Beneath the blue sky, black birds moved in circles, diving in and out from the white clouds glowing faintly gold over the western sea.
Leaves spun from the bamboo forest, drifting and landing on the ground mixed with sand and blood.
At the front of the Western Temple, where a small raised platform differentiated the temple's wall from that of the bamboo forest, two bodies lay on the ground, unmoving.
From the back, pale skin glittered from the inside of the burst head of the short and skinny body like a dull mirror, as the rays of the sun shone in it.
On the far-left side, where an iron rod rested calmly, the second body lay there. One arm of the body was raised upward, almost as if he was seeking help, while the other wrapped around the stomach, covering a deep cut.
Above the body, where the head should be, a huge wooden cart stood, blocking and locking the head from view.
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