Chapter 1: Sign in

Ethan was standing in front of ** Everwood Apartments ** with his suitcase in tow. In the twilight, the walls of this old but stately apartment glowed with light gold. Compared to expensive apartments in the city, it is cheap and pleasant to live in, equipped with recreation rooms, restaurants and event halls, making it a dream home for almost any young renter.

But why are there so many empty rooms?

The question flashed through Ethan's mind, but was quickly denied by himself. Maybe it's the loose management here, the high mobility, the young people like to move around. He shrugged his shoulders and walked through the apartment door, the faint smell of disinfectant mixed with the smell of old wooden furniture.

He took the elevator to the sixth floor and found his room, No. 609. There was no name on the door, just a string of silver numbers. The door was screwed open and the room was clean and comfortable, with all the furniture, even the sheets had just been changed, and it looked more comfortable than he had expected.

Just as he was about to close the door, he noticed a piece of paper taped to the back of the door with a strange list of rules:

The apartment is full of young people. If you meet someone who looks older, try to stay away.

Please return to your room before 10pm, turn off the lights after 11pm and do not open the door. You can swipe video, but not too loud.

3 Never score a "black 8" when entertaining in a pool hall.

Rooms may not be safe during the day, please try to make friends in the event hall.

4. Don't trust the words of the staff in the hat, when in danger, you can ask your uncle/aunt for help, they have a 50% chance of saving you.

5. Breakfast 6-7, lunch 11-1, dinner 17-19, eat at least two meals a day.

6 Don't take the elevator after 8 p.m

7. Girls are not allowed to go out of the room completely naked, boys must shave, and everyone should keep a decent dress and clean appearance.

8. Try not to turn down a request from a butler, who is male and wears a suit and a work badge.

9. If you meet "them," try to hold your breath. If you can't hold your breath, don't let "them" feel like you found out about "them."

Ethan frowned. What do these rules mean?

"Safety in a room depends on time?" 'he cried.' Not open at eleven o 'clock at night? Shall we go to the hall during the day?"

The more he stared at the paper, the more strange it seemed to him. Especially the last one -- what exactly is "they"? This list of rules doesn't look like a typical apartment announcement, more like... A survival guide.

"Maybe the previous tenant left it as a prank." He shrugged his shoulders, decided to ignore it, tore off the paper and threw it in the trash.

Knock knock knock

A sudden knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and he froze for a moment and looked back to the door, without being informed that he would be visited today.

'WHO?

After a short silence outside, a gentle female voice said, "Hello, I'm your neighbor Lina."

Ethan opened the door and there stood a girl in her twenties with long chestnut hair and a faint smile. She was wearing a black hoodie and jeans and was carrying a plate of cupcakes.

"Welcome, this is my cake," she handed over the plate.

Ethan was a little surprised, but thanked him and took the cake. Instead of hurrying away, Lina glanced at the crumpled sheet of paper in the room.

"Don't you follow the rules?" "She asked softly, a hint of playfulness in her voice.

"You mean the piece of paper?" Ethan laughed and said," It looks like a joke."

Lena stared at him, the smile fading from her face.

"You'd better not be tempted." Her voice grew deeper." Something... It's more real than you think."

Ethan was stunned, and before he could ask, Lina had turned and left, leaving only one word :" Be in your room by 10:00 p.m."

He looked after her with a strange uneasiness he did not know why.

Chapter2 First Warning

That night, Ethan lay in bed with Lina's words running through his mind. There are some strange things about this apartment, like the fact that the residents are all young people, like the whole building is quiet, like everyone seems to be restrained.

11:30 am

Knock knock knock

There was a soft, rhythmic knock on the door. Ethan sat up suddenly, his heart pounding.

Rule number two: Turn off the lights and don't open the door after eleven.

He glanced at his bedside alarm clock. It was 11:32.

He did not dare to answer, his palms were sweating slightly, and he was frozen in bed.

"Jack?" A deep male voice came from outside the door.

Ethan held his breath. Who's Jack? He had never heard of the name.

"Jack?" The voice repeated itself, with a hint of doubt, as if... Confirm something.

It's looking for someone.

Forcing himself to calm down, Ethan quietly got out of bed, tiptoed to the cat's eye, and peered out cautiously.

Outside stood a staff member in a hat, wearing the uniform of an apartment manager, with the brim so low that his face could not be seen.

Ethan's heart tightened, and he remembered the fifth rule: Don't trust the staff in the hat.

There was a moment's silence, and then came the sound of fingers rubbing against the wooden door, as if they were slowly caressing the panel.

"Jack..." The voice changed, with an eerie softness.

Ethan covered his mouth and forced himself to remain still.

After a few seconds, the people outside the door finally stopped knocking, and the footsteps gradually went away, and the corridor was quiet again.

He sat on the floor in a cold sweat.

This apartment... There is something wrong.

Chapter 3: The Unspeakable Resident

1

The next morning, Ethan went to the cafeteria on the first floor with a black eye. What happened last night kept him up all night, and he needed someone to confirm his theories.

There were not many people in the canteen, but everyone lined up for their food in an orderly manner, and there was no conversation, only the slight sound of knives and forks touching plates. Ethan noticed that everyone was well dressed, the girls at least wearing light makeup and the boys with clean chins and no scruff. He touched his face, didn't shave last night, didn't know if it was illegal.

Lina was sitting in the corner, looking down at her breakfast.

Ethan walked over with his plate and sat down opposite her. "I heard a knock last night," he whispered.

Lina looked up with a certain look in her eyes. "You didn't open the door, did you?"

"Of course not, but..." Ethan whispered. "The man in the hat called a name, Jack."

Lena paused her fingers and put down her spoon.

"Jack was the previous tenant of room 609." 'Half a month ago, he opened the door at half past eleven at night, and then... Gone."

A chill went down Ethan's spine.

"So, instead of just knocking on the door, they... Looking for people who used to live here?"

Lena nodded. "They sometimes forget that someone is' gone. ' But as long as you don't open the door, they won't take you."

Ethan falls silent, realizing that the rules of the apartment are not prohibitions, but rules of survival that survivors have learned at their own expense.

"What are 'they' anyway?" 'he asked.

Lina looked at him and said softly, "You don't want to know."

2

In the afternoon, Ethan returned to his room to clear his thoughts.

He stood in front of the bathroom mirror, trying to shave off his beard so as not to violate the rules. But as he lowered his head to reach for the razor, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, still staring back at him.

He suddenly looked up and found himself in the mirror did not follow his movements, but still maintained the posture he had just held, slightly lowered his head, and a smile did not belong to him.

A chill ran down Ethan's spine.

Ethan in the mirror slowly tilts his head and moves his lips, as if speaking in silence.

-- "You found me?"

Ethan took a pause in his breath and closed his eyes sharply, telling himself not to show that he noticed anything unusual.

After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and reopened his eyes.

The reflection in the mirror had returned to normal, perfectly following his movements.

Ethan took a step back, turned off the bathroom light, and walked out, his heart still pounding.

Rule 4: The room is not necessarily safe during the day, please try to make friends in the activity hall.

He finally understood what the rule really meant - that something might "take" your place during the day without you even noticing.

Chapter 4: The Butler's invitation

1 

At 7 p.m., Ethan, Lina and two other familiar tenants, Noah and Amy, gather in the event hall to discuss the apartment's secrets.

"The apartment has no history at all." Noah whispered. "I checked online, and the Everwood apartments only exist for less than five years, and the property registration documents say it was an empty lot five years ago."

"So this apartment just appeared out of nowhere?" Amy frowns.

Ethan thought for a moment and then said, "One way or another, we have to figure out the nature of the apartment."

However, as they discussed in a low voice, a man in a suit stood quietly at the door of the hall, his eyes fixed on them.

The apartment housekeeper.

He wore white gloves and was upright, with the name tag "Igor" engraved on his chest. There was a gentle smile on his face and an indescribable sense of pressure in his eyes.

"Mr. Ethan." The butler's voice was low and sweet. "Please come with me."

Ethan's heart beat faster.

Rule nine: Try not to refuse a housekeeper's request.

He took a deep breath and looked at his companion, and Lina shook her head slightly, motioning him not to say much.

"... Yes." Ethan got up and followed the housekeeper out of the hall.

2

The housekeeper takes Ethan to the elevator, but pushes the button on the basement floor.

Rule number seven: Don't take the elevator after 8 p.m.

Ethan glanced at the time. It was 7:58.

The elevator slowly descends, leaving nothing but the sound of machinery in motion.

The butler looked at the elevator door and said calmly, "You're adjusting well."

Ethan forced himself to compose himself: "... What do you mean?"

The housekeeper smiled. "You're already part of the apartment."

The elevator stopped and the door opened slowly

Ethan sees a room filled with old files, hundreds of "missing persons" notices plastered on the walls, every photo... All former tenants.

Chapter 5: Escape and Cost

1

Ethan stared at the wall, his mind blank.

"They... Are they all dead?" 'he whispered.

"Not dead." The housekeeper's smile did not change, saying, I was taken in by the apartment.

'What do you mean?

The butler leans slightly toward a filing cabinet in the corner of the room. Ethan slowly walked over, opened one of the drawers, found that there were a transparent glass jar, jar... It's floating eyeballs, ears, even mouths.

These people... Broken down into "observers," "listeners," and "whispers."

Ethan couldn't help taking a step back, his heart pounding.

"You can choose to stay and become one of the managers of the apartment." 'said the butler, smiling.' Or -- '

"Or what?" Ethan whispered.

The butler did not answer, but looked up at the ceiling.

Ethan followed his gaze up and saw a dark shadow moving slowly on the ceiling. The shadows were different shapes, as if they had once been human, but had completely changed.

The shadows wriggled and whispered, as if inviting him to join.

Ethan clenched his teeth and jerked back.

"No," he whispered, "I won't be a part of you."

The butler sighed, "Then you only have a third option."

"-- to be 'their' food."

Chapter 6: Shadows Whisper

1

Shadows on the ceiling began to wriggle and murmurs echoed in the basement.

Ethan's body tensed to the limit, his heart pounding. The shadows were not like entities, more like something outside of reality, as if they could sense his presence, the voices coming closer and closer, the murmurs becoming clearer.

"Join us... Become part of the apartment..."

Ethan backed away sharply, but the butler remained indifferent, as if admiring his fear.

"Do you really think you're the only one here who wants to escape?" The butler said slowly, "Each guest has a choice -- some choose to be the manager, some choose to be 'them.'"

"And you... What is your decision, Mr. Ethan?"

Ethan gasped, trying to find a way out. He found that the door behind the housekeeper was unlocked, and if he was quick enough, he might be able to rush out...

Before he could think again, he turned and rushed to the door!

2

The moment the elevator doors slowly closed, Ethan almost desperate to jump in!

He suddenly pressed the button for the sixth floor and the elevator began to rise.

Drip, drip, drip

It's 8:02.

The lights of the elevator suddenly flashed, and then -- the whole space was plunged into darkness.

-- "Don't take the elevator after 8 p.m." -

Ethan's heart raced and he pressed himself against the elevator wall, trying to hold his breath.

3

All was silent.

The elevator seems to be stuck in the void.

Ethan clenched his fingers around the elevator rail, trying to control his breathing. He felt the air grow heavy, and the darkness around him seemed no longer just a simple absence of light, but something solid and slowly moving.

All of a sudden --

Drip, drip, drip

I heard a strange "dripping" sound in my ear, as if something was slowly dripping.

Ethan looked up with difficulty. He saw black liquid oozing from the ceiling of the elevator. A drop fell on the floor and made a strange ripple. The contorted faces glimpsed in the liquid, their mouths open and closed as if they were Shouting silently.

He took a step back unconsciously, his eyes fixed on the liquid.

"You found us..."

A low, ethereal voice rang out in the sealed elevator, echoing deep in his eardrum.

Ethan's heart almost jumped out of his chest as the warning of Rule 10 came to mind

"If you encounter 'them,' please hold your breath as much as possible. If you can't hold it in, don't let 'them' know that you've discovered 'them'."

He desperately held his breath and lowered his eyes, trying to look as if he hadn't noticed anything unusual at all.

The black liquid dripped from the ceiling and even crept along the walls, as if to test his reaction.

Tick -- tick --

A drop of black liquid landed on the top of his shoe.

Ethan's fingers clenched tightly around the corners of his coat, forcing himself to stay still, trying to breathe as smoothly as possible.

The darkness in the elevator grew deeper, and whispers surrounded it, as if something were approaching.

Suddenly, the elevator lights flashed!

Ding --

The elevator doors opened slowly and the familiar dim light of the corridor came into view.

Ethan rushed forward, his body shuddering. Without looking back, he rushed directly to his room, hurriedly took out the key, slammed the door shut, and locked it!

The clock in the room reads 8:06.

Ethan collapsed to the ground, his heart pounding, his clothes soaked in cold sweat.

He survived.

But he knew he had caught "their attention."

Chapter 7: Taboo Game

1

The rules of the apartment are not meant to restrict the residents, but to "protect" them.

Ethan finally figured it out.

Still, he was left wondering about one thing -- what exactly was this apartment? Why does it "take in" people?

The next day he found Lina again and told her what had happened.

Lina's face turned pale.

"You meet them in the elevator..." "It's not a good sign," she whispered.

Ethan frowned. "You knew there was something wrong with the elevator?"

Lena nodded: "We never knew the true 'nature' of the apartment, but one thing was certain - all those who broke the rules were gradually 'absorbed' into the apartment."

Her eyes dimmed, as if recalling something terrible: "I saw a tenant make a mistake in the pool hall."

Ethan slightly startled, suddenly thought of a rule -

"Never score a 'Black 8' when entertaining in a pool hall."

"... What did he do?" 'Ethan asked.

Lena took a deep breath and whispered, "He accidentally punched the Black 8 into the hole in a gambling game."

"And then what?

"The next day, he was one of the butlers."

Ethan's pupils shrank and his breathing became rapid. "You mean... The housekeeper was actually a former resident? "

Lena nodded slowly. "And they seem... I don't remember who I used to be."

In Ethan's mind came the face of Ig, the apartment housekeeper - his gentle but unsettling smile, too calm to speak or act like a living person...

The apartment is not a simple residence, it is a breeding ground for 'managers' and' whisperers'.

As soon as you break certain rules, you gradually assimilate.

Ethan's stomach heaved and his throat dried up.

So, what are the consequences of the rules he broke last night?

2

Night falls and Ethan is awakened by a knock on the door.

Knock knock knock

He sat up, his heart racing.

Outside the door came a familiar deep voice

"Mr. Ethan."

It's Ig the butler.

He stood outside the door for a moment and, in his usual gentle voice, said, "We're having a special game in the pool hall tomorrow evening. I'd like you to join us."

Ethan's fingertips went cold.

-- "Try not to refuse the housekeeper's request."

He clenched his fist, was silent for a few seconds, and finally answered slowly, "... I know."

The butler paused, then chuckled. "Very well."

As his footsteps faded away, Ethan felt a deep chill spread through his feet.

He is vaguely aware that tomorrow's "game" will determine his life and death.

Chapter 8: Black 8's game

The lights in the pool hall were dim and the air smelled faintly of tobacco.

When Ethan entered the room, he found someone already there waiting --

Five tenants, two housekeepers, and a black ball table.

Ig, the butler, stood at the pool table and looked at Ethan with a smile. "Welcome, tonight's 'special game' will be decided by you."

Ethan's fingertips trembled slightly. "... What game?"

Iger nudged the black billiards on the table and whispered, "It's simple - you have to win."

Ethan's Adam's apple rolled a little.

He looked down at the pool table and found that all the balls had been laid out, and the only one to be struck was the "black 8" ball.

"What if I lose?" 'he whispered.

Iger's smile didn't change a bit, but his tone was bleak: "If you lose... You become part of 'them.'"

Ethan drew a sharp breath, his hair standing on end.

This is no ordinary gamble -- it's a game of survival.

Chapter 9: The Death Game

1

he air in the pool hall seemed to freeze, and all eyes fell on the black 8 ball in the center of the table.

Ethan has no choice. He has to win.

His palms were sweaty and he stared at the clubs and billiards on the table. The five tenants looked different, some stared at him nervously, some lowered their eyes, as if they had accepted their fate. The two butlers, like watching a drama that already knows the end, had a smile on their lips.

"The rules of the game are simple."

Iggy ambled over to the table and reached out and played with the black eight ball, his fingernails running across the surface of the ball, making a gnawing noise.

"You just have to get the Black 8 in the hole in three rounds." Igor smiled. "But if you fail..."

Before he had finished speaking, Ethan suddenly noticed a pale finger looming out of a hole in the corner of the table, as if it were creeping out quietly.

He suddenly realized that the "stake" in this gamble was not only his life.

2

Ethan took a deep breath and slowly picked up the club.

"Calm down... There must be a way."

He stood at the ball table, carefully observing the Angle and bounce of the ball. The position of the black 8 ball was not too difficult, but he vaguely felt that the "rules" of the game were definitely not as simple as they appeared.

"Ready to begin." Eagar smiled and took a step back.

Ethan angles it and hits it!

The club collides with the white ball, and the white ball hits the black 8 ball accurately, and the black 8 ball rolls toward the hole --

However, just before entering the hole, the cloth on the surface of the table seemed to come alive, slightly shook, and forcibly changed the track of the black 8 ball!

The black 8 ball stopped at the hole, just short of a centimeter.

The pool hall fell silent.

Ig smiled, and so did the other butlers. The faces of the tenants turned pale.

Ethan's heart was pounding, and he suddenly realized -- this wasn't a fair game at all!

The table is alive, it controls the outcome of the game!

3

"First shot, failed." "You've got two more chances," Iger reminded gently.

Cold sweat oozed from Ethan's forehead. His mind raced as he looked at the black 8-ball parked in the hole.

- The table can manipulate the ball's trajectory and interfere with goals.

The butlers know this, but they won't say so.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and lifted the club again.

"The second shot."

This time, he deliberately hit the white ball with less force, allowing the black 8 ball to roll slowly toward the hole.

The ball rolls very slowly, almost as if testing the "reaction" of the table top.

Sure enough, Ethan saw it clearly - the texture of the tablecloth was again beginning to change slightly, like a layer of breathing skin, trying to influence the trajectory of the Black 8 ball again!

But because the ball is so slow, this "interference" seems very unnatural, and there is even a slight delay!

"Sure enough..." Ethan's heart shook.

Just when the black 8 ball was about to be affected by the trajectory of the moment, he suddenly shot a shot!

Baaaah!

The black 8 hit the edge of the hole, and Ethan sent it in!

Ding --

The lights of the whole billiard hall suddenly flashed, and the black 8 ball fell into the hole, and there was a dead silence around it.

Second shot, success!

Ethan was holding the club so hard, his heart was pounding. He won... Did you?

4

Ig raised his eyebrows slightly, the smile on his face was still mild, but the look under his eyes was obviously dark.

"Congratulations." He clapped, but there was no real appreciation in his eyes.

Ethan could feel that he had just done something that "shouldn't have happened."

The billiard table gave a slight tremor, and the black 8 balls that were swallowed into the hole were slowly "spit" out, but the sphere was no longer lacquered black, but became blood red!

It rolls slowly to the center of the table. Stop.

"Game over."

Ig's voice finally got a little deeper, and he looked at Ethan with a hint of... Enjoy it?

"Looks like you're more special than we thought."

Ethan held his breath and took a wary step back.

This game... It's far from over.

Chapter 10: The Real Rules

1

Ethan stood in front of his door, his heart pounding as he stared at the lock that had appeared out of nowhere.

The original lock on the door was intact, but right below it, there was a dark red lock, as if it had been stained with blood.

He tried to open it with the key, but found that the key could not be inserted, or even rejected by some invisible force.

-- He was chosen for the apartment.

He turned sharply and looked deep into the corridor. The corridor was silent except for the dim yellow wall lamps that gave off a faint light.

Just then he heard a whisper.

"You passed the test..."

"You... Will be one of 'them'..."

"Accept it... Accept fate..."

There seemed to be countless pairs of eyes staring at him in the darkness.

Ethan clenched his teeth and his fists shook slightly. He can't just accept his fate, he has to find a way out of the apartment!

But the question is - what should he do?

2

Ethan forced himself to be calm and quickly recalled all the rules and anomalies of the apartment.

Rule 9: "Try not to refuse a housekeeper's request."

- If the housekeepers represent the will of the apartment, does rejecting them mean rebelling against the apartment?

Rule 10: "If you encounter 'them,' hold your breath as much as possible."

-- Are "they" the real owners of the apartment? Or... The ultimate form of failure?

He takes a deep breath and recalls the pool hall gamble - the game he should have lost, but won by his wits, but instead of letting him leave, the apartment "selected" him.

-- Winning the bet accelerates assimilation?

"Rules have to be broken."

He looked out into the hallway and decided to look for the only person who could help him - Uncle Clean.

3

Uncle Janitor's in the utility room on the first floor.

When Ethan opened the door, he saw the thin old man in the old hat, dragging his back to the ground.

Hearing the door open, the uncle stopped and whispered, "You shouldn't have come to me."

Ethan gasped and whispered, "I know you 'broke the rules,' so... Can you tell me how to get out of the apartment?"

The uncle was silent for a few seconds, then turned slowly with a hint of pity in his eyes.

"Do you want to know the real rules of the apartment?" 'he asked.

Ethan nodded.

The uncle sighed and whispered, "This apartment is a movie theater."

"All the guests are chosen by 'them.'"

"If you adapt to the rules, you become a 'manager '; If you break the rules, you will be 'devoured '; And if you can win their game... You become 'special.'"

Ethan's heart raced. "Special presence?"

The uncle did not answer directly, but went to a rusty cabinet in the corner and took out a worn-out key.

"If you really want to leave, please go to the third room in the basement and put this key in the door before twelve o 'clock tonight."

"But remember -- once you open that door, there's no turning back."

Ethan grabbed the key and whispered, "What about you? Why don't you go?"

The uncle's eyes became deep, and he smiled gently :" I was defeated a long time ago, but I just survived until now."

Ethan didn't ask any more questions. He grabbed the keys and turned away.

4

The time came to 11:50.

Ethan went down to the basement and stood in front of the mottled iron door.

His palms were sweating and his fingertips trembled slightly.

What if the key is a trap?

- What if behind the door is not an exit, but something more frightening than "them"?

As he hesitated, he suddenly heard a familiar voice behind hi

"Where are you going, Mr. Ethan?"

Ethan jerked back --

Ig, the butler, stood at the end of the corridor, still gentle, but his eyes were colder than ever.

"You have been chosen," Igor approached slowly." The apartment will not allow you to leave."

Ethan's fingertips clenched the key tighter.

Iger smiled and held out his hand in an inviting gesture :" Give up, stay, and you'll get a better 'home.'"

"They" began to approach. The darkness spread, and the murmurs began again.

Without hesitation, Ethan put the key in the lock and gave it a hard twist!

Click -

The iron door swung open and a blinding white light flashed from behind it.

Ethan rushed in without hesitation!

5

When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in an ordinary street.

The night air was cool and surrounded by a row of ordinary apartment buildings.

- Did he make it out?

Ethan gasped and turned to look behind him --

The apartment is gone.

All that remained was a long-abandoned building, with mottled walls and broken Windows and doors, as if it had been empty for decades.

"... Is all this true?"

Ethan's mind ran through strange experiences, rules, bets, whispers... It's all like a bad dream.

However, when he unconsciously reached into his pocket, he found a strange card.

-- Printed in the center of the card were the words:

"Welcome back."

The story ends here, but the rules continue.

(end)