Elena’s pupils dilated violently.
The figure behind the tree slowly emerged… first the legs… then the body… then a familiar yet alien face.
Corbin!
He stared impassively at Elena; fear overwhelmed her as he took a step forward.
But then, Elena noticed something strange!
Something was wrong…
The distance between her and Corbin hadn’t changed!
They were still five meters apart!
Could it be…
That he was also trapped?
Meaning… “Corbin” wasn’t the cause of the disorientation?
Elena gasped at her own deduction.
But now wasn’t the time to analyze this.
Elena retreated, her eyes wide, afraid to blink, fearing she''d be pulled back to the tree.
But Corbin was now between her and the tree.
To keep the tree in sight, she’d have to look at Corbin.
Terror gripped Elena; Corbin’s impassive face was terrifying…
Though once a comrade in Fog Gathering, he was… a ghost!
Elena couldn’t determine if Corbin had become a ghost, or if a ghost had taken his form.
She had two choices: call for help, or escape while “Corbin” was trapped.
Elena chose the latter.
She stared intently at the tree, refusing to blink, even though her eyes burned.
But… after taking a step, Elena’s face paled.
She looked at the ground in disbelief.
The ground, already cracking and decaying around Corbin, was now even worse.
The old stench of rot was stronger.
And now… the decay had intensified; the ground, previously covered in leaves and branches, had become a crimson, viscous swamp!
And Elena’s step had sunk her into it.
Stench, filth, acridity, nausea… the stench of decay assaulted her senses.
Despair filled her.
She tried to pull her legs out, but they sank deeper.
She was trapped!
To her horror, Corbin took another step!
He seemed to be stamping his feet.
But Elena realized he’d moved closer.
Not much, but he’d… moved!
Trapped in the swamp, unable to move, she would soon be caught!
Just as despair overwhelmed her, soft footsteps echoed behind her.
Elena turned and saw Lilith, her expression calm.
“You…”
Elena’s eyes widened; fear and surprise mingled; she was speechless.
Seeing the swamp engulfing Elena’s legs and Corbin a few meters away, Lilith understood.
She was the target…
Lilith reached out, intending to pull Elena out.
But Elena shouted, “Don’t! Don’t touch this! Stepping in will trap you!”
Lilith hesitated, looking at Elena’s legs sinking into the swamp.
“I have two options; neither is guaranteed. Which do you choose?”
Lilith said.
A strange expression flickered across Elena’s fearful face.
This person… showed no fear?
Didn’t she see Corbin just meters away?
And… she had two plans in this situation?
“Y-you…” Elena swallowed, feeling the swamp’s pull intensify.
Lilith nodded, drawing a dark, slender knife from her waist.
“First, I’ll throw you a rope; try to pull yourself out. Second, I found a knife at the village head’s house last night; I’ll throw it to you; try to sever the trapped parts.”
“What?!”
Elena stared, incredulous.
Seeing the seriousness in Lilith’s eyes, she shivered.
She was serious…
Lilith looked at her and began to strip off her jacket.
“What… are you doing?”
Elena was stunned; seeing Lilith’s actions, she was overwhelmed.
Then, she understood.
She twisted her jacket into a rope and threw it.
“Catch.”
The makeshift rope arced through the air, caught carefully in Elena’s hand, like… a lifeline.
Lilith wrapped the other end around her arm. “I’m going to pull.”
“Okay!”
Elena took a deep breath and nodded.
Then, Elena felt the surprising strength of this seemingly frail woman.
Unable to move, her legs trapped, she felt the pull; her legs began to rise from the swamp!
Though her body was strained and uncomfortable, she was moving!
Surprise flickered in Elena’s eyes.
No one wanted to die, especially not at the hands of a ghost.
She’d been on the verge of despair; she didn’t know why Lilith had appeared,
Or… why she was willing to save her.
Elena knew that self-preservation was paramount in Fog Gathering.
No one would be judged for selfishness.
In extreme danger, they wouldn''t hesitate to abandon a comrade to buy time.
She’d seen it countless times; Adrian’s kindness was exceptional.
Was Lilith the same?
Elena watched Lilith intently; her gaze lingered.
Lilith’s muscles were taut, straining with effort.
She wasn’t as relaxed as she looked; she felt the terrifying pull of the swamp.
Fortunately, Lilith’s physique was strong, surpassing Elena''s by a large margin.
Though strenuous, it wasn''t hopeless; Elena slowly moved, inching closer to Lilith.
Lilith held her breath and called out:
“Hand!”
Hearing this, Elena reached out.
Lilith grabbed her hand and pulled with all her might; Elena was dragged from the swamp, finally free!
Elena, still dazed, looked back at the spot where she had just fallen. The bizarre thing was, the bloodstains from her escape from the swamp had mysteriously vanished.
“Lilith… Lilith…”
For the first time, Elena called out Lilith’s name, not Ms. Hollow. Perhaps she was still shaken, or perhaps there was another reason.
“What… what should we do now?”
Lilith didn’t answer her question. Instead, she lowered her head and glanced down.
Following her gaze, Elena realized that Lilith had already released her hand, but she was still clinging to her.
“I… I’m so sorry…” Elena quickly let go, her voice barely a whisper.
Lilith looked at her, but said nothing.
“We… we should leave this place.”
After a moment of silence, Elena found the eerie atmosphere increasingly unbearable.
Corbin remained impassive, radiating a heavy aura of death.
Lilith stared intently at Corbin, saying nothing.
Elena, watching her, felt a sudden, inexplicable chill.
A normal person… how could they stare at a ghost like that?
Could it be… that she wasn’t Lilith?
This thought was quickly dismissed.
If not Lilith, could she be a ghost? The fog gathering never held benevolent ghosts; if Lilith were a ghost, how could she have saved her?
“I’m sorry… I’m hindering you… I thought that after being stuck in the fog gathering for so long, my experience would be considerable. Never mind compared to Liam and the others, even compared to you, who just entered the fog gathering, I’m far behind…”
Elena felt a surge of self-directed irritation at her rambling thoughts.
Lilith, finally breaking her gaze from Corbin, turned to Elena, whose emotions were clearly wavering. She said:
“Experience is merely a list of past mistakes.”
Her gaze fixed on Elena: “You feeling inadequate only means we’ve made more mistakes than you.”
Elena looked up, meeting Lilith’s eyes.
Her gaze remained calm, as if she were merely sightseeing in the fog gathering.
“Are… are you consoling me?”
Lilith looked away: “No, I’m correcting your mistake.”
“Everyone’s path is different. Don''t undervalue yourself. In the end, nobody achieves anything; there''s only experience.”
Elena felt a mix of emotions at Lilith’s words.
Just as she was about to speak further, she noticed Lilith starting to walk forward.
Though the bizarre swamp apparition had vanished, who knew when it might reappear? And she was daring to tread on that ground?
Moreover… she was approaching Corbin!
“Wait!” Elena exclaimed, alarmed. “What are you doing?”
“Finding a way.”
Lilith didn’t stop, continuing towards Corbin.
“But…” Elena was confused. Why would finding a way involve approaching a ghost?
Elena nervously bit her lip, watching Lilith with intense anxiety.
Now, she was only a meter away from Corbin!
“Have you noticed… when we approach it, the distance is normal, but when it approaches us, the distance shrinks strangely, often only a few centimeters?” Lilith paused, her eyes on Corbin, but her words directed at Elena.
Elena, already unnerved by Lilith’s reckless actions, was startled.
But after a moment’s reflection, she realized it was true.
“This… what does this mean?”
Lilith didn’t answer, but silently reached out towards Corbin.
Elena trembled so violently she almost fell.
Crazy! This woman was absolutely insane!
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
But… the horrifying scene she’d anticipated never materialized.
Lilith’s hand… passed right through Corbin’s body!
“As expected…”
Lilith withdrew her hand, speaking thoughtfully.
“What… what was that?!” Elena was completely stunned, unable to believe she’d seen Lilith calmly withdraw her hand.
And… she continued walking forward, but the distance between her and Corbin was shrinking incredibly slowly.
Corbin didn’t react at all!
“What are you doing?” Elena cautiously approached her, a mixture of fear and curiosity in her voice.
Lilith looked at the impassive Corbin and shook her head: “I’m not doing anything. He’s not a ghost.”
“What?” Elena’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Corbin. “He’s… an illusion?”
Lilith didn’t comment, continuing: “This was a hypothesis of mine, and it seems to be correct.”
“So… this ghost’s ability is to create illusions? Not misdirection?”
This time, Lilith’s denial was unequivocal.
However, her tone was unusually serious.
“It’s not an illusion, nor misdirection. The ghosts in this village… possess abilities far beyond our imagination.”
Elena was dazed. Could it be? Why hadn''t she noticed anything…?
“Let’s go.”
Lilith’s voice startled Elena from her stupor.
“Go… where?”
“The path. The way out.”
Lilith smiled, adjusted her coat, and walked straight through Corbin’s body.
...
A sound!
Adrian’s face changed, and he quickly ducked behind a tree.
Then, a group of people emerged from the fog before him.
Adrian was startled. Those people… were Liam and the others!
Liam, Mira, Leopold, Alaric, Tobias—they were all here!
Joy surged, but a sudden alarm bell rang in his mind.
Something was wrong… Liam seemed off…
Liam was walking forward with his head down, his movements… stiff and rigid.
What was wrong with him? Had he encountered something troubling?
Lost in thought, Adrian didn''t notice… a pale hand reaching from behind him.
Just as the hand was about to touch his shoulder, Liam suddenly looked up and shouted, "Adrian?"
Adrian was startled, then alarmed. Simultaneously, the hand behind him vanished.
Following Liam''s shout, everyone''s eyes focused on the tree where Adrian was hiding.
Knowing he''d been discovered, Adrian adjusted his breathing and walked out calmly.
“Why are you all here?”
Adrian''s smile was friendly, but… he was met with four pairs of vacant eyes.
“Ahem… excellent, another one.”
Old Man Leopold coughed, then chuckled.
Adrian froze. He finally understood what was wrong…
...
Xue Dong Village.
Li Laosi''s house.
La Lao''er and Wang Gui''s corpses lay on the floor. Their eyes bulged, filled with bloodshot threads, their faces contorted in grotesque agony, as if they had suffered immensely before death.
The floor was stained with filth, vomit, and blood, a terrifying sight.
An unnatural darkness shrouded the entire floor. Oddly, this shadow wasn''t a clean, sharp cut, but irregular and amorphous—not like a shadow at all… but more like some living creature.
The room where the dead lay was silent. No sound should have been present.
But then, a soft creak echoed as Li Laosi''s front door opened.
A young figure stood there impassively.
He looked at the horrific scene, yet didn''t even blink.
He glanced around, finding no one else.
“There’s one more… the last one, heh heh…”
He chuckled strangely, muttering under his breath.
“The Golden Willow… kill them… kill all the beasts in this village… none in this village… are innocent!”
His mood was ecstatic, but he choked mid-sentence.
He suddenly noticed a hunched figure standing where moments before there had been nothing.
“Village Head…”
The Village Head’s face was calm as he looked at the two terrifying corpses and the strangely behaving man beside them.
“Xiao Ban… it’s you.”
The Village Head’s cloudy eyes fixed on him. This young man was Xiao Ban.
“…All this… it was you all along, playing tricks. Why, Xiao Ban… you were such a good child…”
“Shut up!” Xiao Ban, who had been listening quietly, suddenly changed expression at the Village Head’s words.
“My father is dead, the Golden Willow is dead, what can’t I do?!”
The Village Head fell silent, looking at the vengeful Xiao Ban. He sighed, “A Liang… should have been the next village head, but he shouldn’t have… shouldn’t have helped them…”
“And the Golden Willow… she was my daughter-in-law, but she did that… If she hadn’t died, this village would have been in peril…”
“Let it be in peril! This village shouldn’t exist! You’re a devil, everyone else in this village is a devil! You look normal, but what you’ve done is even more vicious than theirs!”
Xiao Ban’s emotions finally erupted.
Years of accumulated hatred and rage made his expression terrifying.
As Xiao Ban approached, the Village Head instinctively backed away.
But gradually, the Village Head noticed something wrong with Xiao Ban.
“Xiao… Xiao Ban, on your shoulder… why is there another head?”
The Village Head asked, horrified.
The head appeared strangely, without warning.
Xiao Ban, seemingly transformed, sneered and approached the Village Head.
“Ah!”
The Village Head, terrified, stumbled backward and fell.
Xiao Ban grabbed a hoe leaning against the wall, and with its sharpest edge, he viciously hooked it into the Village Head''s left chest!
Human flesh couldn''t withstand steel. With a sickening thud, the sharp hoe plunged into the Village Head''s heart. The Village Head’s eyes widened in disbelief, his limbs thrashing wildly in a desperate attempt to stop Xiao Ban, but… the seemingly deranged Xiao Ban possessed incredible strength. He pulled out the hoe, once… twice… thrice…
Xiao Ban didn''t know how long he’d been striking. When he finally regained his senses, the Village Head''s pupils had completely dilated.
The Village Head died with his eyes wide open, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Xiao Ban… why did he grow another head?
His throat gurgled, attempting to speak, but he couldn''t.
At that moment, Xiao Ban finally realized something. His face turned pale, he dropped the hoe, his mouth trembling as he collapsed.
“No… it wasn’t me… I’ve never killed anyone… Ghost… it was a ghost!” Xiao Ban crawled out the front door, muttering incoherently. “Golden Willow… was it you, Golden Willow… why… did you want to use my hands…”
Then, Xiao Ban scrambled to his feet, not daring to look back, and fled.
In Li Laosi''s house, three horrific corpses lay scattered.
Even Lilith hadn''t anticipated this.
The biggest problem, the person with the most secrets, the Village Head, was simply… dead.
...
The edge of the village forest.
Adrian and Liam walked side-by-side.
They were in trouble.
The four people following them had fallen silent.
This wasn''t a good sign. Adrian glanced back at them, finding their gazes vacant, like empty shells staring at them.
“We were separated while fleeing a ghost disguised as Corbin,” Adrian whispered.
“Disguised?”
Liam actually preferred not to speak; in this place, talking was risky. Unless absolutely necessary, speaking was foolish.
But now… the four ambiguous figures behind them seemed to be experiencing some problem.
He sensed that the ever-present malice following him had vanished.
“I think… this ghost’s ability isn’t disguise… or even misdirection, but… something else.”
Liam frowned.
Adrian looked at him, puzzled. “What else could it be? Right… those four people behind you… are quite eerie.”
Liam nodded, explaining softly, “They… aren’t people. They’re waiting for us to violate a taboo. Right… you absolutely must not touch them.”
Liam suddenly realized he hadn’t yet told Adrian about the problematic tree.
But he didn''t dare to say the word "tree" directly, only subtly indicating it with a nod of his chin.
Adrian seemed slightly puzzled, looking ahead and saying, “Which one?”
Liam sighed, about to continue explaining when he suddenly noticed… Adrian was staring intently at him.
His gaze was identical to the vacant stares of the four people behind them!
This wasn’t Adrian!
“Which one? What is it? Answer me.” Adrian pressed closer, his face inching nearer to Liam’s, his expression growing more and more ferocious.
Indeed… it wasn’t Adrian!
Sweat beaded on Liam’s forehead. His eyes darted around, finally landing on the tree from which Adrian had emerged.
A terrified expression crossed his face. A pale, young corpse lay there.
Its neck was twisted 180 degrees.
Adrian… had been dead the whole time.
...
Time rewinds to the moment Lilith and the other two first entered the forest.
A single person misjudging direction might be an accident, but three people making the same mistake simultaneously implies a problem.
After realizing they were lost, Adrian first took out a small knife to mark the trees.
However… the moment he touched the dead branch, Adrian felt a pair of intensely black eyes fixated on him.
Adrian felt a surge of alarm but dared not seek out the source of the gaze.
Then… Corbin appeared. He’d assumed Valeria was targeting Elena… but he hadn’t realized he had already transgressed.
...
Returning to Liam.
After discovering Adrian''s corpse, Liam felt a chilling dread. Adrian was dead… so Adrian before him was…
He dashed forward, not daring to look back, running frantically ahead!
This wasn''t his first survival mission; he knew that if the tree was a taboo, a change would occur after “Adrian’s” appearance.
Adrian''s death mirrored Garrick''s. Why had Garrick been killed?
For going out at night?
He couldn''t find the answer, but he could define a boundary:
The tree mustn’t be touched, nor spoken of.
Dark places, or places where shadows lingered, must be strictly avoided!
He was in extreme danger. Adrian, Tobias, Mira, Leopold, Alaric—five people had been replaced by ghosts.
This was unprecedented. Even in survival missions, the sheer number of ghosts was extraordinary and bizarre.
What unnatural change had occurred in the fog gathering? There was a key hidden detail he hadn''t found yet…
Five ghosts had already appeared in the forest.
Moreover… they were all targeting him.
The cursed one in this survival mission, the truly deadly element, was his identity.
If this continued, he would be the next to die.
To survive, he had to find all the taboos, or… exploit the rules to fundamentally eradicate them.
Liam sprinted towards the sunlight, frantically strategizing.
He glanced back over his shoulder, but…
Something far worse happened.
The five figures… silently stalked him, only a body-length away!
They stared at Liam with unsettling smiles; without any discernible movement, they followed him.
Those inhuman eyes chilled Liam to the bone.
The rules… the rules…
What taboo in Xue Dong Village couldn''t even be broken by ghosts?
On Adrian''s last mission, he’d survived because of Cassandra. That riddle was “See the mirror, don’t open your eyes; hear a call, don’t turn your head…”
The taboo was explicitly stated.
It was only by exploiting Elena''s call that nearly everyone violated the taboo from the start…
And Cassandra, facing death, had wondered if ghosts also obeyed the riddle; and… she had gambled correctly.
The fog gathering''s riddle wasn''t solely for humans, but also… ghosts.
It was a rule overriding all others.
This time, the riddle was “Bloodless Heart”…
From any perspective, this didn''t seem like a taboo; it merely seemed to be a descriptive phrase.
Sweat trickled down Liam''s forehead.
His stamina was excellent. In fact, after entering the fog gathering, he’d consciously trained his body; many others had done the same.
But… no matter how much they trained, humans were still humans. His stamina would eventually deplete. Once that happened… these ghosts would…
Wait!
Liam''s eyes lit up.
He slightly slowed his pace, glancing back. They were still maintaining the same distance.
But this time… Liam wasn''t afraid; instead, his eyes gleamed.
The ghosts were pursuing him using human methods?
They hadn''t displayed any supernatural abilities, such as suddenly appearing before him…
Moreover, given their speed, catching or even surpassing him would be trivial, yet… why were they calmly following behind him?
No… they''d been behind him from the start.
Was it simply to exert immense psychological pressure?
No… something was wrong.
Ghosts wouldn''t do meaningless things. So… what was their purpose?
Liam frantically analyzed, sensing he was close to a crucial element…
Following behind…
Why were the ghosts following behind…
Surveillance?
Moreover… Adrian and Garrick''s corpses; their heads were grotesquely twisted backward. Was this merely random, or… something more?
Liam’s thoughts raced, and finally!
A spark ignited in his mind.
Right!
The path to survival lay here!
He abruptly stopped, turning to face the five ghosts, their malice now unconcealed.
Then… he walked towards them!
...
The village outskirts.
Elena stared blankly at the village before her.
Out?
She’d actually escaped?
“Corbin” hadn’t attacked?
“What… what just happened…”
Elena murmured, recalling Lilith walking straight towards Corbin, then… passing right through him!
With no other choice, Elena closed her eyes, mimicking Lilith''s actions, and charged forward with a desperate resolve.
But… the moment she passed through Corbin''s body, it felt like something had been broken. Though the surroundings remained unchanged, the unsettling feeling of being constantly returned to the starting point was gone.
Now, she was following Lilith out of the forest!
“There’s a saying: the most dangerous place is the safest place,” Lilith glanced at Elena, speaking calmly.
Despite leaving the forest, Lilith didn''t relax. The sky was growing dark… night was approaching.
Wushen Village at night was a clear taboo; Garrick had proven this with his life.
Hearing Lilith''s words, Elena finally understood, but her questioning tone was increasingly incredulous.
“You mean… the ghosts following us are the real path?”
Lilith nodded.
“From its appearance, it hasn''t tried to hide its identity as a ghost, yet it’s only followed us at a steady pace, without any unnecessary actions. There’s only one possibility: it wants to kill us; simply following us is enough.” Lilith glanced back at the forest.
“I still… don’t understand…” Elena hesitated, avoiding Lilith’s gaze. Even she felt she was being rather obtuse.
“Normal people, knowing there''s a ghost behind them, wouldn''t confront it, let alone approach it, touch it, or pass through it. Therefore, by simply staying behind, it blocks the only escape route. Then, no matter which direction we go, we''ll eventually encounter various taboos and be killed.” Lilith spoke more than usual.
“So… the path to survival is that simple… The most dangerous place is the safest place…” Elena finally understood Lilith’s explanation but wasn’t entirely convinced it was that simple.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from the forest.
Simultaneously, a man''s voice rang out: “It’s quite simple, indeed. The most dangerous place is the safest place, but… do you have the courage to reach that most dangerous place?”
Following the sound, Elena saw the emerging figure and exclaimed joyfully, “Liam!”
Liam looked somewhat disheveled, but his spirits were high, his eyes devoid of negativity.
“Let’s leave here first. It’s getting dark,” Liam nodded to the two women.
“But… Adrian hasn’t come out…” Elena anxiously looked deep into the forest. They hadn’t seen Adrian since they’d separated. With nightfall approaching, if he couldn’t get out of the forest, he was almost certainly doomed.
However, reality was harsher than she imagined.
“No need to wait.”
Liam’s voice was low.
“What?”
Elena seemed to not have heard clearly, or perhaps she couldn’t believe it.
“Liam, what… do you mean?”
Liam looked at Elena. The girl''s feelings for Adrian were evident to everyone in the fog gathering. Though Adrian had maintained a polite distance, Elena had never given up.
“He won’t be coming back.”
Liam said gravely.
Those five simple words shattered Elena’s last line of defense. She went dark, almost collapsing.
Lilith quickly caught her, but Elena had already fainted.
“Parting with life and death… we experience it more readily than ordinary people in the fog gathering. It’s like a child hiding around a corner, suddenly bursting out, catching people off guard,” Liam looked towards Wushen Village, his emotions subdued.
There was hope for Elena, hope for Adrian, and for herself.
Lilith lowered her head to look at Elena; tears streamed down her beautiful face.
“Ms. Hollow,” Liam suddenly turned to Lilith. “You’re a very rational, intelligent person, and you’re very similar to someone… I’ve met before.”
Lilith’s eyes flickered; her heart quickened, her emotions stirred.
“I’d like to ask… who is this person similar to me?”
Liam looked at Lilith, surprised, and smiled. “I thought Ms. Hollow was exceptionally unemotional… Let’s go, we’ll talk as we walk.”
With that, Liam led the way into the village.
Lilith, carrying Elena, followed. “I was ill; I’ve lost most of my emotions.”
Liam looked at her again, surprised. He could tell whether she was being genuine or disingenuous.
But that very fact surprised him even more.
He''d noticed Lilith from the moment she entered the fog gathering.
Maximus had been right; upon entering the fog gathering, only three people showed no signs of anxiety or fear.
Elysia couldn''t be counted; even astute observers could see that she was merely wearing a mask of strength.
Besides Lilith, two others displayed exceptionally strong personality traits, but only because they entered the fog gathering later.
Liam had assumed Lilith was similar, never imagining she lacked emotional feeling and expression due to illness.
However, Lilith didn’t disappoint Liam. She paused, then said, “Don’t worry too much. Joy, anger, love, sorrow—they’re intertwined with everything else. What you think you’ve lost might only be deeply buried. Perhaps… you’ve suppressed those emotions for some reason, but one day, they’ll gradually return.”
Lilith nodded, thanking Liam for his kindness. She appreciated his comfort, but that wasn''t what she truly desired.
“Mr. Liam, you mentioned meeting someone very similar to me. Could you elaborate?”
Liam looked at Lilith in surprise. He’d only made a casual remark, but Lilith seemed genuinely interested.
“He… how should I put this… he’s not from the fog gathering; he’s a criminal, a very dangerous one.” Liam simplified his explanation.
Lilith was taken aback; this was completely unexpected.
“A criminal? Is he still alive?”
Lilith asked.
Liam nodded. He didn’t understand Lilith’s interest in this criminal.
“Not only is he alive, he’s thriving. He commits unimaginable crimes periodically and has yet to be apprehended.”
“Mr. Liam is a criminal investigator?”
“Yes, a criminal investigator.”
Lilith fell silent. Daniel, Aquila, Liam… most of the people she knew were criminal investigators.
“Could… you tell me more about him?”
This time, Liam shook his head, refusing her request.
“I can’t reveal too much about him. I can only tell you that he’s caused immense damage. The police call him… the Secret Key.”
Lilith’s heart pounded. Secret Key… that title instantly reminded her of the silver key around her neck.
Could this person be connected to Lucian?
...
When Elena awoke again, it was completely dark.
She sat up, clutching her chest; a dull ache lingered in her heart.
She knew someone… wouldn’t be returning.
“It’s good you’re awake. What’s done is done,”
Liam’s voice sounded nearby.
Elena then noticed everyone was in the room, the Village Head’s house.
“Elena, don’t grieve too much; we still need to survive,” Lena, a dozen years older than Elena, offered her comfort plainly.
Elena looked at everyone, shook her head slightly, and smiled. “I’m fine. I… always knew this day would come, either him or me.”
Those words applied to everyone in the fog gathering.
This terrifying place offered no end in sight. No one knew what it was or how to escape its curse, but… even the strongest will to survive would be worn down to nothing within this endlessly horrific, bizarre place.
Many had already committed suicide in the fog gathering…
Faced with terror and despair, they chose death.
But many more dared not. In a world with ghosts, was death truly the end…? Perhaps weak suicide would only bring torment to their souls.
“Right, then… let’s continue. Tomorrow is the last day. The Village Head is missing; they won’t dare to go out at night to look for him, so we should find clues in the morning,” Liam said.
“I found a drawer in Bingyan’s house. At that moment, perhaps because I touched the drawer, I was instantly thrust into a dreamlike environment. That ghost… likely possesses spatial warping abilities,” Elysia said, dropping a bombshell.
Even the distraught Elena looked at everyone.
However, this theory was simultaneously refuted by two people.
“Not spatial warping.”
“A chaotic void.”
The first statement was Liam’s; the second, Lilith’s.
Lilith''s statement surprised even Liam.
Three pairs of eyes, filled with various unusual emotions, turned to her. Lilith remained firm.
“This village’s spacetime is fractured, a fractured spacetime.”