Dimensions Journey

**Liang Chen** lived with his friends in an abandoned building they had turned into a small sanctuary. Despite hunger and cold, these days were the happiest of his life. In the mornings, they scavenged for food scraps in markets; in the evenings, they huddled around a feeble fire, sharing stories. **Xiao Lin** told tales of supernatural heroes, **Zhang Wei** skillfully stole fruits, and **Mei Lin** crafted little dolls that made everyone laugh. One night, as they sipped herbal soup, **Liang Chen** smiled and said, "If the world knew how heroic we are, they'd carve statues of us!" The group laughed—until a sudden, guttural roar froze the blood in their veins.

The beast emerged from the darkness, its body a rotting mass of flesh, a single red eye glowing like embers. Without hesitation, **Liang Chen** grabbed a stone and hurled it at the creature. "Come on, you ugly monster! Chase me!" he shouted, sprinting through ruined streets with the beast thundering behind him. At a narrow turn, the monster's massive claw tore off his left arm! Blood splattered onto the mysterious stone in his pocket, which suddenly vibrated and whispered in a mechanical voice: **<>** But the beast didn't stop. It opened its gaping maw and swallowed **Liang Chen** whole.

Inside the viscous darkness of the beast's stomach, his body began to dissolve. Memories flooded him like waves: his mother holding his hand as a child, his twin brother mocking him, his friends laughing around the fire… even the moment he chose to sacrifice himself. Suddenly, a cold voice echoed in his mind: **<>** "Yes!" he whispered with his last shred of consciousness. A golden light erupted from the stone, and everything vanished.

**Liang Chen** opened his eyes in a dim room, surrounded by dozens of trembling children. His body was now that of a six-year-old, both arms intact, but on his right chest glowed a **golden birthmark** shaped like a strange star. Before he could grasp where he was, a voice echoed from the walls: **"Welcome to the Cult of the Ten Demons. You now belong to us."** He tried to stand, but overwhelming weakness consumed him. The birthmark pulsed faintly, then stilled, as the mechanical voice whispered: **<>** He closed his eyes, knowing long years awaited him before the stone regained power—years he'd live as an orphan in this strange world. Yet he felt peace: his friends were safe, and they would wait for his return, even if it took another lifetime.

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