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墨書 Inktalez
The demon watched as the three were trapped in the room, too afraid to make a move. Hidden beneath the mask, its face was almost splitting with laughter. It extended a pair of withered, purplish-gray hands, slowly bringing them together, fixating on the figures of the three in the video, its teeth grinding ominously. The demon's head twisted mechanically from side to side, its malicious gaze landing on three walnuts on the computer desk. These walnuts resembled Ziya, Zhiqing, and Liu Yi. It reached out with its gnarled, claw-like hands and grabbed a walnut, crushing it in its palm. The face hidden beneath the mask twisted further, and suddenly it crushed the walnut into powder, which slipped through its fingers.
"Hahahahaha..." The demon's terrifying laughter echoed through the empty room, reverberating off the walls and causing a spiderweb to tremble. The two white-furred mice in a nearby cage jumped around in fright, squeaking loudly.
The demon turned to look at the mice in the cage, lifted the lid, and swiftly caught one of the scurrying creatures. Its blood-red eyes fixed intently on the struggling mouse in its grasp as it gradually tightened its grip, exerting all its strength. The mouse let out a horrific squeal that startled the other mouse into jumping even more frantically.
The mouse in the demon's hand was already dead, crushed until its insides burst forth. Blood seeped from its broken head into the demon's palm. It discarded the lifeless mouse and brought its blood-stained fingers to its mouth hidden beneath the mask, sucking on them.
Leaving aside what fate awaited Ziya and the others, Sun Meng found the environment in the video eerily familiar. She called Liang Bo for clarification, but his phone was off. Besides, he had mentioned earlier that he was going to a meeting.
Sun Meng adjusted the video to maximum zoom again; clearly printed on a can was "Wang Lao Ji Herbal Tea." What a coincidence! Yet Liang Bo's fingerprints were unmistakable and impossible to replicate.
Determined to find the can Liang Bo had discarded, Sun Meng acted immediately. She gently pushed open her bedroom door and tiptoed down the hallway. The house was eerily quiet; it seemed no one was in the living room. Sun Meng felt a surge of relief—she feared running into Anqing; if she started questioning her, it would be troublesome.
"You’re going out again?" Unexpectedly, Anqing was watching TV in the living room, though at a very low volume. Sun Meng had been so focused on the kitchen that she hadn’t noticed her presence until Anqing spoke up, startling her into silence and leaving her momentarily at a loss for words.
"Uh... I want to go..." Sun Meng remembered how articulate she usually was but now found herself stumbling over her words in front of Anqing.
"What are you buying? (Sanitary pads)" Anqing asked with concern. She knew everyone had different needs; there were plenty at home since Ziya had bought some before. Being older herself, she obviously didn’t use them anymore; perhaps Sun Meng simply preferred not to use those.
"Right, I have skin allergies, so..." Sun Meng quickly adapted to Anqing’s question.
"Pfft! You silly child! There’s nothing embarrassing about this; I’ve been through it myself! Go ahead! The sooner you go, the sooner you’ll be back," Anqing said with a smile before suddenly recalling something. Watching Sun Meng head toward the door, she added, "It’s getting a bit late; how about I accompany you?"
"No, no, I can go by myself," Sun Meng said hurriedly, waving her hands as she backed away.
"Oh, then be careful," Anqing replied with a slight frown. Watching Sun Meng slip out the door, she glanced at the clock on the wall, pondering when she should expect her back. Once outside the community, there was a Hongqi convenience store not far away; Sun Meng should be back soon.
Liu Haoming had been busy these past few days, reportedly organizing some kind of chess club. Most of the members were retired men who gathered to play chess and engage in some light entertainment. Anqing didn't want to join in the fun, so she declined, claiming a headache. In truth, she was worried about Ziya.
Sometimes Anqing unconsciously treated Sun Meng as if she were Ziya. Every time she saw Sun Meng, it felt like seeing Ziya. Perhaps it was due to age; sometimes she would get a bit muddled. For instance, if Anqing remembered something she wanted to say and then went to the bathroom, upon returning, she'd find herself blanking on what she intended to say.
As Sun Meng left the building and stepped onto the street, she hailed a taxi and headed straight for the north gate. The sky gradually darkened as night approached, and Sun Meng felt an overwhelming sense of urgency, urging the driver to hurry.
"Lady, look carefully; it's a red light. If you're in such a rush, why don't you just get out and walk?" The driver snapped back at her impatience.
Sun Meng was momentarily taken aback by his words, left speechless and forced to wait quietly for the light to change. She felt restless and anxious, glancing outside repeatedly.
The city lights began to twinkle as night fell; the number of pedestrians showed no signs of decreasing. The crosswalk was bustling with people, while shops displayed colorful decorations that flickered enticingly, drawing in customers.
In March, daylight lingered longer than nightfall. People lingering on the streets were often out for a stroll or shopping casually—families enjoying their time together.
At the same time, there were young couples seeking romance, dressed in flashy outfits with various hair colors. They crowded into trendy accessory stores, comparing their attire and purchasing items either for themselves or as gifts.
Sun Meng paid little attention to the lively scene outside her window; it was around eight o'clock in the evening. Her phone's colorful lights flashed incessantly, suddenly reminding her of that time at Liang Bo's house when they watched videos together. Back then, standing behind Liang Bo with her phone in hand, she had casually pressed the camera button and recorded a particularly clear segment of video from what they had seen at his place.
The taxi moved steadily along its route while Sun Meng took advantage of this moment to review the video on her phone again. The noise from the computer screen had been quite loud during playback, but on her phone, it appeared crystal clear without any background noise.
As Sun Meng was scrolling through videos on her phone, it suddenly vibrated. She quickly exited the video and returned to the home screen to check a new message. It was a multimedia message.
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