Inside the live broadcast room of "Dawn Chats,"
The atmosphere suddenly turned unusually tense, with a deluge of listener comments flooding in, their words dripping with impatience and curiosity. Just a few minutes ago, Dawn was immersed in a sea of memories, narrating the warm yet subtle moment of her chance encounter with her first love at a café last week. As everyone held their breath, eagerly anticipating her delicate portrayal of the thrill of that reunion, she unexpectedly fell into silence.
This silence was not an ordinary pause for thought but was accompanied by a series of eerie and piercing sounds – like sharp needles piercing through fabric, crisp droplets hitting the ground, and jagged nails scraping across wood. These noises intertwined, shattering the tranquility of the night and jangling the nerves of every listener.
In the chatroom, questions and concerns surged like a tidal wave, with messages like "Is Dawn still online?" and "What's happening?" scrolling endlessly.
Just then, a sudden domestic chaos erupted, shattering the tranquility of the live broadcast. From afar, the anxious cries of Dawn's sister pierced through the screen: "Mom! Mom, come quickly!" Followed by her mother's panicked screams: "Call Grandma right now!" Then, her brother joined in, his voice filled with urgency, pleading with his mother and sister to help restrain Dawn's limbs while he quickly activated the speakerphone on his phone and reported their home address to the emergency services.
Time seemed to stretch, and we rewind to five minutes ago.
After declining to answer the relentless inquiries of "Ten Thousand Lights" Guild Leader Guan about the Li Haoyu incident, Dawn shared a photo on social media featuring four vastly different breakfast options: traditional Chinese dim sums, exquisite Western dishes, light vegetarian fare, and convenient meal replacement enzyme powder. She cleverly set up a mini-game, inviting listeners to guess which one was her choice. The comment section quickly erupted with a flurry of guesses, while the persistent messages of "Ten Thousand Lights" Guild Leader Guan stubbornly weaved in and out, unwilling to give up and continuing to seek any clues about the Li Haoyu incident from Dawn.
Noticing Dawn's continued silence, "The Guild Leader Guan of Ten Thousand Lights' messages grew increasingly sharp, exuding an undeniable aura of authority.
'XX Town, a place bound by ancient oaths, where residents are forbidden to cross its boundaries for generations, lest they face divine retribution.'
'Mentioning the first individual who dared to step out of XX Town's confinement—'
'Transformed into a cannibalistic monster.'
'Then, the second—'
'Li Haoyu!'
'Is the source of his supernatural powers none other than the beliefs of XX Town?'
'Are these beliefs, as the world calls them, a cult?'
'If so, how powerful is this cult's influence, capable of enveloping people's hearts?'
'Are you hesitant, fearing that voicing doubts about these beliefs will bring you unnecessary trouble? You mentioned having your own beliefs earlier, then isn't this faith a safe haven for your soul? What are you afraid of? Unless, deep down, you've already wavered in the protective power of these beliefs. If it's as powerless as you think, why would you willingly entrust your heart to it?'
'If you remain silent, I will keep flooding the screen until—'
'You, are willing to respond,'
'U'
'N'
'T'
'I'
'L'
'You'
'R'
'E'
'P'
'L'
'Y'
'For'
'XX'
'Town'
'And'
'Your'
'Views'
'On'
'Li'
'Haoyu'
'And'
'His'
'Story.'
Gazing at the dense barrage of Guild Leader Guan's messages on the comment wall, Dawn calmly replied, 'Guild Leader Guan, if you insist on this path, I can only regretfully take measures to temporarily restrict your comments.'
Dawn added, "I've already stated quite clearly earlier that I have no intention of responding further to anything related to XX Town or Li Haoyu." With that, her thoughts drifted back to her unexpected encounter with her first love at the café last week, just before an unexpected incident unfolded silently.
...The chatter of the live broadcast abruptly ceased amidst the urgent blare of ambulance sirens.
...
A hidden recorder worn on her chest captured the scene as the vehicle sped down the road. The man in the passenger seat clutched his phone tightly, engrossed in a podcast by a broadcaster known as Fish Skin. Fish Skin was regaling his audience with urban legends about red eyes, claiming they were ominous signs that brought misfortune to anyone who witnessed them. The passenger grew increasingly fascinated. The driver playfully tapped him on the shoulder, but the passenger merely leaned in closer, intent on Fish Skin's tale.
The driver chuckled, "Take these podcast stories with a grain of salt, don't take them too seriously."
The passenger replied earnestly, "I'm searching for answers."
The driver reminded him, "It won't help you find Li Haoyu."
The passenger shook his head, "I'm not talking about Li Haoyu. I'm talking about the red eyes. They're real."
Curiosity piqued, the driver asked, "How can you be so sure?"
The passenger's gaze grew intense, "Because I saw them with my own eyes while climbing Sleepy Moon Peak."
Intrigued, the driver said, "Tell me more."
The passenger began to recount, "It was during my university days. My two friends and I decided to set out from our hotel at 2:30 AM to climb the Sleepy Moon Trail and catch the sunrise. It was a damp, chilly night, right after a rain. The mountains were deserted, just the three of us. The night was eerie, the sky seemed covered by a heavy curtain, not a single star visible. It was pitch black, and we relied solely on our flashlights to find our way. Along the way, one friend went to relieve himself and took the flashlight with him, so I waited where I was, no more than ten meters away. Suddenly, two beams of light flickered in the darkness to my left. I turned to look, and there were two blindingly red dots, the size of a one-yuan coin. As I stared harder, I realized they weren't balls of light but sharp, piercing red eyes that seemed to see into my soul. They fixed on me, like a predator eyeing its prey, filling me with an indescribable sense of oppression. My throat tightened, unable to utter a sound. Then, the red light seemed to step back, and my body moved involuntarily, drawn towards it..."
The passenger paused before continuing, "After that, we never went mountain climbing again. For them, that night became an unforgettable memory. They said as I collapsed, I muttered words they couldn't understand. They held me tightly, feeling as if something in the darkness was trying to drag me away. And at that moment, the flashlight inexplicably went out, and our phones lost signal. They could only pray for dawn to come. As for me, my memory of that experience is hazy, except for those two red eyes, which remain crystal clear to this day."
The driver asked skeptically, "You're not making this up, are you?"
The passenger nodded sincerely, "It's true."
The driver nodded back, understanding in his voice, "I just had to ask. If I were your friend and saw something like that, I wouldn't know how to react either." The passenger sighed and added, "I think our senior would steer clear of the mountains too, just like us."
As soon as the words left his lips, the man in the passenger seat suddenly noticed a man with bloodstained hands dashing out from the opposite sidewalk, desperately flagging down an approaching ambulance. The two immediately stopped their vehicle and got out to investigate.
As their figures disappeared into the distance, the image captured by the hidden recorder on their chests grew blurry.
Upon arriving at the scene, they promptly identified themselves as police officers and followed the medical staff into the house. Racing up the stairs, they finally halted in front of a door at the end, adorned with a striking poster of Dawn.
Officer A, the man who was driving, asked urgently, "What exactly happened? Can you elaborate?"
Dawn's brother looked flustered, his voice trembling slightly, "My sister was live-streaming when she suddenly picked up a pair of scissors and began hurting herself. No matter how much we pleaded, she wouldn't stop. In desperation, I had to rush over, sit on her, and slap her twice before she finally stopped. Her condition is very unstable now, and the doctor is treating her inside."
Officer A and his colleague, Officer B, in the passenger seat, exchanged glances, both aware of the gravity of the situation. They quickly composed themselves and prepared to further investigate and handle this emergency.
Officer B, squatting down to assist the medical staff with urgent matters, noticed the intermittent red light flickering on the laptop on the table. He stood up and carefully unplugged the power cord to avoid any potential disruptions.
Officer A turned to the brother, inquiring with concern, "When did she start self-harming, roughly?"
The brother replied anxiously, "About ten minutes ago. My sister would never commit suicide. She has clear plans for the future, like buying a house in two years. Please, do not categorize this incident as suicide."
Officer A nodded, his tone firm, "We will conduct a thorough investigation into this matter. Right now, the priority is to stop the bleeding and get your sister to the hospital as soon as possible. Would you be willing to accompany her on the ambulance?"