Those who do not believe that the Black Tower is a disaster, they are convinced that it is a high-tech research achievement of the government. The government wouldn't harm people, would it? Even if something truly happens, the leaders are human too. Even if the sky falls, there are those above who will take the brunt of it, nothing to do with them. They can't do anything anyway.
On the other hand, those who believe that the Black Tower is a disaster, their fear reached its peak when the third day arrived.
"What is this game! What is elimination! We demand an explanation!" "Explanation! Clarify!"
"The Black Tower is divine; it will lead us into a new era. The Age of the Black Tower is approaching, my great and sole deity!"
"My deity, I sense that you are alive. Please grant us strength!" Thousands upon thousands of people knelt before the Black Tower, yearning for a beautiful new era.
The number of protesters kept growing, blocking the center of Shanghai. Amidst them were some opportunists, hoping to gain something from the chaos. Despite repeated warnings and dispersal efforts by the armed police, they refused to leave, relying on their numerical advantage, firmly surrounding the white walls, and even threatening to break through them.
Such scenes were taking place worldwide.
Meanwhile, inside the library, suddenly, a series of footsteps echoed from deep within the shelves on the third floor. The tramp frightened the homeless man, and Alex felt a chill run down her spine. She had just checked there, and there was no one. Whose footsteps were these? The trampled man was already paralyzed with fear, while Alex tightly gripped her black riot baton, her forehead covered in fine sweat. She took a thick, large book from the G-category shelf as a shield, constantly alert to her surroundings, prepared to strike back at any moment as she passed each shelf.
Thirty seconds later, a small black figure emerged from the depths of the shelves. It was a little girl with pigtails, wearing a red dress in the deep autumn of November, her feet shod in shiny red leather shoes. Her outfit, even the pink Minnie Mouse backpack on her back, was exquisitely detailed, appearing indistinguishable from a real person. The only exception was her face, covered in a thick layer of mosaic.
No eyebrows, no eyes, no nose, no mouth. Only mosaic.
"Sister, have you seen my book?" The little girl's voice, however crisp and melodious, rang out. "My book is missing. Sister, can you help me find it? Mommy bought me so many books, but they're all ugly. But if I lose them, Mommy will be very angry. If the book is gone, Mommy will kill me. Sister, a big brother told me you can help me find it, right?"
Alex suppressed her fear and feigned a smile: "Who's Mommy, and who's the big brother? If you can't find the book, Mommy... Mommy will kill you?"
"Mommy is just Mommy, Sister, you're so weird." The little girl tilted her head, and her right pigtail fell onto her mosaic face. She gazed at Alex and the tramp with her dark eyes before saying, "Heeheehee, but if you don't help me find the book, I'll kill you too, Sister."
A bucket of ice-cold water poured down Alex's spine. She pursed her lips and glared at the mosaic-faced little girl. "Do you remember what book it is? I'll help you look for it."
"Hmm..." The little girl shook her head, her pigtails swaying as she seemed to struggle with her memory for a long time: "I can't remember!" "Oh, I have to go to school now. If I'm late, the teacher will turn me into human stew. I'm leaving now, Sister, you have to help me find the book." Saying that, she vanished into dust before their eyes, her backpack still on her back.
The bizarre game had officially begun. Suddenly, the computer belonging to Alex at the service desk lit up. They approached it. On the blue background of the screen, a journal entry appeared, clearly marking the start of a game.
Alex read aloud:
"November 15th, sunny. I lost the book Mom bought me! She'll kill me! Mom hates girls who don't love reading, especially those who throw away their books and lie about them being stolen."
"November 16th, cloudy. I fooled Mom, she doesn't know the book is gone yet. Where is it, where is it? Mom will really kill me! But she doesn't know, I didn't lie, I didn't throw it away, it was the demon who stole it. 'Demons hate books. They're all illiterate. Why read when only those bird-people with wings should bother?'" The text on the screen shifted again.
"November 17th, cloudy. Mom seems to have found out, has she? But the demon said he didn't burn that evil book, he hid it in a library. Yet all the shelves in the library look alike."
"November 18th, rainy. Heeheehee... Mom really killed me."
As Alex finished reading, a clear child's voice echoed through the library.
"Ding dong! The confrontation game 'Who Stole My Book' has officially begun. During the game—"
"First, angels receive a clue during the day."
"Second, demons can burn any shelf at night."
"Third, rewards or punishments, like death, can occur at any time."
Alex surveyed the quiet library, filled only by the tramp and herself. No sign of the "brother," nor any angels or demons in sight. She strode to a shelf, pulling out a book and replacing it. "It seems we're on the angel's side. Who's the demon? That brother?" She extended her right hand, and the tramp inspected it, finding an angel wing pattern on the back.
Alex and the tramp split up. The tramp, bulkier than Alex, searched for the potential demon hiding in the library, while Alex explored the first and second floors. But an invisible barrier blocked the staircase. The tramp deduced, "If we're restricted to the third floor, the book must be here. How many shelves are there?"
Alex furrowed her brow, tapping her fingers on the table. "Twenty-three. The advantage is that we're familiar with this floor, but it makes it easier for the demon to burn the right shelf."
One possibility, they theorized, was that the demon was not human, but the brother's voice tied to the Black Towers. Assuming the game started by the Towers three days ago, the Towers and the demon might be entities devised as their opponents.
Just as they pondered, the familiar footsteps echoed from the shelves again. The little girl, now wearing a red apron over her dress, breathlessly approached. "I snuck out during lunch. You still haven't found my book? School ends soon, and Mom will find out!"
Alex asked, "Any clues? Remember anything about the book?"
The girl shook her ponytails. "I found this feather this morning. It's the demon's! I know the demon stole my book. I hate demons. I'll catch her, break her wings, and pop them in the popcorn machine!" She handed Alex a black feather before skipping away.
"Ding dong! Angel receives clue one: 'Demon's Feather.'"
The tramp wondered if the feather had other uses. "Is the demon the brother?"
Alex examined the feather, swinging it in the air to no avail. It seemed ordinary, mocking their efforts.
Suddenly, the lights went out, plunging the library into darkness. Alex's heart skipped a beat as she instinctively lit the old desk lamp. Its dim yellow glow illuminated a meter around them. Remembering the story, Alex mused, "Does game time differ from ours? It started at 17:52, now it's 19:58. Two hours for a day? Let's assume so. The girl has three days before 'dying.' Thus, 'night' lasts two hours too, when the demon burns shelves."
The next hours were tense as they watched the shelves. A deafening explosion erupted, engulfing the seventh shelf in flames. Alex and the tramp stared, but no one emerged.
The second day dawned, and the girl appeared, backpack in tow. "Why haven't you found my book? I barely fooled Mom. As an angel, you should know it! I hate reading!"
"Ding dong! Angel receives clue two: 'Disdain from the Little Girl.'"
As 'day' persisted, the ninth shelf was reduced to ashes. Alex touched the cool ashes, baffled by their lack of heat. "Why burn this shelf? Twenty-three chances; the demon's odds are slim unless we find the book first."
The tramp suggested the demon burned randomly. Alex agreed, half-heartedly.
Determined, they began removing books, dividing the shelves. But as night fell, they couldn't pull books from the shelves. Huddled by the lamp, they waited for the next explosion, the clock ticking slowly towards midnight.
At 00:00, a thunderous blast shook the library. "The H shelf! That's where my religion books were!" exclaimed the tramp.
The third day arrived, and the girl, in a black dress, skipped in with a basket of snacks. Ignoring the burnt shelves, she ran to Alex and the tramp.
"Today's field trip! I love the prairie with sheep, rabbits, and kangaroos. Their meat's delicious!" The tramp paled.
The girl suddenly snapped, "Where's my book?"
Alex asked if she remembered anything. The girl accused Alex of wanting the book, pulling out a giant match.
"Ding dong! Angel receives clue three: 'Friend, still no book? You're dying!'"
The girl advanced, match in hand. Alex calmly pulled a book from the shelf. "Here it is, your non-mischievous, fire-starting, book-stealing self."
The girl stammered, hiding the match. Alex held up "The Secret of the Disappearance of the Maya Civilization." "Found it."