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墨書 Inktalez
Xiao Ranhong looked at herself in the mirror, her skin torn away by strange claws, blood oozing from her face. The pain was palpable, and a warm spray of blood splattered against the corner of the wall. Her sharp scream echoed through the corridor, carried by the wind to Ziya, Zhi Qing, and the other two.
Zeng Qin had not yet managed to voice her embarrassment over the fright she had just experienced when Liu Yi grabbed her hand, urging her to follow closely behind Zhi Qing and Ziya.
The corridor remained the same corridor, just viewed from different angles and lengths. The floor was damp, with puddles that caused Zeng Qin to slip. The four of them gasped for breath as they helped Zeng Qin back up and continued searching for the source of the sound.
The echoes in the corridor were long and resonant, mingling with their heartbeat, footsteps, and panting. The flickering lights cast an eerie glow that sent chills down their spines. Zeng Qin stumbled in her high heels, nearly being dragged along by Liu Yi.
Ziya wore sneakers and managed to keep steady under Zhi Qing's pull. As they ran deeper into the corridor, the horrifying sounds gradually faded away, leaving behind a maze of hallways and countless doors. They did not see the person who had screamed.
"Is it this way? Ah!" Liu Yi stopped running and pointed ahead at a section of the corridor.
"No, it seems we need to go a bit further," Zeng Qin replied, her voice trembling as she looked ahead.
"Was that sound from Xiao Ranhong? It really sounded like her," Ziya asked Zhi Qing.
"Uh, I didn't catch it clearly. Let's keep going! I can't believe I forgot about her—damn it..." Zhi Qing said, filled with self-reproach.
"You can't take all the blame on yourself; does complaining help?" Ziya said, still feeling the warmth from where Xiao Ranhong had grabbed her earlier. Now there was no sign of her, and a deep sense of loss surged within her like a flood. Her eyes grew moist as she heard Zhi Qing's deep remorse; it weighed heavily on her heart as well.
"What do you mean if I'm not a jerk? A living person just vanished right beside us—it's like she's alive one moment and gone without a trace..." Zhi Qing trudged forward with heavy steps, mechanically moving toward the end of the corridor.
"Please don't say that. If we're assigning blame, I share responsibility too. She always relied on me; she saw me as an older sister..." Ziya covered her face and cried softly, her quiet sobs prompting Zeng Qin beside her to wipe away tears from the corners of her eyes.
"You two stop joking around; we need to think of a way to find someone," Liu Yi said calmly.
At the end of the corridor was another corridor, with doors lining both sides. Zhiqing found it amusing that this was the same corridor where he and Ziya had woken up. The place felt like a maze, with one corridor leading into another, making it impossible to find an exit.
Ziya also felt a sense of familiarity here. She looked at the mottled gray-brown walls, holding back tears and pressing her lips tightly together. Liu Yi kept watching Zhiqing and Ziya with a suspicious gaze, occasionally murmuring something in Zeng Qin's ear. After listening, she looked at Ziya with a face full of questions.
"What do you want to say? Just say it; there's no need for whispers," Ziya said, irritated by their secretive behavior, which felt quite rude.
"I want to ask you why you two are fine while the other girl is missing?" Zeng Qin blinked at Ziya as she asked. Her white freckles glimmered under the flickering lights, resembling tiny stains.
Ziya stopped in her tracks and pulled the angry Zhiqing back. She looked at Zeng Qin and Liu Yi and said, "What exactly do you want to say? Speak clearly so we don't misunderstand."
"Isn't it obvious? Did you two do something to the missing girl? Otherwise, how could she..." Liu Yi's hesitant words and his complex expression were genuinely irritating.
"Are you suggesting we killed her? We all heard her scream together," Zhiqing said, trying to suppress his frustration in a detached tone.
"Exactly! We all heard it; your suspicion seems rather far-fetched!" Zeng Qin agreed with Zhiqing, addressing Liu Yi.
"People can be unpredictable; what do you know? If they didn't harm her, then where is she? We should find her and clarify things," Liu Yi insisted stubbornly.
Ziya wanted to say something more but thought better of it and decided not to argue. She held onto Zhiqing to prevent him from engaging further. As they walked ahead, Liu Yi stopped in his tracks, and naturally, Zeng Qin halted as well.
Ziya inhaled the stale air, her mind racing with thoughts about why the four of them had come to such a divide and why they couldn't face this predicament together.
“Liu Yi, can you all quiet down and listen to me for a moment?” Ziya turned to Liu Yi, who seemed ready to leave them, and called out to him. Zhiqing wanted to stop Ziya's actions; an inexplicable irritation surged within him. He genuinely wished for Liu Yi to just leave, thinking it would bring some peace.
“Go ahead,” Liu Yi halted his retreat, looking at Ziya with a meaningful gaze.
“We can't have any disagreements. Wake up! Do you think this is your home? We need to stick together,” Ziya observed Liu Yi's facial expressions as he spoke. Noticing no signs of opposition, he continued, “We can open all the doors in this place and take a look. Let’s not rush in blindly; we should prepare some defensive tools and see if there are any rooms that lead to an exit. If we stay here like this, we might not be killed but will surely suffocate in this filthy air. What do you think?”
“Alright! I don’t oppose that, but there’s one condition you must agree to,” Liu Yi said, looking at Zhiqing and Ziya.
“What is it?”
“You both must follow our arrangements; otherwise, there's no point in traveling together,” Liu Yi's domineering attitude completely infuriated Zhiqing. If Ziya hadn’t held him back, he might have lunged at Liu Yi right after those words.
“Why should we? Who do you think you are? I don’t have to listen to you!” Zhiqing's neck bulged with anger as he huffed, turning to pull Ziya away.
“You're being ridiculous! Can we please talk properly? Look at the situation here before deciding who's superior!” Ziya shook off Zhiqing’s grip and shouted at Liu Yi and Zhiqing in frustration.
“I think it’s better if we stick together; it provides mutual support, doesn’t it?” Zeng Qin timidly tugged at Liu Yi’s sleeve as she spoke.
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