As Yan Su rushed forward, Zhen Ai had already vanished into the labyrinth of intertwining corridors.
He stared at the winding hallway, suddenly recalling a scene: he had lifted the white cloth on the floor, revealing Zhen Ai's wax figure lying quietly beside the doctor's corpse. At that moment, he had resolutely decided not to let her out of his sight.
His heart tightened in pain and panic, as if pierced by a thousand arrows.
Yan Su stopped, forcing himself to calm down. Blindly chasing after her was even more dangerous.
Zhen Ai needed solitude; even though it pained him, he was willing to give her space. As long as he ensured that everyone else remained in the living room, Zhen Ai would be safe.
He gazed down the empty hallway, reluctant yet resolute, and turned back to the living room. As he passed the hall, he took a careful glance; the wax figures of the remaining guests showed no signs of issues.
But he never expected that upon opening the door, the once warm living room now contained only two people: the butler and the lawyer. The butler appeared to be getting ready to leave.
Yan Su's heart sank suddenly. "Where is everyone?"
The lawyer replied, "The host said it was cold and went to the room to fetch blankets; everyone else followed." Then, curiously, he asked, "Hey? Didn't the student miss come with you?"
Yan Su could no longer speak, feeling an indescribable sorrow swell within him as he turned and walked out.
As he came face to face with a maid, who was carrying a blanket and looking past him, she said, "Butler, it's almost 1 o'clock; I'll go turn off the lights in the annex." She added, "By the way, I don't know who opened the hall window, but it knocked over the student miss's wax figure..."
"Damn it!" Yan Su bit down on his teeth, unable to suppress a curse.
The maid turned her head, surprised at the sight of the most serious logician among them cursing. She widened her eyes in disbelief.
---
Zhen Ai walked through the central garden, drenched from the downpour.
After wandering aimlessly through the castle for a while, the surroundings began to blend with her memories of her brother's games. The annex at the westernmost end was number 7; she remembered now.
Although it was her first time in the castle, she found her way to the room at the far end of Annex 7 with ease.
With a creak, the door opened. The room was simply decorated, quiet and peaceful, with warm lights on the walls. She walked across the soft carpet to the window.
The castle was two extremes: outside, it was tumultuous, while inside, one could hear a pin drop.
She stood at the edge of silence and noise, unlocked the bolt, grabbed the thick wooden window frame, and pulled hard.
A rush of wind howled in, the Arctic breeze surged in like a flood, slapping her face with cold. The wind mixed with bitter, hard raindrops stung her cheeks.
She let go of the window and took a step back, the strong wind making the wooden frame shake violently.
The faint light from the room spilled out into the dark night, casting a shallow glow that was quickly swallowed by darkness. Everywhere she looked, jagged rocks lay scattered, tangled with grass, battered and torn by the wind and rain.
Beyond that, the vast sea stretched endlessly into the black night, devoid of stars or city lights, only darkness—an endless abyss of black.
Raindrops floated into her dark eyes, cold and piercing. Yet she stubbornly kept them open, her eyelids gradually reddening, and transparent tears slid down her pale cheeks like beads.
The poem said: The sun has set... the surroundings are desolate... I see nothing and hear nothing... only a sigh...
Brother, are you deeply saddened inside?
Why did you choose death? Knowing that without you, I am all alone in this world. You knew, so why still choose death?
She stood silently, tears streaming down her face, gazing into the turbulent darkness ahead. An unbearable sense of oppression and anguish surged within her, and she longed to leap into the unfathomable darkness and scream.
But suddenly, the window was shut by someone. The storm and rain ceased at once. The world returned to warmth and tranquility.
Through the glimmer of tears, she saw a stranger's straight back, alongside a plump yet innocent girl.
The maid hurriedly locked the window.
The butler, seeing the water stains on the floor, frowned and said, suppressing his anger, "Rainwater coming in will dampen the castle's floors, and these wooden floors will attract termites!"
His tone was stern and displeased as he turned back to Zhen Ai, only to freeze upon seeing her tear-streaked face, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his features.
The maid, having secured the window, gasped at the sight of Zhen Ai crying, "Student miss, what's wrong?"
The butler, who had long lived alone in the castle and was not adept at dealing with people, felt uncomfortable seeing Zhen Ai cry. He shifted a step toward the maid, trying to distance himself from Zhen Ai and alleviate his sense of responsibility. Yet he felt guilty, so he softly told the maid, "I only spoke one word to her, and she fell silent and started crying like this."
The maid exchanged a silent glance with the butler, then approached Zhen Ai to ask, "Did you have an argument with the logician? He was running around the castle earlier, seemingly looking for you."
Zhen Ai was taken aback, quickly turning her head to wipe the tears from her face with her sleeve, lowering her head. "No."
The butler and maid then noticed Zhen Ai's clothes were completely soaked, sticking to her skin.
The butler frowned again, unable to tolerate the guests' disobedience. "Don't wander around in the rain. Hurry back. Don't go through the garden; turn left after you go out. Just keep turning left at any forks you encounter, and you can return to the main castle."
Having said that, he sighed and told the maid, "Hurry up and turn off the lights; we should head back too. I'm really worried they're all running around the castle." The two walked out, and the butler muttered, "Managing guests is really troublesome; they all run around like mice."
Was this stern and rigid butler serving this castle for generations? Zhen Ai pondered, eager to know more of the castle's stories—more detailed and richer tales.
"Wait!" she called after them, "I want to go with you."
Zhen Ai followed the butler and maid down the corridor, looking around.
Similar to the structure of the main castle, the rooms in Annex 7 were not on the same level. The neighboring rooms appeared like steps of a massive spiral staircase, though the incline was so gentle that one would hardly notice while walking; only standing at the end and looking back could one discern the truth.
Zhen Ai gazed at the family crests that were everywhere and asked the butler, "Is this annex uninhabited?"
The butler shot her a sidelong glance. "How do you know?"
"It feels different here; there are no air vents, it's very enclosed and stuffy, yet cold, and there's very little heating."
"You feel cold now because your clothes are wet," the butler diverted his gaze, then added, "but it is indeed the coldest place in this fortress. This was where the previous generations of masters conducted their experiments."
"Experiments?"
Zhen Ai paused, choosing her words carefully. "Butler, I think the history of the castle's owners is like a legend. I would love to hear more about their stories. Last time you told me a bit, but it felt too broad. Can you tell me more? Is all of this true?"
The butler seemed pleased with her earnest attitude, his icy demeanor softening a bit, and pride crept into his voice. "The story of the Lancelot family is something we remember, passed down from generation to generation. Of course, I know everything." He added, his tone turning slightly melancholic, "However, no one from the family returns here anymore."
Zhen Ai looked at his somewhat forlorn face, feeling a surge of empathy. Having lived her entire life in an organization, she had no idea that at the world's northernmost point lay such a lonely island, home to a devoted and stubborn family of butlers. When her grandparents and parents left, did they ever think someone would be here, waiting in silence?
Year after year, time crossed over.
The butler said, "Well, tell me, what legendary stories do you want to hear?"
Zhen Ai came back to her senses and asked, "Where does this family originate from?"
"It originally comes from Europe, but later on, it can be said that they have connections with all parts of the world. The Lancelot family has too many branches; for specifics, we need to look up the family tree. Let's talk about the branch closest to us: the couple, Clark and Chiao Lan Celot, who built this castle. The wife was a Chinese woman during World War II, a very intelligent and graceful lady from a noble family."
"Chiao?" Zhen Ai thought, based on the English translation, it should be something like "Qiao" or "Jiao" in Chinese.
Zhen Ai asked, "Didn't you say their lethal weapons killed many people during the war? What type of weapons were they?"
The butler paused for a moment, almost sighing. "Things more effective than bullets." He stopped, looking reluctant to say more, but still mentioned some other information: "The Lancelot family has produced many scientists in history, and the couple who built this castle were geniuses in chemistry and biology."
Without needing to think, it must be chemical gases and biological bombs… Her grandparents actually profited from the war… Every penny stained with the grievances of the dead… No wonder they built this labyrinth to hide away…
Zhen Ai's heart sank slowly, feeling as if a thousand pounds were weighing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe, suffocating her. Her heart felt like it had sunk into deep water, making it hard to bear, yet there was no air to find.
In the past, when her body suffered a series of torment and torture, she hadn't felt much fatigue; but at this moment, she truly felt that living was incredibly exhausting, so exhausting that she wanted to cry!
Then she heard the butler say:
"At first, the couple had several genius children, but the children all found this castle gloomy and left when they grew up. Only the third miss at that time returned with a tall, handsome Chinese man, claiming he was her husband. They spent some wonderful time here, and the first boy was born in this castle."
Zhen Ai lowered her head, her heart already numb. Her father was a handsome Chinese man, and her mother was a beautiful Eurasian mixed-blood; she could no longer pretend this was just a coincidence. After a long pause, she asked softly, "Did that boy ever come back?"
The butler shook his head. "I don't know. He was still very young when his parents took him away. Even if he returned, I wouldn't recognize him."
Zhen Ai thought to herself that when Chace returned to buy this island five years ago, the butler must not have recognized him as the third-generation master. But Chace was already dead; now who was pretending to be him as the new master?
She and the maid went along the corridor to turn off the lights. The thick stone walls were decorated with intricate patterns, old yet very classical. Along the way, there were various paintings on the walls: sunflowers, musical staves, flower fields, and suns…
All were bright and warm scenes, but could that really change the gloomy atmosphere of the castle?
Zhen Ai gazed at the brilliant colors on the desolate walls, feeling dazed. It turned out her family also liked vibrant colors, just like her.
Was this a form of distorted inheritance?
Or perhaps, because their blood was lonely and sinful, they all yearned for brightness and splendor? After so many years and generations, this feeling had completely replicated in her parents, her, and her brother?
This was the true curse of this ancient castle, wasn't it?
Those like Lancelot, with such sins, must never find happiness.
Ha, when people commit evil acts, do they never consider the impact it would have on their descendants? Do they never fear the retribution, that misfortune would fall upon their offspring?
She was filled with deep sorrow.
Turning her head, she quietly wiped away her tears. Brother, why aren't you alive to tell me why this is all happening?
While she was still thinking, suddenly, all the lights in the corridor went out, and darkness engulfed her surroundings.
The maid whispered, "What's going on?"
"Maybe a branch brushed against the power line," the butler replied, his voice low and somewhat worried. He then instructed the maid, "I'll go check it out. You and the student should find a candlestick in your room."
The maid responded with an "uh-huh," and from her pocket, she fished out a lighter. With a flick, a small flame leaped in the darkness. She was startled, "Hey, where did the student go?"
The butler immediately looked around, realizing that Zhen Ai had already walked ahead. Before the maid and the butler could call out to her, her figure slowly turned the dark corner and vanished.
The butler's face stiffened. "Why did she leave without saying a word?"
The maid hurriedly smoothed things over, "Maybe she wanted to go back by herself."
The butler didn't bother to say more and told the maid, "Let's go find the candles."
When Zhen Ai came back to her senses, she found herself in a dark and narrow place. The corridor was pitch black, all the lights were out. She had been too lost in her thoughts earlier, and with her naturally good night vision, she hadn't even noticed her surroundings.
And now, in the myriad dark, intersecting corridors, was she truly the only one left?
"Mr. Butler?" She touched the wall, carefully taking steps backward. "Miss Maid?" Her soft voice echoed in the dark corridor, only to be swallowed by the darkness, leaving no trace.
She looked around; the further she walked back, the dimmer the light became. Even for her, it was too dark. As she fumbled along the wall, she felt a railing and her heart sank. The place she had just passed did not have a railing.
She had taken the wrong path!
She turned around but saw a shadow flash by a doorway behind her.
A killer?
Her heart raced. Would someone really come to kill her? She hurriedly left her spot, running aimlessly through the dark. She wouldn't dare call out anymore. She could sharply and accurately sense that in the darkness, a dangerous person was approaching her.
Would she really be killed?
As she ran desperately, her heart pounded wildly, as if it would leap out of her chest. What should she do? If she died, Yan Su would be heartbroken!
The thought came to an abrupt stop.
In the dark, a hand suddenly reached out, forcefully covering her mouth with incredible strength. Instinctively, she tried to grab it, but before her eyes appeared a dazzling light, too bright, like a door opening to a well-lit room.
Before she could react, she was shoved inside with force. The thick door closed instantly, and the person behind her vanished.
In an instant, Zhen Ai broke free from her restraint, staring at the white misty scenery before her, dumbfounded.
Before her lay a world of silver and white, swirling with light fog, like a glass world from a fairy tale.
Beneath layers of white "crystal" were various experimental apparatuses, bottles and jars, and motionless rabbits, white mice, frogs, and animal tissues… one by one encased in a transparent crystalline substance, sparkling under the lights.
She suddenly shuddered, her teeth chattering, as a strong chill crept up from her damp feet, stirring inside her body like an ice blade. The display beside her read -1°F (which is -18.3°C).
There was no doubt; she had been locked in an ice cellar.
The lights had all gone out.
The butler and the maid held a candlestick, walking through the deep night in the silent darkness of the corridor. A small flickering flame from the candle cast moving shadows on the ancient stone walls, leaving a patch of darkness behind them.
The butler walked a few steps before suddenly stopping, turning back to look. Behind him was an endless corridor, countless closed doors and forks in the road.
The maid asked, "What's wrong?"
The butler furrowed his brow in thought. "Did you hear any strange sounds just now? It sounded like a bang."
The maid listened closely, shaking her head. "I didn't hear anything; I didn't hear a thing."
The butler fell silent, standing quietly. But there was no sound behind them, not even a breeze passing through.
"Maybe I misheard!" The butler muttered to himself, turning back, holding the candle. "Let's head to the main castle!"
The tiny candlelight gradually moved toward the end of the corridor. As it turned a corner, the long hallway of Fortress 7 plunged into darkness.
At this moment, in the ice cellar, Zhen Ai curled up into a small ball on the ground, shivering from the cold. The damp clothes and hair gradually formed frost, and even her fingernails lost their color. In the quiet ice cellar, the only sound was the clattering of her teeth; she felt as if her jaw was about to freeze off.
The cold felt like sharp needles and blades, slowly penetrating her limbs and bones, causing excruciating pain. She was so cold that her nerves felt like they were being torn apart, and suddenly she remembered what she had told Yan Su not long ago: Don't follow me.
He definitely won't come.
She had imagined countless ways to die but had never thought that she would freeze to death in the ice cellar where her family stored unburned experimental materials.