The thick, dark curtains were drawn, and with the sky outside gradually darkening, the room was dimly lit. The furniture and other objects could only be seen as blurry outlines, like unknown wild beasts lurking in the darkness.
"It's so...so dark here." Bai Xiaolin swallowed hard and couldn't help but press closer to Xia Linyin, unconsciously increasing the pressure on her wrist and leaving several red marks.
He had been supporting Xia Linyin as they walked, but now it seemed more like he was clinging to her. If possible, he would shrink himself down to the smallest size and snuggle into Xia Linyin's arms without hesitation.
“There’s a candlestick on the table, let’s go take a look.” Xia Linyin patted Bai Xiaolin’s hand. “Don’t pinch me so hard.”
"Oh." Bai Xiaolin quickly loosened his grip a little, but still stayed close to Xia Linyin, and together they carefully walked towards the dining table.
Great, they not only found candlesticks with unused candles on the dining table, but also matches that could be used.
Xia Linyin took out a match, struck it, and lit the candle. The candlelight flickered, and the warm yellow candlelight danced and reflected on Xia Linyin and Bai Xiaolin's faces, finally making the room less dark.
Xia Linyin picked up the candlestick, carefully protecting the flame, "tap, tap, tap, tap—"
Footsteps suddenly came from upstairs, and Xia Linyin stopped abruptly, while Bai Xiaolin also stiffened.
And so some time passed...
"Da, da, da, da—"
The footsteps upstairs continued rhythmically, as if someone was slowly walking back and forth tirelessly.
Xia Linyin cupped her hands to shield the flickering candlelight, and started walking towards the stairs. Bai Xiaolin tugged at her clothes, lowered his voice, and asked softly, "Where are you going?"
"Let's go upstairs," Xia Linyin said softly.
"No way? There's obviously something upstairs, that kind of thing." Bai Xiaolin pointed his index finger at the top of his head, his face almost scrunched up.
As Xia Linyin walked, she explained, "According to the tropes of horror movies, what we're doing now is absolutely suicidal. But we're in a horror game, and according to the tropes of games, the more dangerous and terrifying a place is, the more it represents a chance for survival."
The two reached the top of the stairs and looked up. The wooden stairs, covered with a thick layer of dust, stretched upwards into the pitch-black darkness, and no one knew what was hidden in that darkness.
Is there something waiting for them there?
Xia Linyin took a deep breath and stepped onto the stairs. "In a sense, we are here to help the wronged souls. Our common enemy is the cannibals. They shouldn't harm us. Maybe they just want to lure us here and show us something."
As Xia Linyin and Bai Xiaolin went upstairs, the candlelight gradually dispelled the darkness. Finally, they reached the second floor, where they found themselves in a carpeted corridor. Where the candlelight did not reach, the corridor ended in deep blackness, eerie and terrifying.
Bai Xiaolin's back was soaked with cold sweat. He felt that this stretch of road was more tiring than running a marathon. It was an invisible torture, long and unbearable.
"Da, da, da, da—"
Hearing footsteps coming from inside the room, Xia Linyin stopped at the door and moved her lips, "This one."
She reached out and grasped the cold metal handle, slowly turning it open. Bai Xiaolin watched the handle rotate little by little and couldn't help but hold her breath.
She gently pushed open the door, and with a creak, dust fell in a flurry. Xia Linyin almost choked and coughed, but she pursed her lips and forced herself to hold it in.
The rhythmic footsteps stopped after they opened the door, and the surroundings were so quiet that you could hear people breathing.
"Squeak—"
The door, which was only half open, suddenly started moving on its own, making a chilling creaking sound before opening completely.
Xia Linyin raised the candlestick slightly. It was a study. The bookshelves against the wall were piled high with books. In the middle of the study were a sofa chair and a rectangular desk. She slowly walked into the study and saw several thick books on the desk. A quill pen was stuck in an ink bottle, the ink in the bottle had long since dried up.
Bai Xiaolin touched his neck. He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he felt like someone was breathing on the back of his neck, a cool breeze that seeped into his clothes, giving him goosebumps.
But apart from him and Xia Linyin, there was no one else in the study. Besides that thing, Bai Xiaolin dared not think any further.
Just as Xia Linyin reached for the book on the table, a "thud" sounded as a heavy object fell to the ground in the study.
"Ah!" Bai Xiaolin let out a short cry, covering his mouth tightly to muffle the rest of the sound.
Xia Linyin looked down at the ground and saw a hardcover book fall from the bookshelf and land on the floor. She walked over, picked up the book, and opened it.
Then she found a white envelope tucked between the pages of the book. As she picked it up, a line of small, blood-red words flashed on the envelope—
"A hint from a wronged spirit."
Like the red writing on her palm, the blood-written words on the envelope disappeared after she finished reading them. Xia Linyin held the envelope, feeling somewhat excited. She gestured for Bai Xiaolin to hold the candlestick, and Xia Linyin opened the envelope and took out several sheets of paper.
“Jennifer is missing. She’s the tenth person to go missing in town. Mommy comforted me, saying she might still be alive, but I know what that means. It means I’ll never see Jennifer again, just like all the others who have gone missing. Mommy is just trying to comfort me.”
“Lord, why is this happening? Tell your devout believer why this is happening. She is so beautiful and kind. Why has misfortune befallen her and the town of Manscher?”
"She was so optimistic and cheerful, her smile was so radiant, like a sunflower blooming in the yard. I didn't even have a chance to confess my feelings to her before she disappeared from my life."
"Lord, tell your devout believer what I should do, how I should find Jennifer, and how I should bring this wonderful girl back into my life."
"Perhaps I will disappear soon too. Just like everyone says, the town of Manscher is cursed by a demon. We are trapped here, disappearing one by one. No one knows where those people went, whether they are still alive, or why they were cursed."
"I think demons always like to destroy all beautiful things. Perhaps the tranquility and warmth of the town of Manchester aroused the demon's jealousy, so it wanted to destroy the town."
"I don't know if I'll be able to see Jennifer again when I disappear."
Xia Linyin put the letter she had finished reading at the bottom and then continued reading the next letter.
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