Anna's legs trembled beneath her as she backed away from the red lantern. Her heart pounded in her ears, and her mouth had gone dry. Every instinct screamed at her to run, but the alley seemed to close in around her, making escape feel impossible.
The lantern across the street swayed ominously, its blood-red light flickering like a heartbeat. The door beneath it, half-open, seemed to beckon, as if daring her to come closer.
"No…" Anna whispered to herself, shaking her head. She wasn't going in there. She wasn't falling for the same trap twice.
But as she turned to leave, she heard a voice—a voice so familiar it stopped her cold.
"Anna?"
She whipped around. Standing just outside the open door beneath the red lantern was David.
He looked disheveled, his hair matted with sweat, and his eyes were wild with fear. He waved her over frantically.
"Anna, please! You have to help me!" David's voice cracked, his words rushed and panicked.
Relief flooded Anna's chest at the sight of him, but something wasn't right. David's face was pale, almost ghostly, and the way he stood—stiff and unnatural—sent a wave of unease through her.
"David?" she called, her voice shaking. "What happened? Where have you been?"
David didn't answer. He only gestured toward the door behind him. "Come inside. It's safe in here."
Safe? Nothing about this felt safe. Anna's gut twisted. She remembered the wails of the ghost in the teahouse, the sense of being watched, the way the red lanterns seemed to pulse with some malevolent energy.
She took a step forward, unsure. "Are you okay? You look… different."
David's expression flickered, almost like a glitch. For a moment, his eyes went dark, hollow—just like the ghost's—and Anna froze.
Then, just as quickly, his face returned to normal, his eyes wide and pleading.
"Please, Anna. Hurry!"
But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The lantern's glow bathed David in an unnatural red hue, and the shadows around him seemed to writhe and twist. The smell of decay was stronger now, the same rancid stench she had smelled inside the teahouse.
Something deep inside her clicked—the realization that this wasn't David, or at least not anymore.
She took another step back, her heart thundering in her chest. "No… I don't think I can."
David's face twisted into an expression of rage, his features warping in the lantern's light. "You have to! You can't leave me here!"
His voice was wrong now—distorted, echoing like it came from somewhere far away. His body moved forward, but it didn't seem like he was walking. It was as though something was pulling him toward her.
Anna's breath caught in her throat. "You're not my brother."
The thing wearing David's face stopped, its mouth curling into a twisted smile. "Smart girl."
Anna stumbled backward as the thing lunged toward her, its body flickering like a candle flame. But before it could reach her, a gust of wind blew through the alley, snuffing out the lantern's light. In an instant, the figure disappeared, leaving nothing but the cold, suffocating darkness.
Anna collapsed against the wall, gasping for air. Her body shook uncontrollably, and her mind raced to make sense of what had just happened. Whatever that thing was, it had been using David's image to lure her in, just like the ghost in the teahouse.
She needed to get out of Chinatown. Now.
Scrambling to her feet, she took off down the alley, her footsteps echoing loudly in the silent night. She didn't care where she was going, as long as it was far away from the red lanterns and the spirits that seemed to haunt them.
But the deeper she ran, the more disoriented she became. The streets all looked the same, narrow and winding, lined with old shops and darkened windows. It was as if Chinatown had shifted, trapping her in a maze she couldn't escape.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she grabbed it with trembling hands, hoping it was David—or anyone—who could help her.
But when she looked at the screen, her stomach dropped.
It was another text. From David.
"You can't escape her. She's coming for you."
Anna's blood ran cold. She looked around, her eyes darting from one shadow to the next. The street was empty, but she could feel it—something was watching her. She wasn't alone.
Then, from the shadows, she heard it. The soft, mournful wail.
"Mei Lan…"
Anna spun around, searching for the source of the voice. It was faint, like a whisper carried on the wind, but it was growing louder, closer.
"Mei Lan seeks vengeance."
The wailing turned into a low, guttural moan that sent a chill down Anna's spine. The air grew colder, and the shadows seemed to thicken, creeping closer.
She stumbled backward, her hands shaking. "What do you want from me?" she cried, her voice barely a whisper.
But there was no answer, only the sound of the wailing ghost drawing nearer.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows—a woman, her white dress flowing like smoke, her long black hair obscuring her face. She moved with a slow, deliberate grace, her feet never touching the ground.
It was Mei Lan.
Anna's legs refused to move. She was paralyzed with fear, trapped in the gaze of the ghost that had haunted this place for so long. Mei Lan's hollow eyes stared into hers, filled with centuries of pain and anger.
"You opened the box," Mei Lan whispered, her voice soft and sorrowful. "You released me. Now, I must finish what was begun."
Anna's breath came in ragged gasps. "I didn't mean to! I didn't know!"
Mei Lan drifted closer, her presence suffocating. "It does not matter. The cycle cannot be broken."
The ghost's hand reached out, cold as death, and brushed against Anna's skin. A wave of memories flooded her mind—images of Mei Lan's life, her betrayal, her death, and the dark curse that had bound her spirit to Chinatown.
Anna saw it all in vivid detail—the man who had betrayed Mei Lan, the ritual that had sealed her fate, and the generations of people who had suffered because of it.
But there was something else. A glimmer of hope buried deep within the curse, a way to end it.
"You don't have to do this," Anna whispered, her voice trembling. "There's another way. I can help you."
Mei Lan paused, her hollow eyes flickering with uncertainty.
Anna's mind raced. "The box… it holds your hair, your essence. If I destroy it, maybe—maybe you can be free."
For a moment, Mei Lan was silent, her form flickering like a dying flame. Then, slowly, she nodded.
"You must be quick," the ghost whispered, her voice fading. "She will come."
Without another word, Mei Lan disappeared into the shadows, leaving Anna alone in the cold, empty street.
Anna's heart pounded in her chest. She didn't know if destroying the box would really work, but it was the only chance she had. She turned and ran back toward the teahouse, the cursed box still burned into her memory.
As she reached the alley where the teahouse stood, she saw the flames had died out, leaving only smoldering embers. The red lantern still hung above the door, flickering weakly.
Inside, the box lay untouched, as if waiting for her.
Anna grabbed it, her hands shaking, and without hesitation, she smashed it against the ground. The porcelain shattered into a thousand pieces, and the lock of hair inside crumbled to dust.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, a gust of wind swept through the alley, extinguishing the lantern's light. The air grew still, and the oppressive presence that had filled the streets of Chinatown lifted.
Mei Lan was gone.
Anna sank to the ground, her body trembling with exhaustion and relief. It was over.
But as she looked down at the shattered remains of the box, a single thought lingered in the back of her mind.
How many more ghosts were still out there, waiting for someone to release them?