Lin Xiao was sitting on the bed looking at the map in silence. He was wondering what was happening. Why is this map here?
Suddenly, his phone buzzed on the bedside table, snapping him out of his thoughts. He picked it up, expecting another mundane message or notification, but his screen was blank.
Yet the phone kept buzzing as if it were receiving a call. Frowning, Lin Xiao hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Hello?" he said cautiously.
There was a long silence on the other end, followed by a static hum, and then a voice—distorted, barely recognizable, but familiar.
"Xiao Xiao... stop looking for answers... they'll come to you."
Lin Xiao's heart raced. "Who is this?"
But the call had already disconnected.
Lin Xiao stood frozen, staring at his phone in disbelief. The voice on the call—it wasn't just familiar, it sounded almost identical to his own, though warped and distorted. How could that even be possible? A chill ran down his spine.
"What the hell is going on?" Lin Xiao muttered under his breath.
Xiao Bai, sensing Lin Xiao's unease, rubbed against his leg, while Little Blackie sat nearby, her piercing eyes watching him closely.
"You okay, Xiao Xiao?" Little Blackie asked, her voice laced with concern.
Lin Xiao didn't respond immediately. His mind raced, trying to process the strange series of events. The map, the voice, the missing memories of the twin moons—nothing was adding up. Was this world an illusion? A parallel universe? And why did the voice sound like... him?
"I'm not sure," Lin Xiao finally said, his voice tense. "That call... the voice sounded like me, but it wasn't me. It's like someone—or something—is trying to mess with my head."
Xiao Bai tilted his head curiously. "Maybe it's connected to the map? Whoever—or whatever—called you might be trying to give you a message."
Lin Xiao glanced down at the crumpled map in his pocket, a feeling of dread settling in his chest. The strange hand-drawn map was the only real lead he had.
Maybe following it would give him answers, or maybe it would only pull him deeper into whatever twisted reality he found himself in.
Lin Xiao looked around the room again. Everything was too perfect, too normal, almost like this world was designed to keep him comfortable—to keep him from asking questions. But he couldn't ignore the gnawing sensation that something was deeply wrong.
"Let's go," Lin Xiao said, his voice more resolute now. "We need to figure out where this map leads."
Little Blackie, still watching him intently, flicked her tail. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Xiao Xiao? This place feels off, and following strange maps with no clue what's at the end... it could be dangerous."
Lin Xiao sighed. "I know. But if I stay here doing nothing, I'll just drive myself crazy. We need to find out what's really happening. Maybe the map is the key."
Without wasting any more time, Lin Xiao grabbed his jacket, stuffed the map into the pocket, and headed out the door. His two cats followed closely, padding along silently.
As they walked down the hallway, Lin Xiao glanced back toward his mother's room. He thought about telling her what was going on, but something held him back. In this world, she wouldn't understand. She didn't even remember the twin moons.
"Let's just get this over with," Lin Xiao muttered, stepping outside into the crisp morning air.
The streets of his city were as busy and peaceful as ever, with people going about their day like nothing was wrong. But Lin Xiao's heart was pounding with tension. Everything looked perfect, but it didn't feel real.
The phone call, the map, the missing supernatural elements—he felt like a stranger in his own world.
Lin Xiao unfolded the map once again, scanning the rough lines and abstract shapes. He traced a path with his finger, one that led to the outskirts of the city. A place he had never been before. His pulse quickened.
"Well, this is it," Lin Xiao said under his breath.
Xiao Bai and Little Blackie kept pace with him as they made their way toward the destination marked on the map. It felt like every step was pulling him deeper into the unknown.
Whatever awaited him there, Lin Xiao was determined to face it, even if it meant unraveling the very fabric of this world.
Lin Xiao kept comparing the strange hand-drawn map with the one in his system, hoping for some alignment. But the system map flickered with inconsistencies, constantly changing and showing blurry paths, making it hard for him to follow. Frustration grew as he tried to navigate the streets of his city, but soon, the paths aligned briefly, guiding him toward the outskirts. Lin Xiao's heart raced as he realized he was close to whatever this map was leading him to.
He quickened his pace, with Xiao Bai and Little Blackie silently trailing him. The city slowly gave way to overgrown paths and rugged terrain. Eventually, Lin Xiao reached a heavily wooded area that looked almost untouched by time, an eerie silence hanging over it.
"What's happening?" Lin Xiao murmured. "This shouldn't be here. The city doesn't have places like this…"
As Lin Xiao ventured deeper into the woods, a sense of dread gnawed at him. The air became colder, and the ground beneath him crunched with each step. The hand-drawn map showed an "X" at a spot just ahead. Lin Xiao paused, squinting through the dense trees, when he saw it—a large, shadowy opening hidden behind thick vegetation.
A cave.
The sight of it sent a chill down Lin Xiao's spine. This was the place. According to the map, something was waiting for him inside.
"You guys sense anything weird?" Lin Xiao asked his cats. Xiao Bai meowed softly, his large eyes scanning the surroundings nervously, while Little Blackie remained on edge, her fur bristling slightly.
Without saying another word, Lin Xiao moved toward the cave. The entrance was wide and dark, with jagged rocks framing it. As he stepped inside, his phone lost signal, and the world outside seemed to disappear. The darkness enveloped him, and the only sounds were his footsteps and the occasional drip of water echoing through the cave.