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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Four
In the pouring rain, Zhang Shoucheng's figure vanished beneath the bell tower, leaving behind the Black Notebook quietly lying on the ground, like an ominous omen. I hurried to the window, and through the eerie light of the lightning, I saw nothing but darkness below; everything was obscured, only the sound of rain pounding against the glass echoed hauntingly.
"Quick, go check!" Xu Kai shouted, his voice tinged with an unmistakable panic that shattered the eerie silence. To me, his voice sounded like a taut string, ready to snap at any moment.
We rushed down the stairs, rainwater cascading down the steps of the bell tower like a rushing stream, icy and bone-chilling. Fang Wen stumbled slightly, and I instinctively reached out to steady her, only to find her hand unnaturally cold, as if it bore no trace of warmth. My heart sank suddenly, a sense of foreboding washing over me.
In the open space below, Zhang Shoucheng lay on his back in a puddle, rainwater mercilessly washing over his face. Blood spread across the ground, diluted by the rain into a pale red hue, resembling eerie red flowers blooming in the downpour. His eyes were wide open, pupils dilated as if he had seen something terrifying before death; they were filled with despair and horror, as if trying to convey that fear to us.
"He's dead." Old Li crouched down to examine him and spoke in a heavy tone laced with resignation. The scent of death hung in the air, suffocating us.
I noticed that Zhang Shoucheng's right hand was tightly gripping something. Struggling to pry open his stiff fingers, I discovered an ancient-looking key that bore a striking resemblance to the one around Fang Wen's neck, both exuding an aura of age and mystery. Upon seeing the key, Fang Wen's face turned pale instantly; her lips trembled as if she had seen something dreadful.
"This is..." I was about to ask when Fang Wen's scream interrupted me.
"Don't touch it!" Fang Wen suddenly shrieked, her voice filled with terror. "That key must not be touched!" Her eyes were wide with fear as if that key was some cursed object.
At that moment, the bell tower echoed with chimes once more; this time it was a chaotic and irregular clanging sound, as if someone were frantically pulling on the bell rope or like a dying person making their last struggle. The noise pierced through the rainy night, sending chills down my spine as I felt something watching us.
"Impossible!" Xu Kai's face turned ashen. "The mechanical system of the bell tower is locked; there's no way anyone could ring it!" His voice trembled with disbelief and fear.
I looked up at the top of the bell tower just as lightning illuminated its ominous silhouette. In that instant, I thought I saw a figure standing at the window of the top floor, gazing down at us. The figure was indistinct but radiated a chilling presence. Yet when I focused again, all that remained was darkness; it was as if everything had been merely a figment of my imagination.
"We need to head back to the police station," Old Li said, his tone steady but unable to mask a hint of unease. "This place isn't safe."
"Wait." I picked up the notebook from the ground. The bloodstains on the cover had been washed away by the rain, but the pages inside were still filled with clear, dense handwriting, as if they were revealing some unknown secret. Flipping to the first page, I read: "November 8, 1999, everything began." These simple words felt like a key, unlocking a door to hell.
Fang Wen visibly trembled at the sight of the notebook, her face turning even paler, as if it concealed some terrifying secret. I noticed Xu Kai's expression also darkening; his eyes flickered, seemingly avoiding something deliberately.
"What does this notebook record?" I asked, filled with confusion and curiosity.
"Don't ask what you shouldn't," Xu Kai suddenly became agitated, his tone firm. "Some things are better left buried in the past!" His reaction only deepened my conviction that this notebook held some unspeakable truth.
At that moment, a photograph slipped out from between the pages. It was a single portrait of a young girl standing in front of a clock tower, smiling sweetly yet tinged with a hint of sadness. The back of the photo read: "To my dear sister, forever loving you, your brother. 1999.11.8." Those words pierced my heart like a sharp knife.
Upon seeing the photo, Fang Wen let out a suppressed sob. Her hand instinctively grasped my sleeve, her fingers cold as if seeking warmth. "That’s… that’s my sister," she stammered, her voice trembling with emotion. "She was there that night…"
Before she could finish her sentence, a sudden gust of wind swept through, causing the photo to flutter from my grasp like a kite severed from its string. I lunged to catch it but only managed to touch its corner. In the dim light, I noticed another line of hurriedly scrawled writing on the back: "The truth lies in the dark room at the top of the clock tower." This message struck me like lightning, illuminating the hidden truth shrouded in mist.
"A dark room?" I frowned, confusion swirling in my mind. "Is there really a dark room at the top of the clock tower?" I had never heard of such a thing before, which only fueled my curiosity and unease.
Xu Kai and Fang Wen exchanged glances; their expressions grew serious as if contemplating something significant. Just then, an eerie metallic grinding sound echoed from above us in the clock tower, as if some massive gears were turning or something was struggling to break free. Following that came heavy footsteps descending from the top floor down to the staircase—closer and clearer—like death itself approaching.
"Someone's coming!" Old Li quickly pulled out his flashlight and directed it toward the stairs. The beam cut through the darkness, illuminating a path into the unknown.
In its light, a vague figure slowly descended the stairs. Strangely enough, it seemed to float in mid-air; its footsteps and movements were completely out of sync—like a ghost wandering aimlessly. When the light finally fell upon its face, we all gasped in horror as an icy chill shot from our feet straight to our heads.
It was a bloodied and mangled face, twisted into a grotesque smile that seemed to beckon us like a messenger from hell.
"Sister?" Fang Wen's voice was filled with disbelief and terror, trembling as if she were on the verge of breaking down.
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