The computer lab was in another building altogether. With three hours left until dawn, Charles and Linda decided to try their luck there.
What if they could dig up something useful?
"By the way, where'd you get that handgun?" Charles asked.
"Before coming to this world, I was a cop. I'm also into outdoor activities, so not only do I have a handgun, but I also have a tent, rope, sunscreen, a bikini..."
"Nice," Charles exclaimed. "It's a good thing you had that gun. We would've been in serious trouble otherwise—might have even lost one of us."
Hearing Charles' praise, Linda's mood lifted. She tilted her chin up and hummed in satisfaction. "Yes, you are right?"
Then she pulled out another handgun and handed it to him. "Here, have a gun. It's better than your scalpel for now!"
"Thanks," Charles said as he took the handgun. While the weapon wasn't particularly effective against the ghost beings, it could slow them down and its silencing capability was a nice touch.
Finally, they reached the computer lab. Charles aimed the handgun at the door lock and fired. The door swung open.
Linda stood guard while Charles started to scour the computer for information about Leopold.
"How's it going?" Linda asked, watching Charles' fingers dance frenetically over the keyboard.
Charles looked intently at the screen and responded, "Whoever we're dealing with is a big deal. A lot of the information in the computer has been wiped clean!"
"But that's okay; I can search in the 'Digital Abyss.'"
Confused, Linda asked, "Digital Abyss? What's that?"
"It's the landfill of the internet," Charles explained. "Generally, information in a computer is never truly deleted. All the data that has ever appeared, when cleaned out, its code gets sent into the Digital Abyss."
"However, getting into the Digital Abyss is complicated. You need real-time compiling, trial and error, modifications, and then you can log in."
His explanation left Linda completely stunned.
"Were you a hacker before? How do you know all this?"
Charles looked serious. "No, I'm a psychiatrist. I had a patient who was a hacker. He suffered from severe delusional disorder. Every day, he told me he could project his consciousness into the internet, immersing himself in a sea of digits..."
Linda chuckled, "You believe someone with a mental disorder?"
Charles continued, "At first, he was aimlessly wandering in the virtual world on his own. After some time of treatment, we were finally able to go in and play together."
Linda: "???"
"And then?" Linda probed.
"Then, I was the only one left in there," Charles said, matter-of-factly.
"Why?"
"Because I cured his delusional disorder."
Rolling her eyes, Linda retorted, "So are you saying you became delusional as well?"
As their conversation unfolded, Charles successfully logged into the Digital Abyss.
"Delusional? No, it's not a delusion. My consciousness really can communicate with data."
Upon hearing this, Linda chuckled, assuming Charles was just teasing her and didn't give it another thought.
However, had Linda moved to the front of the computer, she would have been horrified to discover that Charles hadn't opened any programs on his computer at all. Even the keyboard's cable wasn't plugged in.
"I've found it," Charles squinted at the screen, fully engrossed.
"Leopold's mother had an altercation with one of the school's teachers. She fell accidentally from the fifth-floor corridor. Despite all rescue efforts, she died on September 23rd, 2032."
"Cause of Death: Severe Brain Damage."
"A week later, Leopold shot his teacher in the head with a handgun and fled the school."
"Since then, Leopold has completely disappeared... and students at this school began mysteriously vanishing within a month, not a single one spared."
"During this time, the local government deployed a large number of investigators to search the school, but to no avail..."
Charles' narration left Linda feeling deeply puzzled.
"September 23rd, 2032... a week later would be September 30th, and another month from then is... October 31st, 2032!"
"Isn't that... the day our instance is supposed to end?"
Linda jolted as if struck by lightning, suddenly grasping a crucial clue.
Beforehand, she had noticed an electronic calendar next to a classroom's blackboard. The date displayed was in the year 2032.
That could only mean one thing...
They had returned to a past timeline—specifically, to the final seven days before the curse was set to take effect.
"No wonder... no wonder the list only had seat assignments up to October 30rd!"
"Charles, your speculation is correct!"
"On October 31st, everyone... will die!"
Linda's heart was filled with dread.
Initially, when she had gotten hold of the student list, she thought escaping alive would be a straightforward task. But in this moment, she realized that she had oversimplified things.
Surviving the seventh day was the true challenge this situation presented. Linda shook her head and chuckled; she was such a fool.
Fortunately, today was only their first day in this school; they still had plenty of time. From what she could tell, her chances of surviving were high as long as she stayed close to Charles.
Eyes keenly scanning her surroundings for any lurking ghosts, Linda's grip tightened on her handgun.
The stars barely pierced through the night sky; the moon hung pallid and incomplete.
A faint mist, its origin inexplicable, started to rise, gradually growing thicker. The already limited visibility of the night was further diminished.
Linda, sensing something was amiss, immediately called out to Charles inside the computer room:"Charles... the mist is rolling in!"
Charles looked up; his eyes flickered with innumerable bits of data, all of which were erased in a fraction of a second. He quickly shut down the computer, reset the keyboard and mouse, and exited the room.
Seeing the mist outside, he grabbed Linda's hand without a second's delay.
"Run!"
Linda felt herself being pulled as they darted into the encroaching mist.
By now, the mist had become dense; their visibility was restricted to approximately ten meters and shrinking. Most alarmingly, this mysterious fog was steadily eroding Linda's mental stamina.
Her mind felt foggy, almost drifting into unconsciousness. In a moment of lucidity, she swiftly bit her tongue. The sharp pain and the metallic taste of blood in her mouth helped her cling to her waning sanity.
"Is her mental draining this quickly?"
Under the influence of the mist, Linda's eyes began to look increasingly vacant. Charles quickly made a decision and sprinted toward a distant storage room.
The ground floor of the storage room was locked with an iron door.
Fortunately, Linda had given Charles a handgun earlier. He aimed it at the door handle and fired a shot! Bursting into the first floor of the storage room, Charles swiftly shut the door behind him, dragging a wooden crate in place to barricade it.
Luckily, the enveloping mist hadn't seeped through.
Charles stood up, peering through the gaps to assess the situation outside.
The fog had intensified, limiting visibility to a mere five meters.
At the same time, data relating to the thick fog started to materialize in front of Charles' eyes.
"Mist: High-Level Danger"
"Note: There are numerous eerie entities within. If you don't want to encounter them, it would be best to find a shelter and hide immediately."
So the mist was indeed as perilous as he had suspected.
Free from the influence of the mist, Linda's mental state began to improve. Her face was still pallid, but her eyes regained their sparkle.
"Thank you, you've saved my life again," Linda said gratefully, her eyes meeting Charles'. To her astonishment, Charles had his gun aimed at her!