✓𝐀𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 『𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑦 𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑔』

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 5

Interweaving Destiny

"𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅. 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆" -𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝑪𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒍

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

The simian scoured every corner, but not a single strand of her hair emerged. He persisted until it was time for MK's training. Concealing his exhaustion, he greeted MK with a smile, initiating their session as if nothing had occurred.

"Ready for training, MK?" he asked, masking his unease.

"Let's just get this over with," MK replied with lack of curtly demeanor.

He tried to calm himself, lying on his somersault cloud and munching on peach flavored chips, but his mind raced with worry. Despite his inward frustration, he pushed through the session, reminding MK to remain patient and focused.

As his successor worked through the breakfast nook he tasked for him to do, his anxiety intensified, prompting Wukong to consider postponing the training. However, he hesitated when he saw MK pick up the staff.

"You can't use that as a hammer," he interjected, only to watch in amazement as MK skillfully wielded it, letting sunlight stream through the resulting in a large crack in the wall, enough to fulfill his desire for the added feature in his abode.

The sight nearly made him see his younger self through the kid, Impressed yet suspicious, Wukong questioned MK's newfound skill with only one answer coming to mind. "Have you been running around with other mentors?!"

MK turns away from him, "...Patience and focus. Isn't that what you said?"

His eyes discerned a brilliant glow of purple, altering his succesor's jacket to one of mocking image. MK's cryptic response and changed appearance hinted at a different influence—one that Wukong recognized with a jolt of realization.

And there's only one creature he knows who could make that, along with teaching MK similar techniques he'd bound to get from him if ever he pleased.

It all clicked into place: the absence of Ying Xiu, MK's altered behavior, and the telltale signs of another mentor's influence.

... Then it all made sense.

"What do you want from me?!" Ying Xiu lashes out, striking the dense darkness beneath her with a mixture of fear and frustration. Trapped in a desolate void without walls or any visible end, she finds herself engulfed in a terrifying nightmare.

"Show yourself, coward!"

"No need to be so agitated," a voice resonates throughout the encompassing emptiness. "Your prince charming is on his way. Saves me the effort of luring him out."

She scans the void, finding nothing but darkness. "Who is this prince charming? And who even are you?"

"Ah, of course, you're clueless," he chuckles, materializing beside her like a fleeting shadow. "But ignorance is bliss, sweetheart. You'd only hurt yourself knowing."

Ying Xiu turns to confront him, but he vanishes before her fist can make contact to his smirking features. Fearing her predicament after hours in this eerie realm, she voices her concerns whilst he's still responding, "Kidnapping me without explanation? The authorities won't ignore this!"