Lilith intently studied Zhang Wen's face, trying to decipher her thoughts.
Seeing Lilith's businesslike demeanor, Zhang Wen felt confident.
She picked up the thermos, about to pour Lilith a glass of water, when Lilith stopped her.
"No need for formalities. I'm busy and won't be staying long."
Zhang Wen was startled; under Lilith's gaze, she put down the thermos and sat on the bed with a strange expression.
Lilith was certain this woman's secret was far deeper than she anticipated.
Zhang Wen was momentarily stunned, finally staring at Lilith. She smirked. "You intend to publish everything I tell you."
"That depends on how interesting your story is," Lilith said, her expression unchanged.
"Hee hee… alright, I'll tell you."
Zhang Wen gave a strange laugh. Her first words revealed information Lilith didn't know.
"I'm Ravenna's sister. Her older sister." Her gaze was unwavering.
Ravenna…
Lilith pictured the pale face under the bed.
The relationships seemed increasingly complex.
Lilith hadn't expected Zhang Wen to be Ravenna's sister.
But as Zhang Wen spoke, a strange story began to unfold…
Ding Peng and Ravenna.
Magnus Crowe and Zhang Wen.
But… a third person had entered the relationship between Magnus Crowe and Zhang Wen—Lillian Pearl.
Lillian Pearl wasn't as beautiful or young as Zhang Wen, but she owned land and a building.
The As You Wish Motel was Lillian Pearl's property.
Love couldn't compete with bread; Magnus Crowe chose Lillian Pearl without hesitation.
But he also made a promise to Zhang Wen—after acquiring ownership of the motel, he would arrange an "accident," killing Lillian Pearl and then marrying Zhang Wen.
Lost in her lover's beautiful lies, Zhang Wen stopped pursuing Magnus Crowe, entering the As You Wish Motel and patiently waiting.
But she waited three years.
Zhang Wen grew impatient.
Her lover seemed to have forgotten; day in and day out, he worked, went home…
Her love letters, hidden in Magnus Crowe's office, remained unanswered.
Zhang Wen understood; she'd been… discarded…
But then, an opportunity presented itself!
Her younger sister and Magnus Crowe's brother arrived for their honeymoon!
Zhang Wen knew her future brother-in-law well; he seemed gentle and carefree, but secretly envied his brother!
Why had a wealthy heiress chosen his brother, not him?
Why had Magnus Crowe, a poor bumpkin, become a wealthy owner?
Zhang Wen approached him; they conspired together.
"So, your request was for Ding Peng to help you kill Lillian Pearl?" Lilith asked.
"Yes!" Zhang Wen's expression was a mixture of resentment and satisfaction. "I told Ding Peng to kill Lillian Pearl and make it look like suicide! Then, forge a will leaving her inheritance to him!"
Lilith looked at her resentful face, unmoved.
This woman was completely insane.
"And then?"
"Then?" Zhang Wen looked at Lilith, her eyes dangerous. "Then Ding Peng agreed to help, but! Before we could act, my sister disappeared!"
Zhang Wen's expression shifted dramatically; her resentment was replaced by worry. "Ravenna was a good girl, a very good girl… She was kind, intelligent, beautiful, generous. Why did she disappear? Why?!"
Zhang Wen's voice rose; her emotions intensified.
"Not long after Ravenna disappeared, that hateful woman also vanished? She… had no right to disappear with Ravenna!" Zhang Wen stared at Lilith, seemingly mad. "Tell me, why?!"
Lilith didn't answer; she understood.
Ravenna might have disappeared, but Lillian Pearl hadn't.
Ding Peng had acted.
Lillian Pearl had been thrown into the water tank.
Zhang Wen's emotions shifted rapidly; she regained composure, continuing, "Three days after Ravenna disappeared, I saw her again."
"Ha ha… Ravenna looked at me in the mirror… Ravenna told me to let people know what happened here, as many as possible…"
Zhang Wen's expression became increasingly strange; her coherent speech became fragmented; whispers replaced complete sentences.
Hearing her increasingly bizarre statements, Lilith noticed something amiss.
Zhang Wen calling the newspaper, posting those articles—were all these actions instructed by "Ravenna"?
But… according to Lilith, the ghost under her bed was Ravenna.
So… who was possessing Zhang Wen?
Lilith now understood the identities of the man and woman in the water tanks, but… Ravenna remained the most mysterious!
"Sleep with the sticker on your back. Wake from the dream, lose your soul…"
She was the protagonist of the riddle!
Who killed her?
And… where was her body?
"Hey, aren't you a reporter? Remember this, then publish it!" Zhang Wen showed displeasure at Lilith's apparent distraction.
"I don't need your instructions," Lilith said coldly.
If she weren't trying to appear "normal," this would have been her true demeanor.
This woman… was clearly insane.
Lilith sensed something familiar about her, a feeling from a place she knew well—Industry City Psychiatric Hospital.
She possessed an almost obsessive love for Magnus Crowe and her sister; in her descriptions, she never used a negative word.
Even after Magnus Crowe abandoned her, she only resented Lillian Pearl, never considering Crowe at fault.
Perhaps… not that she didn't consider it, but that she refused to.
Zhang Wen could only cling to the good memories she held in her mind.
If her idealized view of Magnus Crowe were shattered, she might collapse instantly; schizophrenia would be the best-case scenario.
This was likely… a form of delusional disorder.
"I'll go now. I'll publish the story soon. You can tell 'Ravenna' not to worry," Lilith said, rising.
The ghost wasn't the "Ravenna" Zhang Wen spoke of.
But Lilith didn't reveal this.
Zhang Wen, seemingly satisfied with Lilith's "promise," watched her leave her room.
...
Lilith had barely left the staff break room when Wang Sheng emerged from a room.
His eyes were bloodshot; he looked exhausted. After lingering in the hallway, he knocked on the adjacent door.
Footsteps sounded from within; a man opened the door, his expression grim. "What is it?"
It was Nathaniel; his displeasure was evident.
Wang Sheng trembled, avoiding Nathaniel's gaze. "Nathi… Nathaniel, I… should we burn some paper money for the landlady?"
Nathaniel's expression changed; he grabbed Wang Sheng's collar, pulling him into his room.
"Listen, you didn't kill her! I didn't kill her! Whether we saw anything or not, she was killed by someone else! Forget about conscience, forget about ghosts! You dare to spread rumors? I might let you go, but will he let you go? Huh?"
"But… but… I keep feeling… someone's watching me from the ceiling…"
Wang Sheng instinctively looked up at the ceiling.
Nathaniel's grip tightened; although reluctant to admit it, he also felt… that he was being watched.
It was eerie and terrifying; a chill ran down his spine, as if… eyes were always watching from some unseen corner.
"Huff…" Nathaniel took a deep breath, releasing his grip.
He slumped onto the bed, running his hands through his hair.
His mental state had been deteriorating; he realized Wang Sheng was in a similar condition.
One person could be a coincidence, but two? Something was definitely wrong.
"It's… we're probably overthinking things. Even if she's a ghost, she wouldn't target us; she'd go after her husband! That man! We just happened to see Crowe throw her into the water tank…" Nathaniel, braver than Wang Sheng, couldn't shake off his unease.
He and Wang Sheng had seen Magnus Crowe carrying something up the stairs to the roof; they were curious.
The boss was lazy and clueless; this kind of physical work was usually delegated, so… Nathaniel and Wang Sheng secretly followed, wanting to see what he was doing.
Then… they witnessed a horrifying sight.
Lillian Pearl, lying on the ground, was carried by Magnus Crowe, step by step, up the stairs and thrown into the water tank.
Nathaniel could still vividly remember Lillian Pearl's face; her eyelids flickered; she seemed not to be dead, but merely unconscious?
Crowe threw her into the four-meter-deep tank and covered the lid.
Soon, the water tank began to shake! She wasn't dead! She was struggling in the water!
But… Magnus Crowe simply stood silently beside the tank, watching.
The two waitresses hiding on the stairs watched in horror, their hearts pounding, making no attempt to save her.
Lillian Pearl's despair grew; icy water filled her mouth, nostrils, and lungs; a suffocating sensation numbed her; resentment surged as she neared death!
Her face was pale; her eyes were wide open; she stared at the tank walls, as if she could see the people outside.
She drowned alive.
"In short… we know nothing. Even if the boss found out, he promised hush money. So, don't say anything, understand?" Nathaniel seemed to be persuading Wang Sheng, but also himself.
"But…" Wang Sheng said miserably.
"What else do you want?!" Nathaniel glared, barely controlling his anger.
"No… nothing… I just need to use the restroom…" Wang Sheng trembled, stammering. "Nathaniel … perhaps… we should go together?"
Nathaniel was about to refuse when he felt an urgent need to urinate.
The urge was sudden and inexplicable.
"Fine, but don't think too much," Nathaniel said, opening the door.
Wang Sheng followed, his face pained. The restroom was at the end of the hallway, next to Zhang Wen's room.
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Nathaniel and Wang Sheng walked towards the restroom, feeling increasingly cold.
"Hey, Wang Sheng, do you feel like the hallway's gotten narrower?"
Nathaniel whispered.
Wang Sheng trembled, partly from fear, partly from needing to urinate urgently.
"No… not really," Wang Sheng denied Nathaniel's observation.
Nathaniel figured he was overthinking it.
"Damn it, who left all this water by the restroom?" Nathaniel grumbled, looking at the wet floor.
Wang Sheng didn't answer; he knew who.
It was clearly Zhang Wen; everyone knew she had mental health issues, occasionally splashing water around the sink.
But Nathaniel didn't want to believe it; he liked Zhang Wen; this was common knowledge.
They walked through the water into the restroom; Wang Sheng rushed to the urinal, while Nathaniel quickly closed the door and went to a squat toilet.
"Bang—"
Nathaniel closed the door.
Wang Sheng's indistinct sounds echoed from outside.
Nathaniel quickly unzipped his pants and squatted.
Suddenly, water spurted from the urinal!
The splashing water even reached his buttocks.
Nathaniel frowned, turning to look at the urinal, trying to find the problem. He hadn't touched it; why had it suddenly started spraying?
But… a horrifying sight met Nathaniel's eyes.
Blood!
So much blood!
The urinal wasn't spraying water; it was spraying blood!
Nathaniel's heart pounded; he quickly pulled up his pants, threw open the door, and tried to escape.
But although the latch was lifted, the door was locked from the outside!
"Wang Sheng! You son of a bitch, open this door! Open it now!!"
Nathaniel shouted, frantically throwing his weight against the door, but… it wouldn't budge!
Suddenly, the rushing water stopped.
Nathaniel swallowed; he was drenched in sweat; his face was pale; his limbs felt weak.
But… when he mustered the courage to look back, he froze!
From the urinal hole… a hand emerged!
A pale hand!
Nathaniel's mind went blank; his legs gave way; he collapsed to the floor.
"Ah… huff…"
Incoherent sounds escaped his throat; he was speechless.
The pale hand… was approaching his neck…
...
"Drip…"
Lilith paused, turning her head to listen. It sounded like… dripping again?
That direction was… the staff restroom…
Lilith looked towards the restroom, then calmly turned away, not looking back.
Someone might be dead.
But… Lilith remembered; this was the fog world; if someone died, it meant… they were supposed to die then.
Lilith didn't know if Harrison's claims were true.
Was this a real past timeline, or a strange branch of time? She couldn't determine it, nor the effect of interfering with the fog world.
Perhaps… the fog gathering's "purpose" was to send people back to the past to change something?
There was too little information; the fog was too dense to make any judgment.
As for the lives of those here, it didn't concern her; in Lilith's view, the As You Wish Motel waitresses deserved to die.
That's why she hadn't revealed the truth to Zhang Wen; if she believed the ghost was her sister, let her believe it.
Lilith knew Zhang Wen, although mentally unstable, was a genuine accomplice to murder!
Entering the lobby, she glanced at the clock: 5:30 PM; almost 6:00.
Lilith looked at the darkening sky, saying nothing.
Although the deadline was seven days, she planned to resolve everything tonight. But before that… she needed to visit a place during the half-hour meeting.
...
Nowhere to be found; completely gone!
Adrian held his breath, silently hiding in the chimney.
Incredibly, he had wandered a haunted mansion all night!
But he hadn't encountered a single ghost.
The mansion was completely silent; the sky was beginning to lighten.
Daylight would make things easier; at least… the fear wouldn't be so intense.
Human fear of darkness stems from fear of the unknown.
Once it was light, everything would be visible; the shadowy trees wouldn't seem so sinister.
Hopefully… they'd all survived…
Adrian's thoughts weren't heard by anyone else; or perhaps… only three were still alive.
Adrian, Lucas, and… Cassandra.
This woman was either incredibly lucky or unlucky; on her first entry into the fog gathering, she'd encountered the terrifying survival task.
But… this extreme terror, a life-or-death situation even for veterans, and she was still alive?
Cassandra herself felt a flicker of luck.
It was good that… Lucas hadn't abandoned her.
And Lucas, at that moment, was slowly making his way towards the first floor, using the growing daylight.
Good.
Back to the entrance, the starting point!
Lucas's plan was undeniably bold.
The ghost's taboos were mirrors and turning around. By avoiding these, surviving a day in the mansion wasn't impossible!
Lucas's choice was to return to the living room on the first floor.
It was where everyone had awakened, where "it" had entered!
Logically, the ghost wouldn't return to the same place; therefore… the most dangerous place was the safest!
"Come!"
Lucas, without turning around, beckoned Cassandra.
Cassandra crouched low, following silently.
Watching Lucas's cautious back, a strange thought occurred to Cassandra.
She believed… Lucas was protecting her because she was beautiful.
If Lucas knew this, his expression would be priceless.
There was no such thing as selfless love; Lucas was no different.
He helped Cassandra because of her face.
But… not for the reasons Cassandra thought.
Lucas wasn't attracted to her; he protected her because her face resembled his younger sister… Louis.
The girl who had entered the fog gathering with him…
The girl who had been devoured by the ghost trying to save him…
The girl who, until her last breath, had urged him to escape…
Lucas clenched his fist; he would survive!
This life was no longer his alone; it carried another beautiful soul's hope.
And now, a person with a peculiar personality but a strikingly similar appearance to Louis had appeared.
Only Lucas knew the joy and disbelief he felt upon first seeing Cassandra.
He would protect her, but not at the cost of his life; Cassandra was Cassandra, not Louis.
The sky was gradually brightening.
They had reached the living room on the first floor.
Victoria's corpse remained; her eyes wide open, her neck twisted at an unnatural angle, gazing at the ceiling.
She died without knowing why.
Seeing Victoria's contorted body, Cassandra trembled uncontrollably.
Until today, she had been an ordinary, somewhat pretty girl with a bit of a princess complex.
She instinctively reached for Lucas's clothes, but Lucas moved, searching for a hiding place.
Just as Cassandra was about to follow, she suddenly smelled a familiar scent!
The stench of decaying flesh mixed with jasmine…
It's here!
Terror seized Cassandra; she didn't know where it was and didn't dare make a sound!
In desperation, she hid behind a curtain!
Meanwhile, Lucas frowned, searching for a hiding place.
The living room offered no space for two; they would have to separate.
At that moment, a strange, sickening scent wafted by.
Lucas froze; his blood seemed to turn to ice.
It's here.
Lucas's mind was a blank; intense nausea overwhelmed him!
Suddenly!
Icy cold hands clasped his waist!
Lucas looked down, clinging to a sliver of hope; he hoped it was Cassandra playing a prank.
Although he knew… this prank was likely not Cassandra's… but the ghost's…
Indeed… the hands were grotesquely twisted; these were definitely not human hands.
Lucas's face turned ashen; despair flooded him.
Is this… the end?
He didn't dare turn around; thinking of Louis's face, he felt slightly better.
"Louis, brother might… be coming to see you."
The outcome was as Lucas had suspected.
Regardless of their hiding place, the ghost could locate them over time.
This wasn't the ghost's ability; it was because… they had broken a taboo!
After Victoria's death, Lucas had desperately tried to understand what went wrong, but Victoria's death remained inexplicable.
The lighting then was poor; they could barely see each other, let alone mirrors. And turning around? Lucas didn't believe Victoria would have been so foolish.
So… Lucas considered a possibility.
There was only one explanation for Victoria's death!
But if his theory was correct, it meant everyone except Adrian had broken a taboo!
They were all doomed; it was only a matter of time.
The reason… was that everyone had turned around!
Elena Frost!
The young Du City University student, Adrian's admirer.
Before they set out, she had softly called Adrian's name; perhaps due to complex emotions, Adrian hadn't turned to look at her.
But… everyone else had instinctively turned to look at her!
The taboo was broken from the start!
This cursed fog gathering, this deadly task…
It exploited everyone's psychology! Everyone believed the fog gathering was unpleasant but safe; they hadn't expected anything to happen there!
Initially, Lucas had refused to believe it.
But based on the outcome, his theory was correct…
Hiding was futile; the taboo had been broken; everyone would die!
The only hope of survival rested with Adrian, who had refused to look at Elena…
The irony.
After realizing this, Lucas regretted turning around…
This deadly curse had begun the moment their names turned red.
Cassandra's body turned icy; her bones felt frozen.
She couldn't believe her eyes.
A grotesque figure was embracing Lucas from behind!
It wasn't human.
It was a tall, humanoid creature, almost touching the ceiling; its limbs were grotesquely twisted; its body was covered in wounds, oozing yellowish-green pus.
A sickening smell of decay and jasmine filled the room.
But what truly horrified Cassandra was its head.
Its head was disproportionately small compared to its enormous body!
It had no scalp; terrifying crimson veins pulsed on its head, as if… it were alive.
Yet, this monster moved incredibly quietly! From behind the curtain, Cassandra watched its strange gait approach Lucas, then… it extended its oddly shaped arms, wrapping around Lucas's waist.
What should I do?
What should I do?
Is Lucas going to die?
Chaotic thoughts flooded her mind: fear, nausea, anxiety, worry, pain, despair… countless negative emotions burst forth, destroying the young woman's composure.
At that moment, Cassandra, her hands icy, felt a small, round object in her pocket.
She gasped, then seemed to remember something; her expression changed dramatically!
A terrifying thought flashed through her mind; Cassandra herself didn't understand where it came from.
But… the thought took root rapidly, like a maggot gnawing at her!
And most importantly, Lucas was about to die!
Once Lucas died, Cassandra felt she had no chance of escaping; next would be her!
She was behind the curtain, behind the monster… what should she do…?
Meanwhile, Lucas felt changes in his body.
An intense, unfamiliar, horrifying aura enveloped his waist; the twisted, decaying hands tightened.
It was attacking.
Everything was… ending.
Lucas couldn't define his emotions; humans were complex beings, capable of diverse feelings.
Fear, resentment, bewilderment, but also… a strange sense of relief, of release.
"If I die, it'll all be over…"
Lucas closed his eyes, feeling the hands tighten, crushing his bones and organs.
His breathing quickened; his abdomen ached…
"Hey!"
A familiar female voice suddenly pierced the silence, causing Lucas's eyes to snap open; disbelief flickered across his pain-stricken face.
Cassandra?!
When the ghost found them, Lucas felt a fleeting resentment towards Cassandra—why hadn't she warned him, instead choosing to hide?
But then, he quickly regained his composure; making a sound would be suicidal.
Only a reckless fool would do that.
Cassandra’s choice to hide, however, earned Lucas's silent approval; at least… the girl who looked like Louis wasn’t a fool.
But the situation slapped Lucas in the face.
He hadn't expected Cassandra to not only fail to hide but to actively call out!
To scream at the ghost!
Was this woman insane?!
Lucas remained silent, didn't turn; he was unaware of the incredible scene unfolding!
Cassandra, her face ashen, stood behind the three-meter-tall, grotesque figure, shouting.
She forced her eyes open, aiming the object in her hand at the ghost's head.
Hearing Cassandra, the ghost seemed to freeze; then… it slowly turned its head.
That crimson, scalpless, disproportionately small head.
As it turned, Cassandra trembled, staring at its face!
The face was indescribable: grotesque, unnatural, features twisted into a mass; it wasn't a face, but a patchwork of parts!
It had only one eye, set in the center; below, a wide, lipless mouth, filled with sharp, pointed teeth!
Sickening, foul-smelling saliva dripped from its teeth; Cassandra's mind went blank.
But her body reacted instantly.
She raised a small, round, magnifying glass, aiming it at the single eye!
An incredible thing happened; upon seeing the magnifying glass, the terrifying ghost instantly released its grip on Lucas's waist, and… the crimson fog began to dissipate!
"Thump…"
Cassandra felt her composure shatter; she collapsed to the ground, staring in horror at the unfolding scene.
Simultaneously, a crimson fog emerged from above her head; the same thing happened to Lucas.
The moment the crimson fog left their bodies, Cassandra noticed a change.
It wasn't her heightened senses; the change was too obvious!
The world instantly became colorless!
Cassandra's eyes, already wide, widened further; she instinctively rubbed them and looked around again.
Gone. Completely gone!
The world's color had vanished; everything was in pure black and white.
Except for her and Lucas.
"You… you…"
Lucas's voice was filled with disbelief and relief.
Shortly after hearing Cassandra's shout, he felt the grip on his waist loosen, but he hadn't dared turn around. He didn't know what had happened, but as long as he remained in this world, he couldn't turn!
Then, the crimson fog from the fog gathering emerged, instantly extracting him from the past!
Lucas, having experienced multiple tasks, understood what this meant.
Complete. The task was complete!
Although joy and relief surged, disbelief dominated his emotions.
What had that trembling woman on the ground done?
Lucas wasn't alone in his thoughts; Adrian, hiding in the chimney, felt the same.
Upon realizing he'd been extracted from the past, he immediately understood the task was complete!
Someone had destroyed the ghost!
But… how was that possible? Weren't the ghosts in survival tasks invincible?
Who, and how, had done it?
The three—or rather, two; Cassandra's mind was a blank; the events had overwhelmed her—had their own thoughts.
Lucas looked at Cassandra, then at the three coalescing crimson clouds.
Only three survivors this time.
As the crimson clouds merged, the black-and-white world fractured, like a torn photograph.
Figures materialized before them.
They were back in the fog gathering.
...
Phineas was in trouble.
After receiving the news and separating from the others, Phineas heard something.
Ding Peng and Ravenna, on their honeymoon, were staying in room 406, on the fourth floor.
The room number sounded familiar; upon finding the room, he realized why.
Ding Peng and Ravenna's room was next to Lilith's!
Lilith was in 405; opposite her was Seraphina in 404.
A strange arrangement…
Every action in the fog gathering had a purpose; this was Phineas's conclusion from many experiences.
Looking down the long hallway, Phineas hesitated before stepping forward.
If possible, he wouldn't have chosen the fourth floor; Lilith had mentioned at least one ghost under her bed.
Phineas didn't share Lilith's unwavering belief that the ghost wouldn't kill her.
But… retreating might lead to something far worse.
Liam had told every newcomer that to find clues in the deadly fog gathering, they must avoid negative actions.
This was a punishment for intelligent, perceptive individuals; those with slower minds might stumble upon clues.
So… although Phineas was apprehensive, he decided to investigate room 406.
Passing Lilith's room, Phineas felt a chill; he sensed eyes watching him.
Standing before room 406, Phineas's expression shifted wildly.
Finally, he used the key he'd taken from the reception desk to open the door.
With a "creak," the door opened.
Darkness flooded in, silent and suffocating, like an invisible net tightening around him, gripping his heart.
His heartbeat accelerated.
In the darkness, a blurry figure slowly emerged.
"Who… who are you?!"
Sweat poured down Phineas's head; his heart felt like it would leap from his chest.
But… the figure didn't answer.
Phineas's eyes widened; he watched the figure approach, finally unable to bear the unknown terror, preparing to flee!
But he was horrified to discover he'd lost control of his body!
Impossible; this was a time-limited task! This kind of power—controlling a person's movements—shouldn't exist here!
Phineas's breathing grew ragged; he couldn't even control his eyelids.
The dark figure in the room drew closer… Phineas realized, horrified, that its body was grotesquely twisted, like… a snake in human form!
It's over, I'm dead…
As this thought crossed Phineas's mind, the grotesque figure reached him.
Phineas tried to close his eyes but couldn't.
Intense malice assaulted him; it seemed to be staring at him.
But… Phineas couldn't see its face.
Then… the dark figure reached out, a pale, twisted hand, grasping Phineas's throat!
Move!
Move!
Run, get out of here!
Phineas desperately commanded his body, but it was useless.
The pale hand tightened around his neck; he felt its icy coldness.
Like… ancient, unyielding ice.
It's over…
His breathing grew difficult; suffocation set in; his vision blurred; his body was starved of oxygen…
Wait?!
Suddenly, Phineas's fingers twitched; he snapped his eyes open!
He was standing before room 406, the key still in his hand, the door unopened!
Had it all been… a hallucination?!