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墨書 Inktalez
I had never known that wearing the clothes of the dead was forbidden, for once you donned them, the spirit would claim you and follow you relentlessly until it dragged you to hell.
Thus, older folks often warned others never to be greedy or curious enough to wear the clothes of the deceased, as it would lead them straight into a fiery pit.
However, Liya's words did not frighten me. To me, descending into hell might mean I could drift to Tianshan and seek out Jun Chong, and perhaps we could become a true pair of ghostly spouses.
But I had promised Jun Chong and Shizui that I would live well, so no matter how painful it became, I had to survive.
If anyone tried to obstruct my path to survival, I would resist. As Lin You said, "Whoever touches me, I will strike back; I will never let myself suffer in silence."
"What's wrong? Are you scared now?" Liya floated up from the ground. It was only then that I noticed her body was deflated except for her head and hands, lying flat on the ground.
Once she rose, she stood upright as if something within her black robe was supporting her stance.
"You should be afraid; when they made you wear my clothes, it sealed your fate to descend into hell with me. Anxin, I'm so lonely by myself. Accompany me, or your soul will scatter. The choice is yours."
"Liya, I know you were harmed by a ghost and feel resentful, but—"
"I was harmed by a ghost?" Liya suddenly interrupted me, advancing closer. "Is that what Wu Fei'er told you?"
"Isn't it true?"
As she drew nearer, I noticed writhing worms crawling across Liya's face. Instinctively, I took a step back; the sight was unbearable and made my stomach churn.
"Hahaha..." Liya suddenly burst into a chilling laugh filled with deep resentment. "You actually believed them just like I did! That's why you're destined for the same fate as mine."
"Liya, what exactly are you talking about?" A sense of misunderstanding dawned on me as I recalled Wu Fei'er's words. Had I been deceived?
But why?
"Come here, and I'll tell you."
Even though she said that, I could feel the murderous intent radiating from her, and my first instinct was to run away.
I exited the restroom stall and dashed toward the door, but Liya was much faster than me. Her slender arms coiled around my legs like snakes, blocking my escape.
"Anxin, where do you think you can run to?"
Liya opened her mouth wide and lunged for my neck. I focused all my energy and once again used the Hairpin to swipe at her face, but to my surprise, there was no blood; instead, swarms of insects poured out from the wound.
My hand went limp, and the Hairpin fell to the ground as Liya seized the opportunity to bind me tightly.
"Liya, I really don’t know what happened between you and Faye. Faye said you encountered an old woman in the restroom who made you choose a piece of paper just like you did for me earlier. You picked the white one, which means you only have three days to live. After three days, you'll die in this restroom from a heart attack. Then Faye said she dreamed that you were in pain and hoped for your release, so she asked me for help, which is why I came here."
Liya's sharp claws paused momentarily before she burst into wild laughter. "So you're just as foolish as I am, gullibly believing their words! This was all part of their plan because they conspired to kill me right here in this restroom. They caused my death! Wu Fei'er’s father is a coroner, so they declared my cause of death as a heart attack. In reality, they forced countless insects down my throat until I suffocated! Do you have any idea what those insects did to my body? How much pain I endured? How terrified I was? They did it just for fun! Am I supposed to endure their bullying and humiliation just because I was born into a lowly family? Anxin, do you know how much my heart aches with hatred? But I can't escape; I'm trapped here! I'm unwilling to accept this—I want revenge!"
Her words left me utterly stunned. I knew that Liya came from a difficult background; her father had been imprisoned, and her mother had a past she wished to forget. Yet she had always worked hard and excelled academically. The school even made an exception for her to stay on after graduation—a rare opportunity for someone like her.
I still remember how she cried when she received that news.
Although my interactions with Liya weren't very deep, I knew she had a kind heart. She had guided me through many academic challenges; without her support, I wouldn't have passed my exams.
I always believed that strong individuals would eventually find their way out of hardship, regardless of their family background. She often laughed and joked with Wu Fei'er and the others—who would have guessed what lay beneath the surface?
For amusement's sake, they took an innocent life and destroyed someone else's chance at living.
They only found it amusing, even spending money and power to cover up the ugly truths of their past deeds. But who would take a moment to experience the sorrow of the deceased?
Even the lowest among us is still human, deserving of the right to live, capable of reaching the pinnacle of life, because they represent themselves, not their entire family.
Tears fell one by one as I felt for Liya. It seemed so unfair, but what could I do? She was dead, her body taken away for cremation. She could no longer live happily as she once did.
Even in death, there was such pain.
"You think I'm pitiful, don't you?" Liya released me and floated to one side. "I thought it was pitiful at first too, but that won't put food on the table. People must be brave and move forward, so I've always worked hard. I wanted to cover up my family's ugliness through others' recognition. Anxin, do you know how happy I was when I learned I was allowed to stay in school despite everything? The principal made that decision himself; he saw my potential right away and waived all my fees, even provided me with housing and a salary. That was the result of my hard work! But because of their jealousy, just for fun, they ruined everything! I'm unwilling to accept it; I hate it! I want them to suffer like I do! But I can't escape."
I wiped my tears and looked at Liya, biting my lip. "I know you're in pain and suffering, but you're already dead. You should let go of your earthly attachments; otherwise, you'll continue to suffer."
My heart ached for Liya's plight, but I couldn't let her out to harm others. After all, these were three lives at stake, not mere vases that could be smashed if disliked.
"Heh." Liya gazed at me with a haunting look, letting out a cold laugh. "If that were truly the case, it wouldn't matter. But do you know? To prevent my spirit from harming others, Wu Fei'er had a Taoist priest place a seal on the doorframe. Also, I believe they lured you here for a reason."
"Maybe!"
Liya squinted at me for a moment, her features hidden in shadows cast by the light. I felt uneasy under her gaze, yet she said, "Anxin, since you shed tears for me today, I won't kill you. But my matters are no concern of yours."
I didn't want to linger any longer and held onto my hairpin as I walked toward the door. "Liya, I hope you can be reborn. If possible, I have a friend who can help you."
"That's useless; I can't be reborn."
"Why not?"
"After I died, my soul was torn apart by a Vengeful Spirit. That's why I'm like this now. That ghost is controlled by someone who has a bell; whenever they shake it, I feel unbearable pain."
"Bell?" I exclaimed in surprise. "In this school?"
"Yes."
Liya's words made me suspect that the bell she mentioned might be the Soul Bell. I had also heard a ringing sound when I entered the restroom, and if it really was the Soul Bell, that would be great.
"Can you tell me where that ghost is?"
Just then, the door suddenly burst open, and Lin You lunged at me, her eyes wide with fear as she cried, "Did you not hear me knocking? No matter how much I called you, you didn't respond! You almost scared me to death!"
"It's fine; see, I'm right here!"
Wu Fei'er leaned in closer and asked, "Did you encounter anything?"
I glanced at Liya floating by the door. She shook her head at me, so I immediately replied, "I didn't see anything. I just got startled by myself. Let's go; I need to drink some water to calm down."
"Okay."
They didn't doubt me and turned to leave. Taking advantage of the moment, I stole a glance at the doorframe of the restroom. In the dim light, I could indeed see a palm-sized small circle on either side, intricately drawn with complex patterns that seemed to shift like a living thing. It resembled a kaleidoscope—vividly colorful yet dizzying to stare at for too long.
I stumbled slightly and, when I regained my senses, found myself kneeling on the ground. The tip of my hairpin had traced a fine line along the edge of the circle, disrupting its perfect roundness.
I froze for a moment; that fleeting memory became blank. What had I just done?
"Xiao You, come here quickly!"
Lin You called out to me from afar. Without thinking much about it, I got up and left.
As I left, a black mist gradually seeped through the crack of the door, disappearing into the darkness where the light could not reach.
When I entered the dormitory, a chill ran down my spine. I turned back to glance at the hallway, but there was nothing when I reached out.
Dream Dream and Xiao Bai rushed over when they saw that I was safe. "Anxin, did you see anything?"
I shook my head. "I didn't see anything. I was almost asleep inside! How about we ask my friends to come check it out tomorrow?"
Upon hearing this, they immediately replied, "It's fine! I just told Xiao Bai that maybe we were just overthinking it. We're really sorry; there can't be that many strange supernatural occurrences in this world! Thank you for today; we truly appreciate it!"
Looking at their kind smiles, I couldn't help but wonder if they often spoke to Liya in the same tone. The thought of Liya made me feel a bit uneasy.
"Alright, it's getting late. Everyone should go to sleep; we have things to do early tomorrow!"
Wu Fei'er called everyone to bed. Since it was indeed late, no one lingered; they climbed into their beds and quickly fell asleep. Yet in the darkness, I felt as if a pair of eyes were watching me, though I couldn't see them or feel their gaze.
A strange pain welled up inside me as I touched the position of my hairpin on my left waist and closed my eyes.
Jun Chong, is that you?
I discovered a clue about the Soul Bell, but where are you?
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