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墨書 Inktalez
Seven was recalling all the geographical texts he had read and the experiences he had accumulated over the years. Could the movement of light be analyzed as a displacement of objects?
With this hypothesis in mind, Seven suddenly had a flash of inspiration and quickly ran from the edge of the swamp into the forest. First, standing nearby, was caught off guard by Seven's sudden departure, thinking something was wrong, and hurriedly chased after him, shouting, “Seven!” The other two, sensing something was amiss, followed suit.
The three of them chased into the forest but couldn’t find Seven. It wasn’t until a loud, maniacal laugh echoed through the trees that they realized where he was. “I got it!” he shouted with wild excitement. They rushed toward the sound and found Seven laughing uncontrollably, exclaiming, “I know how to get out!”
As his words fell, a figure several hundred meters behind them inexplicably revealed a sinister smile, its laughter reminiscent of a scythe grinding against stone—eerily unsettling.
The group felt a surge of excitement.
First asked calmly, “How can we get out?”
Seven’s exhilaration was still bubbling over. He replied to First, “Look at the positions of the trees around us.” The others turned to see that the orientation of the trees had indeed changed; even Second noticed it this time.
Yet they still didn’t understand. “Look at these light spots on the ground,” Seven pointed out. These spots were beams of moonlight filtering through the gaps in the branches.
“So what?” Second pressed on.
A smile crept across Seven’s face as he paused for a moment. Second continued to urge him.
Seeing Second ’s anxious expression made everyone burst into laughter. Seven said to Second, “Second, don’t rush me; let me explain.”
“Look at where these light spots appear. If we mark these points on paper and connect them with lines, we’ll have a map! This is a technique called light mapping; it’s quite an impressive method,” Seven concluded, unable to contain his admiration for the creator of this vast map.
A few people suddenly realized after hearing this.
"How are we supposed to map out such a large forest?" First asked.
"We don't need to cover everything," Seven replied. "We just need to mark the light points within a few hundred meters, and we can make it through this swamp."
"What about the other light points?" Third inquired.
"This map is too vast, but connecting several light points will reveal the secrets hidden in this forest. However, we don't have time; survival is our priority."
After finishing his words, Seven glanced back at the forest with a hint of confidence and said softly, "I will return here."
"Alright," First commanded. "Everyone split up and head in four directions. Quickly mark the light points."
About twenty minutes later, they regrouped at the original spot.
After some effort from Seven, the map was completed.
"Now we set off," Seven announced.
"Let's take advantage of the moonlight; otherwise, it won't be possible during the day tomorrow." The others nodded and approached the edge of the swamp, making some simple preparations.
The four stood side by side next to the swamp.
Seven instructed, "Follow my lead and keep your steps steady."
Everyone agreed.
The black swamp appeared even denser at night, emanating a faint stench of decay. "It seems many creatures have died here," Third remarked with a sigh.
A few people trudged through the swamp, struggling with each step. As they descended, the muddy water soaked into their legs, causing panic to rise among them. Second hurriedly asked, "Seven, what's happening?" Seven quickly responded, "Everyone, don't panic. Maintain your position and don't move."
However, they continued to sink. Second shifted slightly, and First, who was stuck nearby, anxiously warned, "Don't move!"
But it was too late; the swamp had already engulfed Second up to his thighs. "What are we going to do?" Second exclaimed in genuine fear, frozen like a statue. Third looked at the slowly rising muck and said, "This is going to be a big problem."
Seven felt even more pressure; fear flickered in his eyes as he wondered if he had miscalculated. What had gone wrong? He kept questioning himself.
While they were preoccupied with their own thoughts, tiny white worms began to cover their legs. These worms were about a centimeter long and densely clustered on their pant cuffs, some already making contact with their skin.
In their varying degrees of panic, they failed to notice the approaching danger. Suddenly, Seven recalled something and reminded them, "Try to increase the area of contact with the swamp." After saying this, he fell back into thought. The others adjusted their positions slightly, and indeed, the rate at which they sank slowed significantly.
After a while, Seven suggested, "Everyone look around for anything you can use for support. If you find something, use it to lay flat on the swamp."
The three immediately became alert and searched with the limited visibility they had. There was nothing but some wet mossy grass around. "I can't find anything solid to grab onto," Third reported.
Time passed—one or two hours—and the muck had risen to their bellies. Seven still hadn't reacted; he pondered where he had gone wrong. Time felt like a merciless executioner ready to claim their lives at any moment.
Standing at the front, Seven's confused expression suddenly brightened as he noticed something incredible: a large rat emerged from the swamp without a speck of mud on it. Seven stared intently at the rat as if it were an old lover.
Finally, he saw the rat burrow back into the muck. Doubtful yet intrigued, Seven formulated a plan in his mind that even he found hard to believe. With this plan came both excitement and deep fear.
Turning back to look at the three behind him, Seven calmly said, "I've discovered a secret about this swamp. I don't know if it's true or not, but I need to try it; it's our only hope of getting out alive."
First looked at Seven's expression and seemed to understand something. "Seven, please don't do anything reckless." Second and Third also focused on Seven. With a sigh, Seven replied, "First, I'm fine. I brought you here and put you in danger; that's my fault."
Second shouted, "Seven, stop talking nonsense! We're brothers; we share both hardships and joys—this is nothing!"
Third added, "Seven, don't overthink it." Seven shook his head at them but felt touched by their concern. It was as if he was making one last desperate decision. After a moment of silence, Seven struggled against the swamp again; it felt like a blood-soaked maw slowly consuming him just like that tiger from earlier.
Until his head sank into the swamp, Seven completely disappeared. Along the way, several people tried repeatedly to pull him back, but he firmly told them to stop. In the end, they could only watch helplessly as Seven was swallowed up. "Oh no, Seven is gone again," Old Man said, striking the muddy surface of the swamp in frustration, his body sinking further down.
"Everyone stay calm and don't move," First urged. "Seven must have his reasons for doing this."
The group felt as if they were trapped in a coffin, immobilized by an invisible force. They all looked up at the moon in the sky, which was full and round like a home. Yet, at that moment, they were all wanderers far from home, facing a life-and-death trial. The emotions swirling within them were too complex to be easily articulated.
Time passed slowly as the three of them sank deeper into the muck, and there was still no sign of Seven. Second suddenly spoke up, "Staying trapped here isn't a solution. If we wait much longer, we'll all die. First, Third, use my body's momentum to get yourselves out."
First remained silent, and Third seemed reluctant to say anything. Second continued, "I'm deeper in than you two; your chances of survival are greater than mine. So..."
"Shut up, Cao Shi!" First shouted angrily at Second. "We're in this together; don't talk like that." Second had never seen First so furious and fell silent. Third said, "Everyone calm down; let's think of another way. I believe there's always a way out." As he spoke, Third looked up at the heavens and sighed in resignation. Time felt frozen as a heavy gloom enveloped them, while the figure hidden in the forest watched closely.
The group stayed still, afraid to make any sudden moves. Everything around them fell silent except for the occasional haunting howl of wolves in the night. The desolate night felt particularly eerie; this silence was unsettling as time trickled by. They remained helpless until the muck rose above their waists. Second sighed deeply as he faced impending death when Third suddenly exclaimed, "Listen! What is that sound?"
First immediately focused and listened intently while Second mumbled, "What sound?"
"It’s getting closer!" First said urgently. "We need to escape!" Second's instinctive remark made everyone feel powerless at that moment.
As they awaited death, a massive whirlpool in the swamp surged toward them with an increasingly loud roar, signaling its approach. When they finally saw the large black vortex, they couldn't help but gasp in awe; it was like thunder striking from a clear sky. The enormous opening formed by the whirlpool resembled a vast black hole—truly spectacular and breathtaking.
However, only those who experienced it firsthand knew what true terror felt like. The black swamp whirlpool mercilessly engulfed them; they barely had time for a symbolic splash before being pulled under without even a chance to scream. It felt as if they had fallen into an endless abyss; everything went dark as they lost consciousness. Eventually, the whirlpool calmed down, and the swamp returned to its previous tranquility as if nothing had happened. The sky gradually brightened as warm sunlight began to pierce through on a new day. A few crows flew low overhead, frantically searching for another dark place to rest while beneath this vast swamp lay an unknown secret beginning to surface.
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