The darkness had swallowed her whole, its cold fingers clamping around her throat, choking the life from her lungs. Li An's thoughts were a muddled mess, tangled in an endless cycle of guilt and fear. Every step she took felt heavier than the last, each breath more labored, as though the very air in the house had turned into something suffocating.
The reflection in the mirrors had changed once again. It wasn't just her face staring back at her now—it was the face of someone else. The face of a stranger, a shadowy figure with hollow eyes that seemed to follow her every move, a malevolent force that was always just behind her, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
She wanted to scream, to tear herself away from the mirrors, but her body refused to obey. The house had a way of controlling her, twisting her movements, making her feel like a puppet dancing to a tune only it could hear. Every room felt like a trap, every hallway a maze with no exit. There was no escape from this nightmare.
And yet, despite everything, despite the suffocating darkness and the echoing voices, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something—or someone—still out there. Someone she had to find. Someone she had to save.
Her hands trembled as she reached for the nearest mirror, her reflection now a distorted version of herself. The eyes staring back at her were not her own, but Zhang Xian's—dark, hollow, and filled with accusation.
You did this to me.
The words echoed in her mind once more, louder than ever. They had become a constant companion, haunting her with their sharp edges, their undeniable truth. She had brought Zhang Xian into this. She had led him to the heart of the darkness, and now he was lost—trapped in this web of lies and shadows that she could never escape.
No, she thought, her hands clutching at her head, her nails digging into her scalp. I can't let it end like this. I can't let him be lost forever.
She closed her eyes, trying to block out the voices, the images, the suffocating grip of the darkness. She needed to think. She needed to find a way out.
But every thought was clouded by the overwhelming sense of guilt. How had it come to this? How had she allowed herself to fall so deep into this abyss?
It's my fault. The words came unbidden, sharp and cutting, slicing through her heart with a force that made her gasp for breath. I brought him here. I brought this curse upon us both.
Her chest tightened. The weight of the truth was suffocating, pressing in from all sides, like the very walls of the house were closing in on her. She had been running for so long, trying to outrun the truth, trying to push it aside. But it was always there, lurking just beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to consume her.
And now, the right moment had come.
A sudden sound—soft, faint—pulled her from her thoughts. It was almost like a whisper, carried on the wind, but it was unmistakable. A voice. A voice that was familiar.
Zhang Xian? Her heart leaped in her chest as she spun around, searching for the source of the sound.
But there was nothing. Only the oppressive silence of the house. Only the ever-present shadows that clung to the walls, shifting and twitching as if they were alive.
It was just my mind, she thought, her body trembling. I'm losing myself. I'm seeing things that aren't real.
But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was him. She could hear him, see him, even if he wasn't physically there. The connection between them was strong, stronger than anything else in this twisted, nightmarish reality. And it was that connection that gave her the strength to move forward.
She had to find him. She had to make things right.
Turning away from the mirror, Li An stumbled down the hallway, her footsteps echoing in the silence. The air around her felt thick, oppressive, as though the very walls were pressing in on her. Every corner she turned seemed to lead to another door, another mirror, another reflection of her deepest fears.
But she couldn't stop. She wouldn't stop.
In the distance, she thought she saw a flicker of light—faint, but undeniable. It was coming from one of the rooms ahead. A light. A sign. She had to reach it. She had to find the truth.
But as she neared the door, the flicker of light vanished, replaced by a cold, suffocating darkness. The door in front of her was now closed, the once-inviting light replaced by a sense of foreboding.
The air around her grew colder, her breath now visible in the dim light. She could feel the presence in the room—something waiting, something watching.
The voice returned, softer now, but still just as chilling.
"You can never escape what you've done."
Li An froze, her breath catching in her throat. The voice was coming from behind her, but when she turned around, there was nothing there—nothing but the same empty hallway, the same dark mirrors, the same oppressive air.
"There is no way out. Not for you. Not for him."
Her heart thundered in her chest. This is it, she thought. This is the end.
But even as the darkness seemed to close in on her, even as her mind threatened to crack under the weight of it all, something in her snapped.
She wouldn't let it end like this. She couldn't. Not after everything she had been through. Not after everything she had sacrificed.
I will not let this defeat me.
With every ounce of strength she could muster, Li An forced herself to move forward, toward the door. Toward the light.
The darkness recoiled. The air trembled with a strange energy, as if the house itself was alive, reacting to her defiance.
For a moment, everything was still.
And then, the door creaked open.