The crude dam of twigs and packed mud that Yang Qing had been using to keep his built-up trauma at bay immediately broke as all the repressed memories and fears came rushing out. For the first time in a long while, his greatest fear wasn't Old Fiend Lei. The fiends that had once held that position before that terrifying old man now reclaimed their seat of dominance within Yang Qing's mind and heart.
Hysterical laughter escaped him as he hollowly mumbled "fifteen months ago" over and over. With each repetition, his laughter grew louder, and his expression more distraught.
He had always been afraid of coming here, but two things helped him maintain some semblance of calm in this place. The first was the knowledge that he was no longer a student, which meant his schedule was his own, and he could come and go within these grounds as he pleased.
