I don my mask and marvel at my own transformation. I’ve observed magic—rituals conducted by the palace shamans, my own demonic oath between me and Yue—but never before have I used it on myself. A warmth buzzes through my veins as the mask adheres to my face, sticking to my skin with a consistency close to honey.
The world around me grows larger, or perhaps it is I who shrinks. I peer down at my hands, watching with wide-eyed fascination as they transform into those of a boy barely out of adolescence. My clothes have changed, as well, lending themselves to my full disguise. I recognize the light blue robes I’m in—silks befitting a young prince. Gone are the hard edges of my thirty years. I bring a hand up to feel. My stubble-lined jaw is now smooth, my cheeks plump and round. I have even lost the aches and creaks of my joints, practically brimming with a youthful energy I thought long since tempered.
Sooah’s and Wen’s transformations are amazing, as well. A stranger might easily mistake us for a band of misfits. We’ll be able to slip through the tunnels with ease. What truly spectacular magic.
I catch Yue staring at me. There’s a slight furrow to her brow—or rather, my cousin’s brow.
“Is something wrong?” I ask.
“That face you’re wearing. It looks… familiar.”
Behind us, Wen snorts. “Probably some poor kid you ate.”
“I’ve never eaten a child,” she answers curtly, as if the suggestion is an insult.
“It’s my own,” I tell her. “From when I was a boy.”
Yue blinks, something flashing across her features. After a moment, she laughs. “Truly?”
“Yes.”
She shakes her head with a gentle smile. “I’m glad you grew up to be such a good man.”
I frown at her in confusion. What does she mean by that?
I’ll go first, Sooah signs.To make sure the path is clear.
Wen follows shortly after. I watch my friends lower themselves into the hole, their shoulders scraping along the sides, before they disappear underground. I listen closely, sighing with relief when I hear both of them land.
“Are you alright?” I call down to them.
“We’re fine! An awful drop, though, so be careful,” Wen shouts back.
An odd sense of pride flows through me knowing the masks I’ve created work well. The thrill of creating any face I please rushes to my head.
I approach the edge of the hole and pause, turning to look at Yue. She hasn’t moved an inch. I reach out to her reflexively. “Are you coming?”
Her lips part as if to respond, only to seal shut again. She eventually nods, though she walks past without taking my hand. Ignoring the sting at the back of my throat, I follow her down into the gloomy dark.
40Yue
Hunting Log #400:
Curse my pride—I should have kissed her.
There’s only enough space inthe tunnel for us to follow one another in single file, crouched over slightly to avoid scraping our heads on the dirt ceiling above. Without our masks, we would never have fit. There is no light to work with, so we trudge forward in complete darkness, nothing but the walls at our sides to alert us of any turns.
Although I’m only barely able to sense his form in front of me, I’m aware of how frequently Sonam throws me a glance over his shoulder, as if worried I’ll fall behind.
“Something’s up ahead,” Wen informs from the front of the line. His voice has become laughably squeaky with adolescence. “I think I see the light.”
I bite my tongue. That’s not as comforting to hear as he thinks.
The climb out is nowhere as steep as the sudden drop of the tunnel’s entrance, so we’re able to crawl out one by one with little difficulty. Sooah is the first to pull off her mask, panting as sweat drips down her face. Her large shoulders tremble as she stands tofull height, no doubt elated to be free of the tunnels’ tight quarters. Wen and Sonam take their masks off, too, looking relieved.
Before us lies a steep staircase leading up to the main pavilion of the monumental Jade Palace. I count at least ten flights, each separated by wide landings. At the very top sits a massive circular moon door. Three serpentine dragons are carved into the stone framework, the finer details of their eyes, claws, and teeth painted in gold. They glare down at us in judgment, as if daring us to complete our ascent.
At long last, we’ve reached the innermost circle of Hell, standing before the legendary gates to the mortal plane.
