The rain had been falling in sheets, relentless, as Xiang Wei drove along the narrow, winding road leading to the village of Xiangshan. His headlights cut through the mist that clung to the trees like ghostly tendrils, making the whole scene feel surreal. It had been a long time since the detective had felt uneasy, but something about this case felt different. The villagers had been disappearing without a trace, and the whispers of a curse had grown louder.

It was supposed to be a simple case—missing persons, a quiet village, a mystery to solve. But as Xiang Wei approached the village, the unsettling sensation only grew stronger. The call had come late in the evening, just after he'd finished his dinner. A small voice on the other end, trembling with fear, told him everything he needed to know.

"We need your help, Detective," the voice had said. "There's something wrong with Xiangshan. People are disappearing. And... they say it's the curse."

A curse. Xiang Wei scoffed at the notion. He had been a detective long enough to know that superstition had no place in real investigations. The people of Xiangshan might be frightened, but that was no excuse for imagining things. Yet, as the miles passed, and the fog grew denser, even his skeptical mind couldn't help but wonder. There was something odd about this place. It was almost as if the village were hiding something. Or someone.

The village appeared suddenly through the mist—small, tucked away in a valley, as if the world outside had forgotten about it. A few houses lined the main street, their roofs sagging under the weight of time. There were no lights on, no sign of activity. It looked deserted.

Xiang Wei parked his car at the entrance of the village, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. The air was thick with the scent of earth and wet leaves, but it was the stillness that unnerved him. Even the wind seemed reluctant to disturb the silence.

He stepped out of the car, the sound of his boots against the gravel echoing in the otherwise quiet night. The only other sounds were the occasional rustle of trees and the distant rumble of thunder. His breath clouded in the cold air, and as he made his way toward the village, he felt an overwhelming sense of being watched.

At the end of the street, a small wooden sign read: "Xiangshan Village." Beneath it, in faded characters, was the word "Cursed."

Xiang Wei stopped in his tracks. He had thought it was an exaggeration, a local superstition. But the sign... the words seemed to carry weight, as if the village itself was trying to warn him.

He shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He had a job to do. He couldn't afford to get caught up in the village's stories. As he walked toward the first house, the door creaked open, and an elderly man stepped out. His clothes were old, worn, and his eyes were sunken, as if he hadn't slept in years.

"Detective Xiang Wei?" The man's voice was hoarse, filled with apprehension.

"That's me," Xiang Wei replied, his gaze scanning the man's weathered face. "You called me. What's happening here?"

The old man's gaze flickered nervously toward the shadows of the village, as if expecting someone—or something—to appear. He hesitated, then nodded.

"There's no time to explain everything now," the man said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But if you're here, then it's already too late. The curse is returning. You must leave this place before it's too late."

Xiang Wei frowned, confusion flooding his mind. "Curse? What curse?"

"The curse of the lunar eclipse," the old man murmured. "It comes once every hundred years, and with it, the spirits are unleashed. Those who remain in the village during the eclipse... vanish."

Xiang Wei's eyes narrowed. He had heard such stories before. People always blamed the supernatural for their problems. But he had never been one to believe in curses, spirits, or anything of the sort. There had to be a logical explanation for the disappearances. He needed to get to the bottom of this, no matter how ridiculous it sounded.

"We'll talk more later," Xiang Wei said, brushing past the old man. "I need to see the missing person's family. Where are they?"

The man's face twisted with fear. "You don't understand, Detective. It's not just one person. It's... everyone who stays. It's the eclipse. You must leave before it's too late."

Xiang Wei paused, turning back to the elderly man. "I'll deal with the eclipse when it comes. Right now, I need to do my job."

With that, he turned and walked toward the next house, the old man's voice following him.

"Please... Don't let the spirits get you."

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What do you think is really going on in Xiangshan?

1. The villagers are hiding something, and it's connected to the missing people.

2. The curse is real, and the spirits are taking the villagers.

3. There's a natural explanation for the disappearances, and it's tied to the village's isolation.