S2 Book 4 Prologue +
I’ve committed murder.
No, that’s not right. It’s that person that’s committed murder.
Since then, his life had started turning troublesome.
Extremely troublesome.
Regardless of how he covered his years or closed off his vision, those voices would always ring in his ears.
Once, twice, again and again. No matter what, he could not drive them away.
He could not ignore those voices.
***
“Mister, mister, are you alright?”
A quiet, low voice that he did not recognise awoke him from the darkness.
The chilling fog of helplessness cleared. Then, he saw the white sky and a somewhat familiar face.
One he had already not seen in a very, very long time.
He did not know how to react. Should he excitedly grab the other person or what…?
As these thoughts played repeatedly through his mind, the person crouched next to him had already tugged off their hiking backpack to flip through items and perform some simple medical checks.
The other person seemed very young, with a face of a university student.
Indeed, he should have been around this age by now.
“Did you fall? There seem to only be minor injuries. Can you stand?” The saviour spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly. “My teammates are nearby, we can bring you down the mountain first.”
It took him a few seconds to realise the meaning of the other person’s words. He struggled to grasp the other person’s hand to support himself up. “No need…I just fell on accident.” He could not come into contact with anyone else. Everything was already disastrous enough.
Despite feeling slightly doubtful, the saviour did not ask any further and simply helped lift the man up. After confirming he could move independently, the saviour kindly checked the items in his bag. “I’ll ask my hiker friends at the bottom of the mountain to keep a look out. You should be able to reach a villa if you walk down for about twenty minutes. If you truly feel unwell, please make sure you ask the owner for help.”
He nodded and watched the person place their own water and snacks into his backpack. His mind seemed to go blank, making it impossible to think much.
The boy’s face was unfamiliar, yet slightly familiar as well.
He cradled his head, extremely confused.
He should be…he might really be…but he should have also recognised me then…
If it were not for this person in front of him, he might not have been able to break free, he might not have been able to escape this nightmare anymore. Just like before, this person continued to help him countless times.
“Are you still dizzy?” The saviour asked in a friendly tone with a smile.
He shook his head and silently took his bag, already somewhat heavy from this person’s goodwill. He cocked his head and spotted the nametag hanging from the person’s backpack. As expected, it was different from the name he knew.
But perhaps this was not his real name. There were infinite possibilities.
“You stay careful then. I’ll contact my other hiking friends for you, so you can request for aid if necessary.”
He moved his mouth, his voice pouring out from his dry throat. “Thank-thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Hearing shouts from other people, the saviour confirmed he could stand stably by himself. Then the other person said they would have their companions come over while he waited here.
When the boy left, he turned around and left this place as quickly as possible, without any hesitation.
He had already received his help.
I’ve committed murder.
Even now, I still don’t dare to believe this is true, but this matter is a matchless reality.
I had not intended to kill them, but they had all died.
No, it wasn’t actually me that did it, it was that person. I didn’t do anything at all.
But nobody believes my words. I definitely did not kill them, but they were all killed.
I just want the truth. If someone can help me look for the truth, then go and take a look. Because they’re still there, even though nobody can find them.
Could everything have been my imagination?
But they really disappeared, no longer in this world. Even if they’re listed as missing, I know that they are dead already. They died right in front of me. It’s just that no one knows where they are.
If you believe me, then go seek the truth.
This is something that happened in the past.
***
The weather was crazy hot that day.
Starting from early morning, the several university students standing in front of me were already growing restless. Even though we had agreed ages ago to hike, we discovered many circumstances when we gathered at the location.
“Xin Xiang! What kind of shoes are you wearing?!”
The leader with a hiking backpack pointed at the class’s most beautiful girl as he spoke in a displeased tone.
The girl with hair curled in large waves blinked her mascara-lined doe-eyes and fiddled her foot around in confusion. She wore a pair of brand-named sandals on her feet, covered in fashionable, glittering decorations. These shoes were a gift that her new boyfriend had just bought her yesterday. “Aren’t they gorgeous? A single pair cost $1500 (NT)~”
“Fucking hell, wearing sandals to hike? Didn’t I tell you ahead of time that you had to wear hiking shoes?!” The tall male student standing nearby spoked in a frustrated ton.
“Hiking shoes are so ugly. I have to dress prettily when going out. As if I’d want to wear something so ugly.” Xin Xiang scoffed and said, “It’s nothing big anyways, it’s just walking uphill.”
“Whatever, just don’t start crying pitifully later. Bo Zhong, let’s just head out now.” The university student in the basketball team that spoke to the leader was called Huang Jia Ming. He was this year’s most supported basketball member. In the past, I would grab him after work to play a few bullfighting rounds with him. He had a very outspoken and straightforward personality that was quite popular among girls. There would frequently be female students watching him next to the basketball court.
“I have a spare pair of flats. Why don’t I lend them to you later when we get onto the mountain trail?” The one that spoke was another female classmate in the group, Yang Cai Qian. She had a great personality and was very caring towards everyone. Quite a few people liked her.
“There’s no need, flats are absolutely disgusting.” Xin Xiang pulled out another pair of shoes from her brand-name bag. “I brought another pair.”
Seeing the pair of low-heeled shoes, Liu Jian Sheng next to me hurriedly grabbed Bo Zhong before he could blow his top and pacified, “Forget it, it’s fine as long as she thinks she can walk. If we don’t head out soon, it’ll get too late. Let’s hurry up and go.”
“Just don’t go complaining! Nobody will help you when your feet rot off later!” Jia Ming spat out these words viciously before going with the leader to complete the final preparations to enter the mountain.
There were many visitors hiking at this season. Taking into consideration that there were some novices joining, everyone chose a mountain that wasn’t very challenging. It was pretty well-suited for university students to easily go a bit deeper. Bo Zhong, Jia Ming, and Cai Qian had previously climbed this mountain multiple times and were rather familiar with it. There was a lodging at the midway point too. As long as we matched timing well, there wouldn’t be any issues.
So everyone decided to teach a small lesson to the sandals-wearing Xin Xiang, privately reaching a tacit agreement to not help her carry her bags or anything, forcing her to walk the entire way with her sandals.
Liu Jian Sheng wanted to help at some point in the middle but was denied by Bo Zhong. The latter was committed to letting the unreasonable and burdening girl get a proper taste of the painful consequences.
Upon entering the mountain, Xin Xiang soon discovered the impediment underneath her feet.
“My feet really hurt, it’s so hard to walk. Let’s rest a bit.”
“How much further do we need to walk? It’s so hot, so annoying…”
“If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have come. You even told me it was fun, but it isn’t at all. I’m tired to death and I keep sweating, there’s so many mosquitoes and bugs…”
“How much longer…”
As time stretched, the complaints continued to pour out. A few of the classmates standing in the front were already wearing strained expressions, and even I was feeling full of anger. The positivity of enjoying the scenery completely vanished, leaving only the urge of telling her to shut up.
At first, Cai Qian would console her saying that we were almost there. But in the end, she stopped speaking entirely as well, and everyone continued advancing in this suffocating atmosphere.
Who would’ve thought that going on a hiking trip with classmates for the first time would result in such a predicament? I only felt the heavy, depressed mood weigh down on everyone, while the woman that had caused this situation was still obliviously complaining without end. She later even started working up a temper, angrily yelling at us that we had tricked her into coming up the mountain, that everything was all our fault, etc.
In the end, Liu Jian Sheng truly couldn’t take the non-stop complaints and everyone silently went to help take her bags. Cai Qian also let her change into spare flats so that she could barely walk a bit further.
But it might be true that misfortune never comes alone. The originally good weather unexpectedly began to turn overcast.
“Weird, the weather report clearly said it wouldn’t rain.”
Bo Zhong gauged our position; it would still take around two hours for us to arrive at the lodging we had reservations for. He glanced up at the sky, which really was starting to turn cloudy. The good weather from the morning had abruptly transformed, just like everyone’s current moods. Mist began to rise in the mountain as well.
This was not good news for us, especially since we already had a person that had grumbled all the way up until now.
As expected, after Bo Zhong informed everyone of the situation, Xin Xiang was the first to protest. Her naturally beautiful face immediately twisted in an ugly manner. “I don’t care! I’m not walking anymore! This is entirely you guys’ fault. Those claims about how hiking is fun and good for the body were all lies! If I had known beforehand, I wouldn’t have come. My shoes are also ruined, plus my clothes and bag are dirty too. How do you guys plan on compensating?!”
I honestly really wanted to slap her.
Putting me aside, even Bo Zhong, who had a more considerate personality, was wearing an unsightly expression. And if it weren’t for Cai Qian grabbing Jia Ming, he might have blown up ages ago.
Liu Jian Sheng hurriedly tried to pacify Xin Xiang, but the young mistress refused to let him do the honour, and Jian Sheng happened to bear the brunt of her lashing out when he approached her. Finally, Jia Ming couldn’t take it any longer. He shoved Cai Qian aside and strode forward to stand before Xin Xiang like a towering wall. “If you don’t want to walk, then that’s fine, just stay here. We’ll make a call to report you later. You can just stay here and wait for someone to rescue you off the mountain.”
“Fine! All of you get lost then! As if I’d want to walk around this damn place anymore!” Xin Xiang put her hands on her hips as she roared back furiously. “So senseless!”
“Good, you’d better just stay here then!”
I stared at Xin Xiang, who did just stand in place without moving as everyone else actually continued forwards. For a moment, I wasn’t sure what was the best thing to do.
Liu Jian Sheng also felt quite awkward, but ultimately, he did not want to stay behind and get yelled at as well. As a result, he followed the others away.
Soon, everyone disappeared around the corner of the path.
“You get out of here too!” Xin Xiang looked at me and roared, “All of you, go away! I hope you guys get killed in a mountain accident! Liars never have good endings! Go to hell!”
Is there a need to say something like that?
I honestly felt a bit helpless, but since she couldn’t be communicated with, I could only shake my head and start going to catch up the group.
As I left Xin Xiang behind, she was quickly covered by the mountain mist, and with only her piercing shouts remaining in the mountain—
“You guys should just drop dead!”
***
“Is it alright to leave Xin Xiang there?”
It took some time to return to the group, and I just managed to catch up to them resting on the path as Liu Jian Sheng, who had left ahead of me, asked this question in uncertainty.
Bo Zhong bitterly chuckled. “We’ve already called and requested for a rescue with proper coordinates. If she doesn’t wander off by herself, she should soon be helped down the mountain. There are usually quite a few hiking companions over here, so I’ve asked some nearby ones to help. It’s unlikely a mishap will occur.”
I see, that puts me more at ease.
I recalled how she had still been screaming the whole time just earlier. It was truly a headache; if she could just be a bit quieter, she at least wouldn’t be that dislikeable.
Exactly what are her pursuers in the palm of her hands thinking? I’m really curious.
“But judging from the looks of the sky, it’s better If we speed up our pace. Hopefully we can reach the lodging in time. It’ll really be troublesome if it starts raining.” Bo Zhong had everyone take the appropriate measures for our bags in case it rained, then urged us to hurry up on our way.
As expected, a drizzle really did start falling from the sky before we had gone far. A greyish-white mist slowly spread throughout the mountain, practically assimilating together with the dark and heavy rainclouds.
Though Xin Xiang was not there, the group’s atmosphere still wasn’t good. Nobody wanted to speak. Well silently wore our jackets and continued to tread through the mist as best as we could under the rain.
Even without her physically being there, the heavy air remained wrapped around every person. Even Cai Qian had a rarely seen long face as she remained silent.
For some reason, soon after it started raining, the mountain fog turned frighteningly dense, and at some point, it was impossible to even get a clear look of the path underneath our feet. With lack of better option, Bo Zhao made everyone stop temporarily to find shelter in the rain. He was also afraid of me and Li Jian Sheng getting lost since we were unfamiliar with the path, so he would walk and stop intermittently. The sky gradually darkened.
Jia Ming, who had been constantly tracking the time, also began to frown in an unseemly manner.
Finally, after stopping a few times, Jia Ming and Bo Zhong began to discuss something wrong with the journey’s duration, and Cai Qian later joined in quietly.
Liu Jian Sheng and I stood off to the side and heard them say something like we might have gone down a fork in the road without noticing because the fog was thick. Our current position wasn’t right either, and we would need to recalculate our path and ETA, or just spend the night outdoors. It was just that staying overnight outside was not too safe under these circumstances. Worst case, we could quickly request for help.
Liu Jian Sheng looked extremely anxious, possibly because he hadn’t imagined we would run into this kind of issue. He might have assumed something similar to Xin Xiang, that we would reach the top and look at the scenery before playfully coming back down or something. His expression seemed more like regret, as if he should have just waited with Xin Xiang for help instead.
On the other hand, I was still fine, since I understood this kind of mountain condition. Plus, I wasn’t alone; there were many others here. At worst, we should just get help to bring us back down. It was not anything particularly alarming.
Since we had planned for a two-day-one-night trip, everyone’s luggage had some light cooking equipment. Bo Zhong and a few other also possessed knowledge of how to survive in the wilderness, so there was not much of an issue for the time being.
After considering all this, I was not as anxious as Liu Jian Sheng. Rather, I was a bit excited as I surveyed the rainy mountain scene. It had already been a very long time since I had seen this kind of landscape before. If we were not rushed on time, it would have been quite nice to simply gaze at it like this too.
As night approached, the temperature inside the mountain dropped significantly, causing the fog to condense further. It gave an eerie feeling as it surrounded us instantly wherever we went.
Being unable to even gauge distance really made me feel a bit nostalgic.
Even if something appeared in the mountain, it would probably not seem strange at this point.
It seemed that the discussion between Bo Zhong and the others reached a conclusion. Cai Qian waved a hand towards me and Liu Jian Sheng to go over and she clarified the current situation. “We should have gone the wrong way previously and ended up going down another path, which is a bit further…It may still take some more time before we circle back to the lodging…”
“We can’t walk back?” Liu Jian Sheng interrupted Cai Qian’s words and nervously asked, “Why don’t we just directly head down the mountain?”
“Right now, walking back will take more time, and it’s already gotten so late. Plus, with the fog so bad, I’m afraid trying to head back will be dangerous.” Bo Zhong’s expression turned a bit grave as he glanced at the gradually darkening path we had come from. “In short, let’s just take a detour. We just checked the map, there might be a residence nearby. As long as we’re all careful and watch out for each other, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
A residence nearby?
This kind of ambience really seems like those horror movies on TV. The hiking group, getting lost, and the fog all give off that feeling quite strongly.
At the time, I just thought it was amusing.
Nobody had known what would happen next.
***
“Will you get tired?”
As we continued probing our way through the darkness to follow the path forwards, Cai Qian slowed down to walk by my side.
She was always a good girl, something that I had already been certain of since long ago. She was extremely considerate of others, even viewing me as a companion. That’s why everyone liked her.
“I won’t.” I shook my head.
Liu Jian Sheng looked more tired than me. Although he walked in front of me, Jia Ming had already slowed down to help lend an arm for support.
“I never thought the weather would suddenly turn so nasty…We’ve encountered similar things before, but this time seems a bit weird.”
Cai Qian continued to walk as she quietly said, “It might just feel that way since the mood wasn’t good in the first place, but I keep feeling like it’s too unfavourable. We’ve even gone the wrong way on a path that we would have never deviated from before.”
It seemed like the matter with Xin Xiang had given pressure to everyone, including Cai Qian, let alone the leading Bo Zhong. I could completely understand.
As if taunting us, the hazy mountain suddenly started to drizzle at this time.
“Let’s rest a moment ahead.”
Jia Ming, who had gone off to scout the path, waved at us from a distance. “There’s a house in front.”
Isn’t that too perfect?
I suddenly felt a bit like laughing. Isn’t this the super classical horror film where various stuff happens in the mountains, like seeing ghosts and such? I never thought I’d end up being in a situation like that too.
Jia Ming led everyone forwards. After passing some downward slopes, we entered a relatively lower valley area. And what appeared here was a house with absolutely no trace of human habitation.
The building looked a bit run-down. It still had doors and windows, but they were no longer hung in their original frames. The windows had no glass either. It seemed extremely ventilated.
When we walked closer, we saw that there was a slab of wood lying next to the front door, the words on it no longer legible.
“I heard that there used to be inhabitants here from time to time, but looks like they moved away in the past. This place doesn’t seem much like a pension as much as a residence.” Bo Zhong shone a flashlight on it. “Shouldn’t be any wild dogs or bears, so we can put up with it for a bit. Having walls is at least better than being open to the air. It’ll be easier to collect firewood too.”
“Let’s leave after we intrude for the night.” Cai Qian switched on her flashlight and pushed open the frail front door.
An indescribable odour wafted out from inside.
They did a quick circle around. The house wasn’t that big, and after a brief look, they decided we’d sleep in the living room. Behind the living room was an open-air corridor and a small garden. Further past was the owner’s bathroom, kitchen, pantry, and bedroom, which were lined up perfectly as four standalone buildings. A fence wrapped around the entire area outside. It didn’t look like it was made of the same materials, so it was clear that it had been built at a different time.
Bo Zhong and Jia Ming gathered some wood outside before coming back in. They then cleared away some surrounding junk and piled [the wood] up to create an illuminating and warming bonfire. After finding some cups and cans around the house, they made little candles. If interchanged with the flashlights and camping lights, it would be just enough to use for activities.
“The bathroom seems usable. Let’s take turns.” Bo Zhong had tested it to discover that water flowed out from the faucet in the bathroom, perhaps from a spring or something. Although it was a small amount, the dirty water gradually turned clean after running for a while. It could not be used immediately for cooking, but it was enough for a brief rinse of hands and feet.
Cai Qian gathered some of the food and drinking water, opening cans and noodles to pour into a small pot. She then placed it on a rack above the fire to start cooking.
In the interim, everyone slightly tidied up the living room. It could be said that they were lucky that the owner had spent quite a bit on the house’s construction to change the floor into stone, making it hard for plants to grow. As a result, it was easy to clear the space, and after laying out our sleeping bags and pads, we took turns to wash up in the bathroom.
I went to the bathroom after Bo Zhong came back.
It was very cold in the mountain at night.
With a flashlight, I passed through the dark garden, using my weak flashlight to light up some of the surrounding courtyard. The ground was quite a mess, the plants in the flower bed unidentifiable. There were many weeds growing from a layer of sand and dirt, and I could sense there were some bugs crawling in it. The dirt also had some suspicious animal prints.
The chilly air carried an inexplicable eeriness.
I followed the path to the corridor of the building in the courtyard. The hallway had clearly been swept already. When I passed by the kitchen, I just happened to spot Cai Qian doing something inside, possibly trying to see if there were any items we could use. The inside had been tidied slightly as well, looking somewhat clean. There was a small light made using a can that hung from the shelf to provide illumination.
“The bathroom is next door, be careful.” Cai Qian greeted me before continuing her work.
As I shifted the beam over, I immediately saw the open bathroom next door.
The space inside was rather large, and was even split into a bath and a shower area. However, they had not been used for a very long time. The bathroom mirror was already covered in a layer of dust and filth, unable to reflect anything.
Since we only planned on using it to clean hands and feet, it did not matter if the bathroom was not as clean as the living room.
I hung the flashlight on the black mirror atop the sink. When I twisted the faucet open to do a casual rinse, a faint noise suddenly came from the other end of the bathroom.
It sounded like a person panting after having run for a long time.
I turned towards the source of the noise and only saw the dark shower area. The glass door had long since been covered in a layer of dirt, making it impossible to see what was on the other side.
For some reason, I felt that something wasn’t right. A cold breeze suddenly blew past my feet, and I almost immediately decided not to stay around any longer. As I grabbed the flashlight, a huge bang exploded abruptly from the side.
The previously wide-open door was slammed shut. I was completely frozen, unsure of what to do for a moment in that dark space.
I only heard a strange noise come from the shower area again.
This time, it was broken speech, though I couldn’t tell what was being said.
After a few seconds, I finally realised that I should leave. I quickly turned to pull the door open. At that moment, I vaguely saw what seemed like a human silhouette at the corner window behind the door.
Without much thought, I yanked the door open so that I could run out, but suddenly discovered there was someone standing at the doorway.
In that moment, I saw a massive black figure directly facing me, its face practically stuck right in front of mine. However, it didn’t have any facial features; it was just a shadow.
Practically on instinct, I backpedalled several steps and saw the bathroom door once again get heavily slammed shut. The loud noise echoed through the pitch-black space.
Then, there came the faint stench of blood.
I had absolutely no way of telling if the smell was from outside the door or from the shower area. It just seemed like it was everywhere. Then I suddenly remembered the corner window and I rushed over to pull open the severely rusted lock.
When I yanked it open, I sensed something was wrong. A pungent, rust-like smell came out first. There were tons of pipes inside, as well as a single arm hanging down from above.
In panic, I couldn’t even identify whose arm it was. I only remembered immediately closing the small window before belatedly recalling the silhouette that had been reflected outside it earlier —Pipes don’t give off light, so how was there a shadow?
This question appeared in my mind the instant I shut the window. And when I once again saw the shadow outside, I was not mentally prepared at all.
The black figure abruptly materialized in front of me. Only now did I discover that this silhouette was upside down.
My mind went completely blank.
An unknown amount of time passed.
I trembled in fear, the only thoughts filling my head were of quickly leaving this creepy place.
I couldn’t tell if the upside-down shadow was staring straight at me or if its back was facing me. The head and shoulders that appeared were practically stuck to the glass, yet I couldn’t see any distinct veins.
What is that arm?
I held my breath as I retreated and grabbed the door like a drowning person desperately searching for the nearest lifeline. I held it so tightly that I felt a dull pain, then slowly opened the heavy door open bit by bit. As I suddenly thought, Was the door this heavy before, the black figure once again appeared outside the door.
The space seemed to freeze in that moment as I spotted a pair of unusually familiar sandals on the shadow’s feet.
A pair of shoes that had apparently been very expensive.
Shrieks lingered in the valley, in my mind. And then I knew. It was actually this thing that was behind the scenes. It had harmful intent towards us, just like before.
I reached out to strangle it. Then, I heard it laugh. A scarlet mouth opened on the black shadow as the sound of laughter strongly reeking of blood poured out. I could not feel the night cold at all, because the chills sprouting from inside my bones were colder.
The shadow drifted away from my grasp as it laughed out loud. The door banged shut in front of me again with a huge thud, re-closing me inside the dark and narrow room.
I had to tell the others.
Oh yeah, Cai Qian is still next-door. That thing will definitely go looking for her.
I banged heavily on the door, the noise so loud that it made my head hurt. Despite this, I continued knocking on it non-stop, hoping Cai Qian would notice that thing. It came to swallow us, hurry up and run away.
But the door did not budge at all. Even though I shouted for help, it did not seem to attract anyone’s attention.
Save them!
The flashlight flickered. I turned back and saw that shadow standing behind me as it chuckled sinisterly.
I once again wrapped my hands around its neck and forcefully pushed it into the shower’s glass. With a crash, it vanished from my hold once more. I couldn’t see anything in the darkness. There was nothing, nothing anywhere. It’s gone again! So I raced back to the door and saw that the small window on the wall had been reopened a crack. A pale, thin arm stretched out from inside, five long and slender fingers twisted to leave marks on the dust-covered ground.
I walked backwards, unable to consider what the situation was this time. Then, the tightly shut door let out a click and slowly opened by itself.
Standing behind the door was Liu Jian Sheng. He anxiously stared at me while I seemed to be released from a nightmare. The panic and horror from just earlier instantly vanished.
“Have you seen Cai Qian?” Liu Jian Sheng looked flustered as he asked, “I think I just heard her scream, but there was nobody in the kitchen…Why does your complexion look horrible?”
I shook my head and stumbled out from the black space, wanting to get as far away from that place as possible.
“Is there something inside?” Liu Jian Sheng could not understand where my fear came from and was puzzled about me being terrified out of my mind.
I did not want to answer him; I only wanted to leave. Then I really did start running away. When I passed the kitchen, I did not see any trace of Cai Qian, only the half-organised things still lying on the counter.
I saw that shadow standing in the depths of the kitchen.
There was a tremendous bang. I turned my head to see Liu Jian Sheng disappear behind the bathroom door.
Then, a blood-curling scream rang out from inside.
I held my head in my hands and ran away.
