As soon as Shang Tsung entered the cave you could feel the energy shift. Your magic bend and quivered like a dog that had been trapped in a corner.

Without a sound you buried the blade of your knife in another statue's back and watched how the blood poured from it like it had done from many before.

Your gaze wandered down the lines of soldiers trapped in stone. Many of them were damaged already, red soaking the ground beneath their feet, making snow melt.

Whatever could be done with them it wouldn't be possible anymore. You had inflicted wounds in a very special place to make sure that they'd bleed dry within seconds.

Without blood there wouldn't be any use of them. At least you hoped so.

Again, you slipped one statue further to do the exact same to it. Not many were left, not in this room at least. If you hurried you'd be able to eliminate all of them before someone took note of your presence.

But as you peaked out from behind one of the statues your body froze.

Bi Han and Kuai Liang were with the sorcerer. Chained. Next to them walked general Shao.

"This is emperor Ying's dragon army.", Shang Tsung exclaimed as he lifted his hands into the air.

Bi Han looked around.

"Impressive...", he said, not at all impressed. "But does this history lesson have a point?"

"These statues were constructed, and enchanted, by the great mages of the emperor's court.", your magic screamed as Shang Tsung approached, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

He enjoyed this moment. And his little speech.

As he came close you pulled back behind the statues. It was time to hurry up and get out of this place. Blood poured out from between your fingers as you damaged two more statues and moved on.

The odds were against you but this battle wasn't lost as long as you hadn't been discovered. The stench of iron gathered to your feet.

There was so much blood, almost flooding the last lines of the army. As you moved on to the next row you caught a glimpse of your own reflection inside the red.

Panic was written all over your face.

All of a sudden a rumble chased through the army. Struck by surprise, you jumped back only to see the first row had started to move.

A greenish glow seeped from their eyes and joints. They had come to life, moved like fighters. A true threat.

"As our ally, you will be given command of several battalions. Few in Earthrealm could then resist the Lin Kuei.", as Shang Tsung spoke the name of your clan, Bi Han appeared between the statues.

In this very split second your mind put the piece together, formed a picture out of the puzzle. He had taken the wrong side.

You had lost an ally to the sorcerer and his words of corruption.

As the grandmaster examined the army, his eyes found you by chance. Surprise lit up on his face. Then something else.

Regret.

"Mûdān...", it slipped off his tongue.

This was but a split second decision. All at once you curled your fingers and called upon the blood that gathered to your feet.

It boiled, twisted and turned to form into a whip of red. It chased towards him, splitting stone on its way. Rage and confusion blinded you as your powers cut Shang Tsung and his allies from Kuai Liang.

Bi Han stumbled to the other side, also cut off from his brother by the walls of boiling blood that you had created.

"Kuai Liang!", you called out for the younger brother.

Without hesitation he rushed to you, hands reached out. You cut him loose, ordered the blood to shield you against an attack of Shang Tsung's magic.

"We must get to Bi Han!", Kuai Liang's voice echoed painfully inside your ears.

Sweat ran down your neck.

With a quick gesture you ordered the blood to cut you another way through bodies and stone. Voices and pain raged inside your body.

"Bi Han...", you managed to gasp his name. "Did you betray us? What were we worth to you?!"

Fire crackled around Kuai Kiang's fists as his brother approached, his hands finally freed from the shackles that had been broken by your uncontrolled attack.

"You don't understand, Mûdān!", he sounded like he tried to plea for forgiveness.

Another one of Shang Tsung's attacks was blocked by the massive amounts of blood you had drawn from the statues.

One quick glance to yours arms told that the exchange already ate away on your body. Flesh turned dark and ashy.

"How could you?!", Kuai Liang screamed. "Father would turn in his grave if he saw this!"

Anger lit up in Bi Hans eyes.

"He was a doddering old fool!", his words oozed of hate, resentment. "He did us a favour, having that accident. And I was right to let him die."

All at once the voices that plagued you, whispered to destroy everything, fell silent. Nothing remained. Emptiness swallowed you whole.

Your own breath echoed inside your ears as you looked over your shoulder.

"Kuai Liang.", your own voice was the one of a stranger in your ears. "Leave everything to me. Just promise that you won't leave either of us behind."

Shock, confusion and pain all fought in the eyes of the younger brother. In this very moment it looked like he wanted to die, cut away his ties from Bi Han and deny his flesh and blood.

However, with a very faint nod he managed to give you his promise.

Your vision turned blurry.

"So be it.", you whispered. "Forgive me, Bi Han."

And without another thought you clenched your hands into fists.

Blood formed spears that came raining down on the army. Shang Tsung managed to jump away but was pierced by one as he tried to shield himself with the body of one of Shao's soldiers.

Blood poured from his mouth.

Your gaze fell onto Bi Han, clouded as if strained by old ago.

He backed away.

"Mûdān!", his voice trembled. "Let me explain."

But you shook your head, opened your fingers. The blood of the statues was no longer answering to your powers. Instead, it was his.

With a scream, he sunk to the ground, twitching and cramping. His fingers trembled as he tried to reach out for you.

Your face was the width of a hair out of reach.

"How?!", he asked, pain distorting his face.

You looked at him, remembered one last time how his face looked like, the shade of black of his hair, the golden brown of his eyes before your heritage took the world as payment for its services.

"You never realised, did you?", your tongue was heavy from strain. "The reason why I always thought it a curse... Once I had people's blood in my grasp I couldn't let go of it ever again. Everyone was always and would always be a slave to my abilities. The only reason I didn't make you obey me was because I didn't want you to care for me through force. Don't you understand, Bi Han? It has always been my choice. And my choice only."