"What do we do now, Brother Lu? Are we trapped in a ghost maze?" I panted heavily, leaning against the wall. We had been climbing the stairs non-stop for what felt like half an hour without making any progress.
Lu Zhiqiu's expression was grim as he stared at the staircase. Following his gaze, I felt a chill run down my spine.
The stairs we had just climbed were now marked with rows of blood-red footprints. Judging by their size, they were ours. I crouched down to check my feet—no blood. Where did these bloody footprints come from?
"This… what's going on?" I stammered.
Lu Zhiqiu crouched down, touched the dried blood, and remained silent for a moment before saying, "The blood isn't ours."
"But the footprints are! What does this mean?"
Could it be that we unknowingly stepped in blood at some point? But how could we not notice something like that?
"The mother-son ghostly duo must have been following us all along. It seems we won't be reaching the rooftop tonight," he said. As he spoke, he wrote two words—"Behind you"—on my palm with his finger. A shiver ran through me, and I instinctively started to turn my head, but he stopped me with a firm shake of his head.
Understanding his warning, I chose not to look back and instead followed his lead, continuing the conversation to mask my growing unease.
"They claim they want my life, but every time they have the chance, they don't take it. What are they really after?" I asked.
"If they haven't killed you yet, maybe you should be grateful instead of asking for it," he replied, stepping forward and patting my shoulder casually.
"Ah—"
A piercing scream suddenly rang out behind us. I turned quickly and saw the little girl from earlier, the one who had offered me a lollipop. Now, half of her face was smoking and sizzling, emitting an acrid stench.
Her innocent expression was gone, replaced by a grotesque visage. Her damaged face betrayed no emotion, but her shrill voice painted a vivid image of her rage in my mind.
"You dare ruin my face! I'll kill all of you! You deserve to die!"
She retreated into the shadows, her eerie voice echoing. I frantically searched for her, only to be slammed against the wall by an unseen force. The impact left me dizzy and disoriented.
"What the hell? Who did that?" I growled, spinning around in anger. My fear momentarily gave way to fury. In my panic, I had forgotten that only Lu Zhiqiu and I were human in this cursed place. If it wasn't him, it had to be a ghost.
Turning back, I noticed something horrifying—two bloodied cleavers embedded in the wall where I had been standing. Had I not been pushed, I would've been split in two.
"Thanks for that. If you hadn't pushed me, I'd be in pieces by now," I said, grateful but shaken.
Assuming Lu Zhiqiu had been the one to save me, I was shocked when he shook his head. "It wasn't me."
My blood ran cold. If it wasn't him, then who?
Seeing me frozen in thought, Lu Zhiqiu interrupted. "You can ponder that later. Right now, figure out how we're getting out of here. Midnight is approaching, and when it does, they'll be at their most dangerous. I'm not confident I can protect you under those conditions."
"What? Midnight? But it just got dark!" I exclaimed, glancing at my watch. It was 10:30 PM. Hours had passed in what felt like mere moments.
"How long do you think we've been climbing these stairs?" Lu Zhiqiu asked.
"Half an hour?"
"Nearly two hours."
I stared at him, incredulous. "That's impossible."
"Move. I'm not dying here with you," he said sharply, heading up the stairs again.
Left with no choice, I followed him. To my surprise, we didn't encounter the endless loop of steps this time. Instead, we emerged onto the rooftop. The sight before us, however, was baffling. The rooftop was completely empty, bathed in the eerie glow of a massive full moon.
"What's going on? There's nothing here—no altar, no signs of any ritual. You said there'd be something!" I said, frustration bubbling over.
Ignoring my outburst, Lu Zhiqiu began pacing the rooftop, muttering incantations under his breath. His movements seemed purposeful as if he were searching for something hidden. I didn't understand a word and could only stand by, helpless.
Suddenly, the world around me shifted. The ground beneath me gave way, and I stumbled, feeling as though I had stepped into a void. A sickening sense of freefall overtook me.
"Bang—" I landed hard, pain jolting through every inch of my body. I tumbled down the stairs until I hit the last step, my body coming to a stop.
Dazed and aching, I tried to shake off the dizziness. A familiar voice called out above me.
"Liu Cunxi, why are you out here? Weren't you supposed to be resting in your room?" A nurse loomed over me, her voice kind yet unnerving.
I stared at her in disbelief, then looked around. The hospital appeared as it did during the day—nurses, doctors, and visitors bustling about. It was as if none of the horrors I'd experienced had happened. Yet, the pain in my body told me otherwise.
If the pain was real, then this must be an illusion.
"Not completely hopeless, are you?" The chilling voice of the female ghost echoed in my mind.
Startled, I stiffened. "You again? Why are you here?"
The nurse frowned, her expression puzzled. "Liu Cunxi, who are you talking to?"
If I hadn't known better, her confused expression and perfectly executed facade might have fooled me. Forcing a smile, I replied, "No one. By the way, shouldn't you be off duty by now?"
I couldn't let her know I had seen through the illusion. For now, I had to buy time. Lu Zhiqiu, you better find me soon.
"The nurse covering for me had an emergency, so I'm staying late to fill in for her," she replied, her smile professional yet hollow. Her words didn't match the cold emptiness in her eyes.
The game was far from over.