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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Two
I tossed and turned in bed, the image of the Blood-Red Kite lingering in my mind like a brand, deeply etched into my consciousness. The pale moonlight outside was as ghostly as a corpse's face, casting mottled shadows on the floor through the window, resembling a prying eye that sent chills down my spine. Fear surged over me like waves, almost drowning me.
Suddenly, a faint flute melody drifted into my ears. The sound was eerie and ethereal, intermittent like a ghostly whisper, seemingly coming from a distant place yet echoing directly in the depths of my mind, striking at my nerves. I sat up abruptly, terrified to find that the Blood-Red Kite had reappeared outside my window, swaying ominously in the pale moonlight like a bloodthirsty bat silently soaring through the night sky.
"Young Master, come..." A haunting female voice accompanied the strange flute music from the direction of the kite. My heart raced violently, nearly leaping out of my chest. That voice was so familiar yet so foreign, reminiscent of Su Yuyan, my Yuyan, but laced with an indescribable chill, as if it were a summons from hell. Rationality screamed at me to flee and avoid this eerie spectacle, yet my body felt as if it were under some mysterious force's control, rising involuntarily and walking step by step toward the window as if enchanted.
Just as my hand was about to touch the cold glass and push it open, a sudden series of urgent knocks echoed from outside the door—“Bang! Bang! Bang!”—each knock heavier and more frantic than the last, like a death knell pounding against my eardrums. "Young Master! Young Master!" It was Old Li, the butler's voice, trembling with fear. "Something has happened! Something terrible!"
I snapped back to reality, retracting my hand abruptly; cold sweat had already formed on my forehead and soaked through my shirt. Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I shakily opened the door. Old Li's anxious face appeared before me; his complexion was pale and his lips quivered as if he had seen something horrifying. "Young Master, I just heard... Su Mansion... Su Mansion is in trouble!"
"What?" My heart sank suddenly, an ominous premonition washing over me.
"Miss Su..." Old Li hesitated, stammering as he spoke. "Miss Su... went missing last night under mysterious circumstances. They say... they say someone saw a blood-red kite circling above Su Mansion..."
My pupils constricted sharply as if pricked by needles; a wave of intense pain washed over me. The Blood-Red Kite, that eerie flute melody, that ethereal female voice... they were not mere illusions? Could it be... that everything was real?
Without further thought, I quickly changed clothes and dashed out of the house toward Su Mansion. The streets of the capital were already crowded with people gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves; an atmosphere of panic hung thick in the air. I overheard someone say, "Poor Miss Su; she's so young..." Another voice chimed in, "I heard that a servant at Su Mansion saw a red shadow float out from Miss Su's room and disappear into the night..."
When I arrived at the gates of Su Mansion, the entire estate was surrounded by guards, creating a solemn and oppressive atmosphere. I squeezed through the crowd and saw Minister of Rites Master Su standing on the steps with a grave expression etched across his face; anxiety and sorrow were evident in his demeanor. The Son of the Right Chancellor was also present, engaged in hushed conversation with several officials whose faces bore an unusually serious look.
"Another one; this is already the third..." someone whispered from within the crowd, their voice tinged with fear.
"Third one?" I instinctively asked, filled with confusion.
The old man beside me sighed and lowered his voice. "Young master, do you not know? In the past half month, two young ladies from noble families have mysteriously disappeared. It is said that before each disappearance, someone saw the Blood-Red Kite..."
My heart nearly stopped, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand. Just then, a chilling wind swept through, and a blood-red piece of paper floated down from the sky, resembling a crimson butterfly as it gently landed in my hand. Trembling, I unfolded the paper to reveal a few twisted characters:
"Midnight, the abandoned Zhu Family Mansion in the south of the city."
The writing was bizarre and contorted, as if penned in blood, exuding a nauseating metallic scent. More terrifying was the fact that this handwriting was identical to the verses I had drunkenly scribbled down last night!
I suddenly looked up and met the sharp gaze of the Son of the Right Chancellor. He seemed to have noticed the paper in my hand; an unusual glint flashed in his eyes, and a barely perceptible cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Stop!" he suddenly commanded, his voice icy and piercing. "Seize him!"
I turned and ran like a frightened rabbit, darting into the intricate alleys and desperately fleeing. Behind me came urgent footsteps and shouts, growing closer and closer... After turning a corner, I ducked into the doorway of a fabric shop, holding my breath and daring not to move. As the sounds of pursuit gradually faded away, I let out a long sigh of relief, only to discover that the piece of paper had vanished without a trace.
In the sky above, a blood-red shadow flashed by like a ghost, silently drifting through the night. I seemed to hear that ethereal voice echoing in my ears: "Come find me... come find me..."
Who was orchestrating all of this? Was Su Yuyan truly still alive? And was I destined to become the next target of that mysterious force?
As the sun set, blood-red clouds stained half of the sky like a sea of blood, strikingly alarming. I gazed toward the south of the city, knowing I had no choice. When night fell, I had to venture to that abandoned Zhu Family Mansion to uncover the secrets behind the Blood-Red Kite.
I just didn't know whether what awaited me would be salvation or a meticulously crafted trap.
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