cannonball, carrying a huge impact force.
I tried hard to keep my balance and continued to climb up. Just then, a big rock came crashing down towards me, and I narrowly avoided it. The rock whistled past me, bringing up a gust of wind.
The giant took the opportunity to speed up. It seemed that he was about to catch me. I gritted my teeth and jumped towards a big tree beside me, grabbing a thick branch. The branch shook violently under my impact.
The giant's hand missed, and he roared angrily. That sound made the whole valley echo. Leaves fell one after another, as if frightened by his anger.
I climbed along the branch to the top of the tree and temporarily avoided the giant's pursuit. But the giant didn't give up. He started to shake the tree, trying to shake me off. The branch shook violently, as if it was about to break at any time.
I tightly hugged the tree trunk and didn't dare to let go. My hands turned white from excessive force, and my fingernails were deeply embedded in the bark.
Just when I felt that I was about to lose my grip, I found a narrow crack in the rock wall not far away.
I seized the opportunity. Taking advantage of the moment when the giant took a short break, I leaped from the tree and threw myself towards the crack. My body drew an arc in the air, and my heart was in my throat.
I squeezed into the crack with difficulty. The space inside was very small and could only barely accommodate me. The rough surface of the rock wall rubbed against my body, bringing a burst of pain.
The giant roared angrily outside and kept hitting the rock wall with his hand. Stones fell one after another. Each falling stone made my heart skip a beat, and I was afraid that the crack would collapse.
I didn't even dare to breathe loudly in the crack, and my heart was in my throat. My heartbeat sounded extremely loud in the narrow space.
After a while, the noise of the giant gradually subsided. I cautiously poked my head out and found that the giant had left.
I heaved a sigh of relief and climbed out of the crack.
However, before I could stand still, the ground under my feet suddenly began to shake violently.
I was horrified to find that the surrounding mountains seemed to be changing in some way.
A series of huge cracks spread across the ground, like the claw marks of a demon. I ran desperately, trying to find a safe place.
But the whole valley was in chaos, and I didn't know where to go.
Just when I was in a panic, I saw a cave in front of me. There was a faint mist floating at the entrance of the cave.
I had no other choice but to run towards the cave.
As soon as I entered the cave, a stale smell assailed my nostrils. That smell was mixed with the smell of dampness and decay, making me feel nauseous. The light in the cave was very dim, and I could only grope my way forward.
As I walked, I heard a strange sound, like something whispering. That sound was sometimes high and sometimes low, intermittent, as if telling an ancient secret.
My heart rate accelerated again, and cold sweat broke out on my forehead. The sweat slid down my cheeks, itching, but I didn't dare to raise my hand to wipe it off.
Suddenly, a dark figure flashed past me, bringing with it a gust of cool wind. That cool wind made all the hairs on my body stand on end.
I was startled and stopped in my tracks. I nervously surveyed the surroundings. My eyes struggled to adapt to the darkness, trying to make out the situation around me.
At this moment, I felt as if there were a pair of eyes staring at me in the darkness. That gaze was cold and merciless, making me feel as if I had fallen into an ice cellar.
I had no idea what it was. Fear almost paralyzed me. My body seemed to be frozen and extremely stiff.
Just then, a low growl came from the depths of the cave...
