“咳咳……” consciousness slowly returned, and a wave of suffocating pain hit me. My head felt like it was about to explode, and every limb felt like jelly. Slowly opening my eyes, I found myself lying in total darkness. Only a faint smell of damp earth and decay reached my nostrils.

“这是哪儿？” I muttered, my voice hoarse. The room was filled with a musty air, and the only source of light came from a small, flickering oil lamp placed on a rickety table. Shadows danced around the room, creating an eerie atmosphere.

I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in my chest made me gasp. Looking down, I saw that my body was wrapped in bandages, and a few dried blood stains were visible through the thin cloth. My memory was fuzzy. What had happened? Why was I here?

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the room. “You’re finally awake.”

I turned my head to see an old man standing by the door. His face was wrinkled, and his eyes were like shards of glass. He wore a tattered robe, and his hands were gnarled like tree roots.