I didn't understand the incantation he muttered, but with his wooden sword in hand, Lu Zhiqiu charged toward the child ghost.
From a distance, I watched. Though I felt cowardly standing idly by, I knew that if I joined in, I'd likely be more of a hindrance than help.
"Ding-dong—"
At that moment, my phone chimed with a text message.
Since the child ghost appeared, my phone had been completely out of service. How could anyone possibly send me a text now? I checked the message, and the content instantly made my face pale.
"Run. Lu Zhiqiu wants to kill you."
I looked up at Lu Zhiqiu. He was fighting the child ghost. The master had specifically sent him to protect me—how could he want to kill me?
As if sensing my doubt, another message came through.
"Everything you're seeing is fake."
Fake? I looked again. Everything seemed so real; it didn't look fake at all.
Frustrated, I shut off my phone. But as I raised my head again, everything went black, and I lost consciousness.
When I woke up, I was surrounded by darkness. Reaching out, I felt rough wooden boards, and the air was filled with the scent of sawdust.
Soon, I realized I was being moved.
"Hey! Is anyone there? Let me out! Let me out!"
No matter how much I screamed, the movement didn't stop.
I had no idea what I was trapped in, how I got here, or where they were taking me. Desperately, I kicked at the boards above me, trying to break free, but they felt as solid as if they'd been welded shut.
I couldn't tell how much time had passed before the movement finally stopped.
Faintly, I heard voices from outside. "Are you sure burying it here will stop those strange deaths?"
"Hmm."
The affirmative hum filled me with dread. I began kicking and shouting with all my might. "Lu Zhiqiu, get me out of here!"
But it was as if no one heard me. I felt myself being lifted, then lowered, followed by the unmistakable sound of dirt being shoveled onto the boards above me.
I didn't want to be buried alive.
"Give me your blood, and I'll save you."
Just as despair set in, a cold female voice echoed in my mind. The chill of her words sent shivers through my fingertips.
"Who's there?"
… Silence answered me, and I began to doubt whether I had imagined it out of sheer fear.
Suddenly, the pendant on my chest grew hot. I felt it but ignored it; being buried alive left me no room to care about such things.
"Give me your blood, and I'll save you!"
This time, the voice was clearer. It was coming from my pendant. "What the—there's a ghost!" I yanked it off and threw it to the corner of the box.
"Duang—"
It hit the far end. I considered stomping on it, but the voice warned, "If you dare step on me, I'll cripple your leg right now."
My raised foot froze in mid-air. I didn't dare lower it.
So there had been a ghost in the pendant all along. No wonder the family who owned it before me had met such tragic ends. I had thought it was a case of thieves coveting the treasure, but it turned out the deaths were all this ghost's doing. Judging by their horrific deaths, this ghost was anything but kind.
In my terror, I momentarily forgot about my impending burial, focusing solely on the ghost's voice.
"If you don't want to die, give me your blood. I can temporarily help you escape this illusion. Hesitate, and you'll die here."
Illusion?
According to the ghost, everything I was experiencing was an illusion? I pinched myself hard. The sharp pain convinced me otherwise. "This isn't an illusion. You're lying."
The ghost fell silent, leaving me in utter darkness once again.
I replayed the events of the day in my mind—going to the police station, nearly being hit by a car, returning to the funeral home, meeting Lu Zhiqiu, encountering the child ghost. Everything had been so logical. I couldn't pinpoint where the illusion might have started.
Suddenly, my lungs began to ache. I realized the air was running out. If I stayed here, I'd suffocate, even if the ghost didn't kill me.
By now, I was likely buried deep underground. Escaping on my own was impossible. The ghost had mentioned this was an illusion—if I died here, would I wake up?
"You'll have to try it to find out. But you only get one chance."
"What do you mean?"
"Try dying in the illusion. You might return to reality."
Her tone reeked of malice. Yet, it hinted at a truth—if I died here, it wouldn't be just an illusion. I'd truly die.
My survival instincts wouldn't let me give up. Desperately, I pushed against the boards above me. My hand brushed a splinter, cutting my skin. In the darkness, I couldn't see if it bled, but the sticky feeling confirmed the injury was real. I instinctively sucked on the wounded finger.
"Coward."
Amid the darkness, her voice spat the word disdainfully. Suddenly, the world spun.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw a white ceiling.
I bolted upright, glancing around. White walls, white curtains, medical equipment. Tubes were attached to my body. I was in a hospital.
I looked at my right hand, where the splinter's cut had been dressed. If being buried alive was an illusion, why was the wound still there?
Had someone saved me after I fainted?
But who? Lu Zhiqiu or the master?
While I pondered, someone entered the room. It was a familiar face—Lin Zhao.
Seeing me awake, he looked astonished. "You're actually awake!"
Frowning at his reaction, I couldn't help but glare. Did he have to look like he'd seen a ghost?
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