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墨書 Inktalez
Back home, I struggled to fall asleep, leaning by the bed and gazing at the hazy moonlight...
"Miss, are you still thinking about that ghost?" Shi draped a coat over my shoulders.
"Yes, I feel sorry for her." I tightened the coat and turned to look at Shi.
"Why bother? You're not a god. Even if you were, gods can't interfere with others' destinies."
"Actually, it's not her that's troubling me." After hesitating, I finally spoke. Shi must have guessed who I was referring to.
"Is it Kurozawa?"
"Yes. Given his condition, he probably won't last much longer."
"Hmph, he harms others and himself; he deserves it. If he can't withstand the Demon Lord's devouring and can't sustain the Parasite, his life will come to an end."
"Is there no other way?"
"Don't worry, miss. A suitable host isn't so easy to choose; the Demon Lord won't let him die that quickly. However, I must remind you that Shun almost died because of someone; he hasn't awakened yet. You need to discern friend from foe."
"I understand; it's just that I might still be unable to let go of the past for a while." Those helpless eyes increasingly appeared in my mind.
"Alright, miss, get some rest." Shi sighed.
"Yes... Tomorrow is the weekend; accompany me to a place." I smiled.
The morning was bright, and the streets began to get busy.
"Are you sure this is the place?" asked Shishi.
A City XXX Mental Hospital.
"That's right." According to the memory of that female ghost, this was the hospital.
In fact, the most innocent and tragic one in this battle was that child. Is he not going to survive?
"You three, stop talking nonsense. There are too many people here," I said to Shishi, Dong, and Sha.
Others couldn't see them, but they could see me. Talking to the air like this could easily lead others to think I was a patient here.
"Excuse me, miss, which ward is Chen Xiaodi in?" I smiled and asked a young nurse.
"Are you a family member?"
"Yes, I'm his cousin."
"Oh, I see. I thought no one ever visited Xiao Di. I didn't mean—no, no, that's not what I meant." The young nurse seemed a bit embarrassed.
"It's okay. His parents are quite busy; I just found out about this."
"At least there will be regular payments for Xiao Di's treatment. That's how society is now; I can understand your family is busy and doesn't have time." The nurse immediately put on a standard professional smile.
"Ah, it seems his father hasn't completely lost his humanity.
However, can money really cover up all his wrongdoings? How ridiculous.
'Where is Xiao Di?' I asked again, trying to be polite.
'Oh, he's in Room 3 on the second floor. Would you like me to take you there?'
'No, thank you. You go ahead and do your work.' I smiled as I left. I couldn't help but think that this little nurse probably hadn't spoken to a normal person in a long time; she seemed like she wanted to chat for a while.
...
'I’m not sick! I don’t want an injection! Get away from me!'
'Let go of me! Let me out!'
'Mama, save me—please save me!'
As soon as I reached the second floor, I heard a series of cries and heart-wrenching screams.
The sounds were coming from Room 3, and my expression froze... This child doesn't sound like someone who's mentally unstable. It's just too...
'You little brat, are you looking for death? Do you want me to hit you?!' a woman's voice in her forties shouted.
'Wah wah wah! I'm going to tell my mom and dad that you’re abusing me!'
'Hmph, go ahead and tell them! Let's see if anyone cares about you!'"
"You! You wicked old woman!"
"Who are you calling an old woman?! Just wait until I beat you to death—"
"Stop!" I pushed the door open, unable to hold back any longer.
"Y-You are?" It was indeed an ugly woman, relying on others, with a plump and bloated body. The nurse's uniform was barely big enough for her.
"I am his sister."
The Old Nurse's face began to turn awkward, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"Please leave." I said coldly.
"But he hasn't had his injection yet." The Old Nurse held up the syringe.
"Leave."
"Fine, but if anything goes wrong, don't blame me!" The Old Nurse swayed her hips and walked past me with her head held high.
...
"Who are you?" After the nurse left, the little boy stepped back, keeping a cautious distance from me.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." As I spoke, I glanced around the ward.
It was a standalone room with a bathroom and a small window; there was nothing else. I thought that being cooped up like this would drive even a normal person insane.
"Why are you here?" the little boy continued to ask.
He looked about twelve or thirteen years old, but he seemed very mature, like a child in his twenties.
"I promised your mother I would come here to see you," I said, lowering my head and smiling at the boy.
Although he was mature, he was only as tall as my shoulder.
"Then why doesn't my mom come to see me? And my dad too, why don't they come?" the boy asked. As he spoke, his eyes began to redden.
"Don't you remember what happened?" I asked tentatively, sensing that the boy didn't know his mother had passed away and that his father had remarried.
"...I forgot. I remember being in class at school, and then it was time to go home. After that, I can't remember anything, like I fell asleep and woke up here."
Could it be that this child has amnesia?
It's possible; people often choose to forget in extreme sadness.
"Sister, can I call my mom and dad to come pick me up?" the boy inched closer to me, pleading.
"No, not yet," I shook my head.
I needed to try again; this child seemed clever, suddenly becoming so obedient made me skeptical.
Suddenly, the boy revealed a strange smile and pointed at the window. "Sister, what do you see outside?"
Looking at the window that emitted a faint glow, with a layer of wire mesh outside it, I couldn't help but wonder what could possibly be so interesting.
I slowly walked over and looked out the window.
"Miss, be careful!" shouted Deathbringer.
I turned around abruptly to see the boy gripping a thick wooden stick, his arm raised and frozen in mid-air. Death had caught his arm.
"What are you trying to do?" I asked, frowning.
"You vixen! You killed my mother! I want revenge!" the boy yelled, desperately trying to break free from Death's restraint.
So he knows everything...
"I'm not the vixen you speak of," I said.
"You're lying! You're the one who made Dad send me here; I heard it all!"
"I'm not lying. My name is Xi Meng, and I'm a high school student. The vixen you mentioned is someone else; I assure you it's not me. Please put down your hand."
"Is what you're saying true?" The boy was skeptical but had already slightly lowered his arm.
"Of course. I was friends with your mother, so I came to check on you."
"Just you? Friends with my mother? You don't look much older than me," the boy scoffed, dropping the stick from his hand.
"Do you believe me now?"
"Thinking about it, your voice does sound different from that vixen's. Sigh, she's the only one who knows I'm here, so I thought you were her."
"Doesn't your dad know?"
"...He doesn't care about me anymore. He doesn't want me." The boy lowered his head, clenching his fists.
"Good boy, sister will help you." I gently hugged the little boy and stroked the top of his head.
"Sister, I really want to leave here... I'm so scared." The little boy said weakly, especially when he mentioned being scared; I could feel his body trembling.
"Don't worry, sister won't let those people bully you anymore."
"That's not it." The little boy looked up, his eyes wide open.
What I saw was pure panic and fear.
"What do you mean?"
"Not people... there are—ghosts here." The little boy whispered and timidly glanced around.
Two possibilities.
The first possibility is that the little boy is truly mentally disturbed. The other is that there is something wrong with this hospital.
"Miss, the atmosphere here is indeed quite abnormal," said the deceased.
During the day is precisely the best time for those ghosts to hide, yet they are lurking somewhere, watching everything.
"Sister, you don't believe me?" The little boy bit his lip and said with difficulty, "At first, I told the nurses, but they didn't believe me. In their eyes, I'm a mental patient; they won't believe what I say... But it's true, sister, you have to believe me!" The little boy became increasingly frantic as he spoke.
"Good child, I believe you," I nodded.
"Really?" The little boy tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a hint of relieved smile.
"Sister is someone who drives away ghosts, so of course I believe in the supernatural. Now tell me, what is the situation?"
"...Are you really telling the truth?" Now it was the little boy's turn to be confused.
The little boy took a step back, distancing himself from me. With that expression, did he doubt that I was some kind of lunatic who had run out from another room?
I couldn't help but sigh; indeed, this topic was a bit unusual.
"Do you think that's why your arm suddenly couldn't move when you tried to attack me just now?"
The little boy seemed to recall it and was utterly shocked.
"That's right, that's right! How did you do that?"
"I told you I'm someone who chases ghosts and has magic. How could a child like you hurt me?" I didn't elaborate much; it wasn't important.
Suddenly, the spirit beside us chuckled softly.
I awkwardly scratched my head. Indeed, I almost fell for this child's trick. There was no way a mortal could react as quickly as those three spirits.
"Sister, then you must help me. Every night at midnight, there are noises here, and I can't sleep. I'm scared." The little boy suddenly grasped my hand tightly.
"Alright, sister promises you that I'll come over tonight to keep you company. We'll catch it together."
"Alright, you must come back. You can't leave me behind."
"I promise."
The little boy loosened his grip on my hand a bit.
That's right, once everything is settled, I will take that child away. The human world has its regulations; those who make mistakes must be punished.
...
That night, the four of us stopped some distance away from the Inner Hospital.
"This place at night is completely different," I frowned.
The Eerie Energy was too heavy; it seemed that it wasn't just a matter of one or two little ghosts.
"It feels like a bottomless stagnant pool," Shi said.
Resentment lingered everywhere, along with malicious laughter...
This night was not as simple as we thought; it was just that you couldn't see it.
"Xiao Di." I flashed into Xiao Di's room.
The dim light revealed Xiao Di curled up under the blanket, shivering.
"Sister?" A very small voice came from under the blanket.
"It's me, don't be afraid."
The corner was slowly lifted a bit, and I saw Little One shouting as she jumped off the bed.
"Sister, you're here! You scared me to death... If you hadn't come, I was afraid—tonight, I would be the one to die."
"Why do you say that?"
"Here, people actually die every day."
I was shocked. How could that be possible?!
"They're buried in the abandoned fields behind the hospital. It's so remote here that basically no patients who are brought in ever leave. There are hardly any visitors... Even when family members come, the nurses immediately put on a different face, gentle and kind, making outsiders feel like there's nothing wrong with this hospital."
"Good child, I know you've been suffering."
"I've been thinking about how to escape, but I haven't succeeded. I'm trapped here; there's no way out! This place is a prison. They're terrifyingly greedy; even if someone recovers, they never notify the family—it's all for money! They fear we might escape and reveal the ugly side of this place!"
...It seems that it's not just the ghosts that need to be dealt with.
"It's okay, with your sister here, I promise everything will be resolved by dawn," I said.
"Miss, there's movement," Shi said.
Looking at the broken clock by the bed, it showed exactly twelve o'clock.
"Tap tap tap tap—" The sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway.
"Sister." Xiao Di clutched me tightly, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Knock, knock, knock—" Suddenly, a series of knocks echoed at the door.
Xiao Di was startled. I covered his mouth, signaling him to be quiet.
Slowly, there was no movement outside.
"Every night, there are knocks at the door. I realize that the sound is getting closer and closer to me." Xiao Di trembled violently, his eyes bloodshot.
The sound of keys jingled as the door was being unlocked repeatedly.
"It's open." A voice devoid of emotion came from outside, sounding like a monster.
"Creak—" The door opened slightly.
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