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墨書 Inktalez
My clenched fists turned pale, and the sweat in my palms dampened the simulated exam results. Chen Shuo's hollow gaze lingered in my mind, refusing to fade away. I took a deep breath and walked toward Teacher Li's office.
The door was slightly ajar, and I knocked gently twice.
"Come in," Teacher Li's voice came from inside, tinged with a hint of fatigue.
I pushed the door open. Behind his desk, Teacher Li was engrossed in grading assignments, his black-framed glasses sliding down to the tip of his nose. The fluorescent light above him emitted a faint hum.
"Teacher Li."
He looked up, adjusted his glasses, and his gaze swept over me. "Zhou Ran, is there something you need?"
"Teacher, I wanted to ask about... Chen Shuo..." I hesitated, carefully choosing my words. "He has made significant progress recently, and I want to know if he has been receiving tutoring in any... special classroom?"
The red pen in Teacher Li's hand paused, leaving an abrupt red dot on the assignment paper. His expression remained unchanged, but his eyes shifted. "Which classroom?"
"It's... the last one that students talk about privately..."
"Zhou Ran!" Teacher Li suddenly interrupted me. His voice was not loud but carried an undeniable sternness. "You need to focus on your studies! The midterm exams are coming up soon; don't let baseless rumors distract you!"
He set down his pen, crossed his hands on the desk, and leaned slightly forward. "Chen Shuo's ability to rank in the top ten is a result of his own hard work. The school does not have those kinds of places you mentioned. Do you understand?"
The office fell silent. I could clearly hear the ticking of the second hand on the wall clock.
I opened my mouth to say something but met his unyielding gaze and ultimately swallowed my words.
"...Understood, Teacher."
"Alright, go back and study hard," Teacher Li's tone softened a bit, but his eyes remained fixed on me. "Don't let me down, and don't let your parents down either."
I nodded and exited the office. The door gently closed behind me, cutting off his line of sight.
In the following days, I subtly asked a few familiar teachers about it.
Math Teacher Wang was focused on preparing lessons and didn't look up. "Ask about grades next time; if you have questions about problems, come after class. And don't pry into other matters," he said while tapping his pen against the desk with two sharp knocks.
English Teacher Zhao offered a professional smile, his tone warm yet distant. "Focus on your studies, young man. Don't let rumors distract you."
The responses were almost identical. Only the new Teacher Chen, after listening to me, opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing, merely casting a complex glance in my direction.
During the lunch break, the classroom was filled with the mixed aromas of food and the low hum of murmured discussions. I perked up my ears, trying to catch fragments of information floating in the air.
“... Hey, have you heard? That person from the next class also applied and got in...”
“Shh! Keep it down! Do you want to be 'invited' for tea?”
“... They say those who go in come out different, like they've become a completely different person...”
“... Not just different; they’re practically... not even human anymore...” A voice trembled, only to be interrupted by a companion's cough.
I glanced toward the source of the voice, and the group of students immediately lowered their heads, shoveling food from their lunch boxes as if they hadn’t just spoken.
The school bell rang, echoing through the campus as the noise gradually faded away. Instead of heading home like usual, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked toward the stairs at the far west end of the teaching building.
That area was usually deserted.
The stairwell was dimly lit, and my footsteps echoed clearly in the emptiness. The higher I climbed, the heavier the air seemed to become.
On the top floor, at the end of the corridor, stood a wooden door quietly. A thin layer of dust had settled on the doorframe, and there was no number on it—only a slightly lighter mark where one had once been.
The paint on the door was peeling, revealing dark wood beneath. Thick dark curtains covered the windows tightly, blocking out any hint of light.
I approached slowly; a faint smell of disinfectant mixed with a sweet chemical odor wafted through the crack under the door, somewhat pungent.
Holding my breath, I pressed my ear against the cold door.
Inside... there was no sound at all.
Not silence—deathly stillness.
An inexplicable chill began to rise from my feet, creeping up my spine to the back of my neck.
Suddenly, an old speaker above crackled to life with a sharp "zz." A piercing high-frequency sound burst forth for several seconds before abruptly stopping.
As that sound began, my temples throbbed. A violent buzzing erupted in my ears. A wave of agitation surged within me; my chest felt tight and my breathing grew heavy. The tinnitus lasted for several seconds before slowly fading away. I leaned against the cold wall, my heart racing.
What exactly lay behind that door?
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