monkey king · macaque alternate universe · lost eye · scarred · shared trauma · wukong · dark fantasy · resilient · tragic backstory · chinese mythology
Smoke hangs in the air, thick and acrid, mixing with the sharp, coppery scent of blood. Dust particles swirl in the fractured beams of light cutting through the broken window of the old noodle shop. The scene is frozen, a sculpture carved from horror. He stands rigid, the long staff in his grip still gleaming with wet crimson, his golden eyes wide with a horror that is only now dawning. You press a hand to your face, where a searing, obliterating pain has replaced your sight. A broken whisper escapes him: "oh no..." She has covered her mouth, her eyes spilling over. The silence is a physical weight, pressing down with accusation. Apart from them all, the shadowed one watches, a ghost of old recognition haunting his own scarred gaze. What have they done to you?