Lin Xiao quickly opened the map. As the virtual layout unfolded before him, he gasped in shock. The map was filled with red spots, scattered like ominous confetti all over the screen.
"What the heck... so many portals," he muttered to himself. "How come I can't see any of them? What's happening?"
He leaned closer, studying the red dots. Some were flashing, while others seemed very weak, their glow barely visible.
The more he looked, the more confused he became. He had hoped for answers, but now he had even more questions.
Why did the world suddenly have so many portals? Were they caused by the red moon? Or had they always been there, hidden from sight until now?
Xiao Bai, perched on his shoulder, peered at the map with wide eyes. "Xiao Xiao, what does it mean? Why are there so many red spots?"
Lil'blackie, ever the serious one, frowned. "Maybe the red moon has something to do with it. Or perhaps these portals were always here, and we just couldn't see them before."
Lin Xiao nodded, feeling a chill run down his spine. "Maybe. But if they were always here, why did they suddenly become visible? And why are some of them flashing?"
Lil'blackie tilted her head, deep in thought. "I don't know," she finally said. Lin Xiao sighed and looked at the map one more time.
Suddenly, a high-pitched whistling noise pierced the air, like a missile or a screech—he couldn't be sure. As the sound grew louder, all the red dots on the map disappeared, vanishing as if they had never existed.
"Xiao Xiao, look at the moon!" Xiao Bai yelled.
Lin Xiao rushed to the window and saw that the moon was no longer red. It had returned to its normal, serene glow. "What was that noise? What is happening?" he gasped.
He wanted to call Li Jing and ask her, but he hesitated. She might be busy with the aftermath of whatever had just occurred.
Feeling increasingly bewildered, Lin Xiao tried to piece together what had just happened.
Did someone take action to make the red moon disappear? The strongest people in his country didn't know why the moon was red, so who could have dealt with it?
Was there someone even stronger than the most powerful people in the country? Or maybe the strongest people knew about the moon beforehand but didn't explain it?
His mind swirled with questions, each one more perplexing than the last. Finally, overwhelmed and exhausted, he laid down on his bed.
The day's events played over and over in his mind like a confusing puzzle.
As he stared at the ceiling, Lin Xiao's thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and concern. The red moon, the portals, the sudden disappearance of both—nothing made sense.
Lin Xiao wondered about the weird noise and who might be responsible. Did everyone hear it? Curiosity got the better of him, and he got up from the bed and went to his PC. Lin Xiao quickly opened up S.A.P.I.
As expected, the forums were flooded with discussions about the disappearance of the red moon. Some users speculated that an ancient superpower user with a divine domain had intervened, while others offered various theories.
Many posts mentioned hearing the weird noise as well, describing it as a high-pitched whistling or a screech that seemed to echo across the sky.
Some believed it was a signal from an unknown entity, while others thought it might be the result of a powerful supernatural battle happening out of sight.
Lin Xiao browsed through the posts for a while, noting how the theories grew increasingly wild.
Some people even suggested that the moon itself had been a supernatural entity, temporarily revealing its true nature before disappearing.
Others thought the noise was a warning of an impending apocalypse, and a few users claimed to have seen strange figures or shadows moving in the sky at the moment the noise was heard.
Seeing how the speculation spiraled out of control without any concrete answers, Lin Xiao turned off the PC and laid back down on the bed.
The day's events replayed in his mind, each mystery more perplexing than the last. Theories and questions swirled in his head, but no clear answers emerged.
As he stared at the ceiling, Lin Xiao felt a lot of frustration.
He knew he had to uncover the truth behind these strange occurrences, but for now, all he could do was rest and hope that tomorrow would bring some clarity.
Lin Xiao was confused. He didn't know what to do now. With a deep sigh and his cats sitting right next to him, Lin Xiao closed his eyes.
Half an hour went by, and Lin Xiao still couldn't sleep.
He couldn't stop thinking about the moon and the weird noise. He got up from the bed and saw that his cats were asleep.
Lin Xiao walked to the window and looked out, seeing the moon clearer than usual, white as usual.
It was like the red moon thing was just an illusion.
Lin Xiao suddenly had a crazy thought—what if it was an illusion by some super-powerful illusion superpower user? But he scrubbed that theory when he saw that the System didn't say "mission completed" about finding the mystery of the red moon.
Lin Xiao sighed and looked at the world. Normal people were walking as they usually did, not knowing the big event that had just happened.
Well, they don't even know superpower users exist. Lin Xiao couldn't believe he was one of them just a few weeks ago.
He closed his eyes and felt the breeze and once again looked at the moon. He closed the window and went back to lay on his bed again.
But what Lin Xiao didn't know was that, right as he closed the window, the moon turned red for a millisecond. But not all red—it looked like a face, a face that looked like a human but also not human at the same time.
The image was gone as quickly as it appeared, but it left a chilling impression on anyone who saw it.