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墨書 Inktalez
Just as he was about to leave, a glimpse from the corner of his eye caught some small characters carved into the well platform. He crouched down to read carefully; it was a couplet:
"The ancient well and bell tower are linked,
An underground passage buries souls.
If you hear the bell toll in fright,
Seven days separate yin and yang."
"What are you doing here?"
A clear female voice suddenly rang out. Yang Su turned around and saw a young woman standing not far away. She wore a deep blue wool coat that seemed out of place.
"I'm looking at the writing on the well," Yang Su replied honestly.
"You must be the one investigating," the woman approached him. "I'm Zhou Yue, a substitute teacher in the village."
Yang Su studied her. Zhou Yue appeared to be in her late twenties, with fair skin and delicate features, exuding an air of confidence that was completely unlike the locals.
"Are you from outside?"
"I grew up here, but I went away for school and came back to teach," Zhou Yue said. "I heard you’re looking into the bell tower?"
Yang Su nodded. "How much do you know about it?"
"Not much," Zhou Yue shook her head. "When I was a child, adults never let us go near that place. However..." She hesitated for a moment, "I do know some rumors about this well."
"What rumors?"
"It’s said that this well is connected to the underground of the bell tower. During the Liberation Era, the village would hold annual rituals by this well to keep something at bay. The specifics I’m not clear on; I only overheard adults talking about it when I was little."
Just as Yang Su was about to ask more, Zhou Yue's phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the caller ID, her expression changing slightly. "I have to go to school now." She turned to leave but paused again. "By the way, you’d better not stay here too long; this place isn’t very safe."
Watching Zhou Yue walk away, Yang Su pondered thoughtfully. This female teacher did not behave like a villager and spoke more candidly than others. Yet, there seemed to be something hidden deep within her gaze.
The village's elementary school was located to the west, housed in a three-story building from the 1970s, its walls weathered and paint peeling from the window frames.
Standing outside the school gate, Yang Su could hear intermittent reading sounds coming from inside the classroom. He contemplated whether he should find an excuse to go in and chat with Zhou Yue some more.
Suddenly, a window on the second floor caught his attention. It was tightly shut, but he could vaguely see something drawn on the glass. He circled around to the back entrance of the school and found the stairs leading up to the second floor.
The corridor was empty, filled only with the sound of wind passing through. Counting windows, he located the classroom marked "Art Room." The door was slightly ajar, so he pushed it open and stepped inside.
The classroom was cluttered with easels and paints, and several children's drawings hung on the walls. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a patchy glow on the floor.
He walked over to the window. There were indeed drawings on the glass, made with red paint.
Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a schematic: a building, a well, connected by a line filled with strange symbols. In the center of the drawing was a clock.
What was most peculiar was that these drawings seemed to have been made from the inside of the glass. Yet, there was no red paint visible in the room.
"What are you doing here?"
Zhou Yue's voice came from behind him. Yang Su turned around to see her standing at the door, her expression not looking too good.
"I..." He pointed at the window. "Who drew this?"
Zhou Yue stepped over to take a look, her expression darkening further. "There’s no drawing," she said tersely. "You must be seeing things."
"But..."
"Please leave," Zhou Yue insisted, pushing him out without further discussion. "This is a school; you can't just wander in."
As he was pushed outside, Yang Su turned back for one last glance. In the sunlight, those red lines became even more pronounced. He noticed a few small characters in one corner of the drawing, but he didn’t have time to see them clearly before the door closed behind him.
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