The pages whispered as he opened them. Handwritten ink filled the sheets with unfamiliar symbols — circles, strings, and smiling masks.
He should have closed it.
He didn't.
The entry was titled:
"To Remove Those Who Bind Your Soul."
It described a ritual of liberation — a method to cut the strings that held one's suffering. All it required was:
A reflection,
A drop of one's blood,
And a whispered wish.
Yao's eyes trembled as he read the line:
"When the fool performs, the world listens."
He chuckled nervously. "So, I just… perform?"
The word "perform" felt both wrong and right.