Three days later, Julian's new film, The Azure Sea , was set to premiere. Initially, Elsie had approached Allen to borrow the high heels to survive this film. The horror story unfolded in a fishing village along the Chinese coast.
During these three days, there were objections to Julian's decision to trade his voodoo doll. Nevertheless, Julian remained resolute. The voodoo doll was an invaluable relic he had obtained at great personal cost during Ghost Ritual 2 , where he had died but managed to survive through an NG (No Good). This precious life-saving object was now being traded away.
In the communal lounge on the fourth floor:
"What a joke! Trading away the voodoo doll! Is Julian out of his mind?" George paced restlessly, while Elsie shouted, "Stop pacing! You're making me dizzy!"
"Julian has his reasons," Nathan interjected. "I can understand his perspective."
Allen asked from the side, "What is it that Julian is willing to exchange his hard-earned voodoo doll for? What kind of cursed object from the dead is this?"
"Nyterel's Notebook," Nathan replied. "It's a cursed object obtained from the horror film The Nyterel Family . It contains the soul of the medieval black magician Nyterel, who sold his soul to a demon for terrifying powers. Though burned by the Church, he reincarnated centuries later. Unlike ordinary cursed objects, using Nyterel's Notebook deducts twice the actor's earnings in redemption tickets for every ten seconds of use. Once opened, the notebook reveals one hour into the future—not just script content, but the true future! Even if the script changes, the notebook's predictions remain accurate. Such a powerful item would only be traded for something as valuable as a voodoo doll. Of course, Julian isn't certain the other party will agree to the trade."
Posters for The Azure Sea were plentiful. This mid-to-high difficulty horror film featured Julian, Donna, and Elsie alongside actors from Hell's Fifth Degree Cinema, including Sam. Whether Elsie would survive this time was uncertain, but she had finally rented Carol's blood-red palm after lending her funeral gown many times.
Allen now possessed 1915 redemption tickets. After completing The Sealed Room , his total stood at 465 + 150 (salary) = 615, and 615 + 1300 (Carol's rental fee) = 1915. On the surface, he seemed wealthy, but he knew that with higher salaries in future films, his redemption tickets might not last long.
The communal lounge on the fourth floor, the largest room with many amenities, was bustling. Carol was leisurely playing pool, saying, "Julian, haven't you realized yet? Once he makes a decision, no one can change his mind."
Pat, the newcomer actor, also held a pool cue, laughing awkwardly. "Mr. Julian seems quite determined. But who is that dark-skinned woman who glared at us coldly yesterday and then disappeared?"
"That's Donna," Carol said, striking the ball gently. "If possible, avoid unnecessary contact with her."
Deeper within the lounge was a swimming pool. Every midnight, the pool's water was automatically refreshed, maintaining superior quality compared to typical gym pools. Dim lighting cast eerie blue shadows over the water.
Edith and Martin were competing in the pool. Edith, accustomed to her private pool at home, easily outperformed Martin, who had learned to swim only a year ago and could manage only the breaststroke.
After reaching the opposite end, Edith asked Martin, "When did you learn to swim?"
"A year ago," Martin replied, surfacing. "It took me a week to learn, and I can only do the breaststroke."
"I see. Let me teach you butterfly. Enter the water, spread your arms, and..."
Suddenly, a splash interrupted them. Donna had jumped into the pool, her movements agile, splashing water onto Edith. Her powerful strokes propelled her quickly to the other end.
Emerging from the water, Donna adjusted her goggles and swam back, looking at Martin. "You must be the new actress, Martin."
"Donna," Edith said, "did you sleep well last night?"
"Of course, nothing could have been better."
Martin noticed the grotesque tattoo on Donna's back, its pale, ghastly face illuminated by the eerie blue light, appearing to grimace constantly.
Donna wasn't a tattoo enthusiast; such an unsightly mark on her back seemed indifferent to her. Martin, proud of her own beauty and figure, couldn't imagine enduring such a tattoo herself.
Donna looked at Edith. "Speaking of the upcoming horror film set in a coastal village, I needed to practice swimming here. Edith, aren't you starring in Return next month with her?"
She turned her cold gaze towards Martin.
Even with her critical nature, Donna had to admit Martin's beauty was flawless, rivaling even Edith's. With such looks, she could easily play leading roles in mainstream films.
"You are Martin, right?"
"Yes," Martin nodded slightly. "I've only acted in one horror film. As you mentioned, next month, I'll be co-starring with Edith in Return ."
"Is that so? Then let's hope you come back alive from there."
With that, Donna submerged completely and began swimming underwater.
"Don't worry," Edith placed a gentle hand on Martin's shoulder. "Though she seems harsh now, she wasn't always like this. There's a reason behind her change. I hope you don't hold too much against her. Speaking of which..."
"What, Edith?"
"When she first entered the cinema, she was somewhat like you."
Martin was startled by this revelation, watching Donna continue to swim underwater, surprised by Edith's words.
"No... actually, it was worse than what you went through. She was profoundly pessimistic about her future and chose to commit suicide by cutting her wrists right here by the pool."
Edith lowered her voice so only Martin could hear. "She felt her life had never known luck and had hit rock bottom. That's when she decided to end it. I found her and saved her life. I told her not to give up, promising to help her survive. Just like with you, I taught her survival skills, acting techniques, how to use cursed objects, gather intelligence... She became an excellent swimmer under my guidance."
"Why did she change so drastically then?" Martin asked, puzzled.
"Yes, why indeed? She still won't tell me. When I saw her smile for the first time, I was genuinely happy because I felt I had truly 'saved' her—her soul, not just her life. Back then, before Hank and Ivan joined, they didn't know she once had a hopeful smile. I won't forget that moment; her smile was truly beautiful. I believe she wouldn't have smiled like that outside the cinema."
"Sounds like her real-life circumstances were quite tragic?"
"There are always people facing hardships. You don't need to know those details. I'm telling you this so you won't dislike her too much. We all struggle, risking our lives in horror films, unsure if we'll make it to the next day. Perhaps in the next horror film, we'll die."
Her eyes dimmed. "If... If Yichuan were still alive, things might be different..."
"Yichuan?"
"No, nothing." Edith shook her head and took Martin's hand. "Remember, stretch your arms like this, then..."