Lin Xiao was shocked and asked his mother, "You can see that?"
His mother, baffled, replied, "Yes, of course! There's a second moon in the sky."
Lin Xiao noticed she only mentioned the second moon but not its color. He thought maybe she couldn't see the color of the moon. Trying to confirm his suspicion, Lin Xiao asked, "What color is it?"
His mother frowned, looking puzzled. "What do you mean, what color? It's just... a moon. Like the other one. Why? Are you seeing something different?"
Lin Xiao's heart pounded. She couldn't see the red color. "It's nothing," he said quickly, trying to keep his voice steady. "Just wanted to make sure we were seeing the same thing."
His mother gave him a concerned look but didn't press further. "We should get inside," she said, her voice shaking. "This is too strange."
As they exited the car, he couldn't help but steal another glance at the twin moons, their sinister red glow sending chills down his spine.
They hurried inside the house, locking the door behind them. Lin Xiao's mind raced.
His mother couldn't see the red color or hear the eerie scream, but she saw the second moon. This wasn't just a personal hallucination; something very real and very dangerous was happening, something that selectively affected perception.
Mother Lin was pacing around the kitchen, her eyes darting nervously between the windows and the clock. Lin Xiao, noticing her growing anxiety, stood up and gently took her hands.
"Mom, let's try some breathing exercises," he said softly. "It'll help us calm down."
She nodded, her eyes wide with fear but willing to trust her son. Lin Xiao led her through a simple routine: deep breaths in through the nose, holding for a few seconds, and then slowly exhaling through the mouth.
They repeated this several times, and gradually, he could see her shoulders relaxing, her breathing becoming steadier.
"Good, just keep breathing slowly," Lin Xiao encouraged. "Focus on your breath, and let everything else fade away."
After a few minutes, Mother Lin's frantic pacing stopped, and she sat down at the kitchen table, visibly calmer. Lin Xiao sat next to her, offering a reassuring smile. "We're safe here, Mom. Whatever's happening outside, we'll figure it out together."
Mother Lin nodded, taking a sip of her tea, her hands still trembling slightly but her demeanor much more composed. "Thank you, Xiao Xiao. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Lin Xiao squeezed her hand. "We'll get through this, I promise."
Once she seemed settled, Lin Xiao turned his attention back to his own concerns. He opened the system interface again, his mind racing for answers. The new notification about the twin moons was troubling. He had to find a way to understand and counteract this threat.
[Warning to host: Prolonged exposure to the twin moons may increase the chance of sanity loss. Avoid looking directly at them.]
Lin Xiao swallowed hard. This was getting more dangerous by the minute. What was happening to Earth? This felt so godly, so cosmic, that it seemed beyond comprehension. He had no clear leads to investigate this phenomenon. His mind raced, grasping for any possible avenue of inquiry.
The only lead he had was to go to the old library. It was a long shot, but perhaps ancient texts or forgotten lore could shed some light on these events. Deep down, he knew that the chances of finding anything useful there were slim, but he couldn't just sit idly by.
"Mom, I need to go out for a bit," Lin Xiao said, trying to sound casual.
His mother looked up sharply. "No. You are not going anywhere! It might be dangerous."
Lin Xiao paused, realizing the impulsiveness of his decision. Why had he suddenly thought of going outside when it could be dangerous? Was it because his sanity had taken a hit, causing him to make reckless choices?
Mother Lin held his arm firmly, her voice trembling with emotion. "Nobody is going anywhere."
Suddenly, she looked around with wide eyes. "Meiying! Where is Meiying?" Panic rose in her voice as she started to yell, "Meiying! Meiying!"
No reply came, and Lin Xiao felt a wave of anxiety wash over him. Mother Lin already had tears welling up in her eyes, the fear evident on her face.
Then, suddenly, a noise came from upstairs. "Mooom, I'm in the bathroom!!"
Mother Lin's shoulders sagged in relief upon hearing her daughter's voice. She yelled back, "Come downstairs quick!"
Lin Xiao let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. The tension in the room slowly dissipated as they waited for Lin Meiying to come downstairs. Moments later, she appeared, looking confused and a little annoyed.
"What's going on? Why are you shouting?" Lin Meiying asked, her brow furrowed.
Mother Lin rushed over and hugged her tightly. "I was so worried. With everything that's happening, I just... I needed to know you were safe."
Lin Meiying, still confused, looked at Lin Xiao. "Brother, what's happening?"
Lin Xiao took a deep breath. "It's... complicated. But you need to see something, and you need to trust me. Don't look directly at the moons."
Meiying's confusion deepened, but she nodded. Lin Xiao guided her to the window, carefully positioning her so she could see the reflection of the moons in the mirror on the opposite wall, rather than looking at them directly. "Look there," he instructed, pointing to the mirror.
Mother Lin watched, puzzled, as Lin Xiao took such precautions. She opened her mouth to ask why, but Lin Xiao gave her a reassuring look that seemed to say, "Trust me." She decided not to question it for now.
When Meiying saw the twin moons reflected in the mirror, her eyes widened in shock. "What... what is that?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"It's real," Lin Xiao said quietly. "But we can't look directly at them. It's dangerous."
Meiying looked at Lin Xiao, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. She whispered, "Is this related to the supernatural world?"
Lin Xiao nodded. "Of course it has to be. This doesn't look natural at all. Something big is happening, and we need to figure out what it is without putting ourselves in more danger."