A full moon hung in the sky, tinged with streaks of crimson, casting the dark gray Gothic building ahead in an eerie, castle-like gloom.
This was the outskirts, sparsely populated, yet every inch of land was precious. The air was fresh, and every few dozen meters stood a villa with a unique style. Moreover, a resort was soon to be built here.
A cold wind swept by, and a figure stumbled out of the Gothic mansion. It was a girl, her black hair disheveled, clothes in disarray. She held a knife in her hand, her face and body stained with blood—whether her own or someone else's, it was unclear.
No one was around. She looked terrified, as if a ghost were chasing her. She fell to the ground, scrambled to her feet, and ran barefoot over the fallen leaves and twigs, the crunching sound echoing in the silence.
The iron gate was in sight. If she could just run a little farther, she could escape this hellish place...
Behind her, another figure appeared, moving slowly, as if taking a leisurely stroll under the moonlight. She walked toward the girl, her pace unhurried.
She wore a smile, gentle and beautiful, yet utterly sinister.
No, don't come closer!
The girl's eyes filled with tears of terror. She glanced back and saw the figure, her legs nearly giving out. But she wanted to escape. She'd rather die than fall back into the hands of this monster. That's why she had the knife—if she couldn't run, she'd kill herself!
She made it past the iron gate, but the woman behind her continued to follow, about ten meters away. The leaves rustled, the moonlight was bright, yet the night felt so dark. The figure behind her was like an inescapable net, ready to drag her back to that horrifying fate. God, no!
"Thud..." She fell, the knife slipping half a meter away. She looked up in terror at the woman approaching her with that gentle smile. Her whole body trembled. This woman was more terrifying than any ghost. She had to be the most twisted, cruel, and horrifying person in the world. And yet, to the rest of the world...
A burst of cheerful laughter rang out, accompanied by a girl's giggles, a stark contrast to the eerie silence.
The fallen girl's eyes lit up with hope. Trembling, she picked up the knife and ran toward the sound.
Tsk, tsk...
Naughty doll, you'll need more strings next time.
The slow-moving girl's smile deepened. The moonlight bathed her face, pure and white, soft and beautiful, like an angel.
A couple leaned against their car by the roadside, drinking beer and joking around. Suddenly, they heard hurried footsteps. Turning, they saw a disheveled woman with a knife, covered in blood, appearing like a ghost under the moonlight. They were startled.
"Help me!" The "ghost" pleaded with a desperate expression, stumbling toward them, her voice frantic. She kept looking back. "Please, help me! Someone's trying to kill me!"
The man, terrified, wanted to get his girlfriend into the car and drive away. Who wouldn't be scared seeing someone like this in the middle of the night? They weren't martial arts heroes.
"No! Please, I'm human! I'm not a ghost! Help me! Someone's trying to kill me!" The girl knelt, begging, her whole body shaking. She looked back at the figure slowly emerging from the corner, her face twisted in terror. She clung to the car door handle like it was her last lifeline, desperately trying to pull it open. "Look! That person, she wants to kill me! She's going to kill me! Please, help me!"
The car lights were bright. The couple, hearing that someone was trying to kill this girl who was now begging for help, couldn't just ignore her. But the girl was holding a knife, so they hesitated, thinking of calling for help from nearby friends. However, when they looked at the person the girl was accusing, they froze, uncertain.
If a girl like that could be a murderer, then society was truly hopeless.
The moonlight was bright, the car lights even brighter. The girl in the white dress looked clean and pure, almost childlike, with soft, curly black hair and a delicate, rosy face. She was stunningly beautiful, her aura so clean it was almost otherworldly—like an angel.
"Sister," she suddenly quickened her pace, her brows furrowing with concern.
Sister? The couple was confused.
The "sister," seeing the girl approach, panicked. She frantically pulled at the car door. "No! Don't be fooled by her face! She's a liar, a psychopath! She has corpses of dolls in her house! She wants to turn me into one! Help me! Please, help me!"
Her face was bloody, her hand gripping the knife, her expression twisted with fear. Her words scared the girl in the car.
"Sister, calm down..." The girl in the white dress spoke with genuine concern, her expression unreadable, like a younger sister worried for her sibling.
But as she got closer, the older girl raised the knife, her mind blank, acting purely on instinct.
The knife stopped inches from the younger girl's neck. The man in the car reacted quickly, grabbing the older girl's wrist. The girl in the white dress looked anxious. "Sir, please be careful. My sister has mental issues. Please don't let her go. I... I..." She seemed at a loss.
"Let me go! Let me go! I'm not crazy! She's the psychopath! She's a necrophiliac! She's the insane one! Take me to a mental hospital, please! Or call the police! Just don't give me to her! Please!" The older girl pleaded, trying to break free, desperate to hide behind the man. She'd rather be locked up in a mental hospital than handed over to this monster!
The younger girl showed no reaction to the outburst, as if she were used to it. She just sighed, while the man didn't believe the older girl's claims. How could someone so pure be a psychopath? Clearly, the older one was the one with issues.
"Sir, I'm sorry for the trouble. My parents are away, and I'm taking care of my sister. She must have forgotten her medication today..." The younger girl sounded remorseful.
"Lies! Don't listen to her! She's lying! Please, believe me!..."
The younger girl shrugged, her expression soft and warm, her eyes kind and forgiving. The young man's heart softened. "Should I call a mental hospital?"
The younger girl shook her head. "No, she can't go there. I can take care of her. Can you help me take her home? It's just up that slope."
"No!" The older girl screamed, struggling wildly.
The man frowned, twisting her arms behind her back. "Are you sure you can handle her?" It was the middle of the night, and running into a lunatic was bad luck. Best to get rid of her quickly. Besides, the younger girl didn't seem to be lying.
"Yes," the younger girl smiled gratefully, warm and sweet, like a fluffy kitten. Yet, there was an air of nobility about her, making it seem inappropriate to touch her—only someone very close could do that.
"No—!"
"Let me go! Let me go!"
"Why won't you believe me?! She's evil! Ahhhh!"
"..."
The screams were piercing and desperate. As they neared the dark gray house, the older girl's terror turned to despair. But no one believed her!
The world had gone mad, because they all loved this psychopath!
"Thank you, goodbye," the younger girl waved sweetly at the man as he disappeared into the distance. After a moment, she turned to the girl tied up in the living room, her smile still warm and gentle. Slowly, she closed the heavy door.
"Why did you run?" She walked to a table, opening a beautiful makeup box. Inside weren't cosmetics, but spools of watery thread and blood-stained black nails. She asked politely, her smile as innocent as a kitten's. "I haven't turned you into a doll yet. Where did you think you'd go?"
The older girl's face twisted with fear and hatred. "Mu Rulan, you're more terrifying than any ghost..."
"Hehe..." She chuckled softly. "What can I do? I've been a vengeful spirit for too long. Now I'm just a demon."