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墨書 Inktalez
At some point, the wind picked up, swirling the fallen leaves on the ground and scattering them against the gray-white sky. The sky was overcast, as if it were about to rain. Zhang Junsheng tightened his thin clothing, cursing the damn weather. He hadn't stepped outside for two days since witnessing Li Ran's strange death; he had not left his dorm room since then. He felt a deep fear, a fear he had never experienced before. Perhaps at any moment, he could inexplicably die, so he needed to leave something behind.
He left the school and headed straight toward the eerie forest. The sky grew even darker, and the oppressive air made it almost impossible to breathe. Zhang Junsheng's footsteps were somewhat chaotic as he walked on the thick layer of fallen leaves covering the ground. A wave of decay and dampness filled his nostrils. He raised his hand to rub his nose; this forest was indescribably strange.
He spat harshly onto the ground: "I don't believe there are really ghosts in this world."
In his arms, he held a gray notebook, muttering curses as he walked, cursing both the weather and the sinister forest.
Light rain began to fall from the sky, making the already eerie forest seem even more terrifying.
Zhang Junsheng looked up at the sky; tangled branches divided it into countless sections. Raindrops hit his face, cold and chilling: "Damn it! Even the weather is against me."
He kicked aside a branch, but accidentally dropped the notebook from his arms. He hurriedly bent down to pick it up, nervously glancing around him. Then he laughed at himself; what was he so anxious about? Only he would venture out in such dreadful weather, especially to this kind of place!
Just as he was about to continue walking, a sudden rustling sound came from behind him. A chill shot from his feet to the top of his head as he stiffly turned around.
Nothing was there?
He inhaled sharply. Although he desperately told himself that there were no ghosts in this world, his legs trembled uncontrollably. He ran his fingers through his rain-soaked hair and continued forward.
After taking just two steps, he suddenly felt someone blow a breath on his neck—cold and unlike that of a living person. His heart tightened as he fearfully glanced back, but still saw no one.
"Damn it! I'm seeing things." He touched his neck and kept moving forward, wondering where would be safe. He looked around for a relatively secure spot and then spotted a small tree hollow. That would do; he smiled as he ran over, completely forgetting his earlier fear.
He knelt down carefully and placed the gray notebook inside the tree hollow before covering it with dirt. After completing this task, he stood up, stretched lazily, and wore a relieved smile on his face.
"Damn it! I really want to prepare for my own funeral," he muttered, as the rain seemed to be falling harder than before, and the sky grew darker. He lifted his foot and began to walk back, feeling a weight lift off his chest, and his pace quickened.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning split the sky. Zhang Junsheng jumped in surprise; the raindrops seemed to intensify. One bolt of lightning followed another, as if trying to tear the sky apart.
What was that just now?
Zhang Junsheng stared ahead in terror. The previous flash had illuminated the entire forest, and in that instant, he saw a pale face, seemingly without a body, just a face floating in midair.
Zhang Junsheng felt a warm dampness in his pants. His legs trembled uncontrollably, nearly unable to support his body. His heart raced violently in his chest, almost leaping out of his mouth.
His body gradually stiffened. He felt a pair of icy hands slowly resting on his neck, tightening little by little. He desperately clawed backward with his hands, but there was nothing there. The hands around his neck drew closer and closer. He opened his mouth wide, trying hard to draw air into his lungs; sharp pain surged within him. Finally, he stopped struggling, his eyes wide open, staring unyieldingly into the distance.
Su Jin'er and Linyuan quickly ran toward the guardhouse, shielding themselves from the rain. Soon after, Chu Feifan and Zuo Yi stumbled into the guardhouse as well.
"Sir, can we stay here to avoid the rain?" Linyuan asked cheerfully, looking at the elderly man who was over seventy.
"Of course! It's quite boring for this old man to be here alone; you can keep me company," the old man replied with a smile.
They passed by this place every day but had never paid attention to the guardhouse. Su Jin'er looked around the small room, which contained a bed, a table, and two chairs. On the table were newspapers and a registration book—very simple furnishings.
"Grandpa, have you seen a very thin and haggard young man leave here? About an hour ago," Su Jin'er asked with a smile.
"An hour ago?" The old man gazed at the ceiling and muttered to himself. "A few boys did go out about an hour ago, and one of them looked quite similar to what you described. He seemed very nervous; I wonder if that's who you're talking about."
"Yes, that's him. Did you see which direction he went?"
"It seems he headed towards that forest. Ah! I'm getting old and can't remember clearly."
They exchanged glances and fell silent. Even though they were eager to find him, there was no way to venture out into the heavy rain.
"Let's just wait here for a bit! After all, if he comes back, he will definitely pass by here," Chu Feifan said with a smile.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
As the sky gradually darkened, Zhang Junsheng still hadn't returned, and they began to feel anxious.
"The rain outside has stopped. Should we go out and look for him?" Su Jin'er suggested, glancing at the sky.
"It's already dark. How about we wait until tomorrow to search for him? There's no rush," Linyuan replied, looking at the now dim sky.
"But I can't shake off this uneasy feeling. It feels like something is wrong, and I'm really anxious," Su Jin'er's face appeared pale.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
"No, it's just that my heart is racing."
"Then let's go look for him! We need to uncover the truth as soon as possible; maybe then no one else will die," Chu Feifan said.
"I agree, I think that killer will kill again," Zuo Yi said.
After everyone reached a consensus, they bid farewell to the old man and left the guard room, heading towards the forest. Although they were unsure if what the old man said was true, they still held onto a glimmer of hope that perhaps he really had gone there.
"Why would he go to the forest? What secrets could be hidden there?" Linyuan asked in confusion.
Du Xiaonan had fainted and woken up there, and now Zhang Junsheng had also gone to that place. Did the forest really hold secrets?
The forest, recently drenched by rain, appeared even darker and more humid, emitting strange odors reminiscent of decaying animal corpses.
"Is he really going to be here in such darkness?" Linyuan looked around.
"I don't know. Let's search for him!" Zuo Yi responded to her.
"I feel something is off about this forest; it gives me an uncomfortable feeling," Su Jin'er said as she stepped on a twig, which snapped loudly in the eerie silence of the woods.
"Hey! Everyone come here, I think I found him," Su Jin'er's voice trembled from nearby.
"Where is he?" The three of them quickly ran over, looking in the direction Su Jin'er was staring at.
Upon seeing the scene before them, they all gasped in horror.
Not far away, a body hung upside down from a tree, blood dripping onto the ground mixed with rainwater. A knife was lodged in its neck, its eyes wide open in terror, swaying beneath the tree—a chilling sight.
"Another one."
"Our lead has gone cold again."
Before long, the police arrived and took the body from the tree. Of course, they were taken back to the station for questioning once more.
After leaving the police station, it was completely dark outside. Su Jin'er felt very depressed, just like during the police questioning. Why was it that every time someone was murdered, they were the ones to discover it? Why had no one found out before them? Was someone really trying to lead them into this?
"Jin'er, what are you thinking about?" Linyuan asked the silent Su Jin'er.
"I think we should find someone!"
"Are you thinking of looking for Zhang Junsheng's police cousin?" Chu Feifan said in a low voice.
Su Jin'er looked at him in surprise and said, "You know about Zhang Junsheng's detective cousin?"
"Yeah! I thought he was strange during our military training, so after we got back, I did some investigation on him," Chu Feifan said seriously. "You also suspected Zhang Junsheng?" For some reason, Su Jin'er began to doubt Chu Feifan; he seemed to know a lot but never said anything. Did he have his own secrets or some ulterior motive?
Seeing Su Jin'er's suspicious gaze, Chu Feifan was taken aback for a moment and then smiled, saying, "I'm just curious about supernatural events, and I have no motive to kill."
He spoke confidently, showing no signs of fear from being suspected. Moreover, he truly hadn't found any evidence. Initially, he didn't want to get involved in this matter, but now it seemed that others were intentionally or unintentionally dragging him into it. Did he still have a choice?
"I suddenly find this matter quite interesting; why don't we investigate together?" Su Jin'er said with a smile, her expression as warm and gentle as winter sunlight.
Linyuan nodded excitedly. Although she was still very scared inside, the thrill made her feel exhilarated.
However, unexpectedly, Chu Feifan refused. He shouted a firm no, startling them.
"If you're scared, then don't participate. We won't force you."
Chu Feifan looked at Su Jin'er in disbelief. He didn't expect her to want to investigate these matters: "I'm not scared; let the police handle it. Don't you know this is dangerous?"
"Even if it's dangerous, I still want to find out the truth," she turned her head and said stubbornly.
Chu Feifan was somewhat angry. He didn't think she could be so selfish: "To be honest, I'm very curious about this matter, but I can't let my curiosity put my friends in danger."
Chu Feifan looked at Su Jin'er's trembling shoulders. He knew his words were harsh, but he couldn't let her fall into danger, nor could he watch her harm those around her because of her curiosity.
"I'm tired; I'm going back," Su Jin'er said softly, but the tremor in her voice pained him.
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