Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Ziya raised the steel pipe in her hand, letting out a high-pitched scream as she gathered all her strength into her hands and swung it down fiercely at the unsuspecting Masked Man. Zhiqing ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp Scythe that glinted dangerously. She watched in shock as Ziya seemed to go mad, striking the Masked Man with a loud clang. The Scythe flew from his grip, and he was hit hard on the head and body, collapsing to the ground like a pile of diluted flour. In an instant, dark red blood began to flow from beneath his Mask, trickling slowly down to his neck and chest.
"Pant... pant... cough... Zhiqing... wuwu..." Ziya was drenched in sweat, her mind blank. Under Zhiqing's soothing touch, she dropped the half-broken steel pipe with a clatter and threw herself into Zhiqing's embrace, sobbing uncontrollably. She shut her eyes tightly, unable to look at the limp body of the Masked Man on the ground. It felt as if she had taken a life, and her heart twisted painfully.
"It's okay, it's okay..." Zhiqing gently patted Ziya's back, whispering words of comfort. Her gaze swept over to the Masked Man before she carefully eased Ziya away and stepped forward to crouch down, reaching out to uncover his Mask and see what kind of face lay hidden beneath that grotesque exterior.
Just as her fingers brushed against the Mask, a muffled sound came from behind the door—someone was there. Who was it? She hadn’t noticed anyone lurking behind the door when they entered; it seemed that another presence was hiding there, ready to attack.
Zhiqing temporarily abandoned her intention to remove the Mask and instead stepped over the Masked Man, moving directly toward the source of the sound to investigate.
Ziya's heart raced even faster; she thought to herself: It's coming again... it's coming again... At that moment, she felt utterly drained. Zhiqing understood Ziya’s fear and turned to her, raising a finger in a gesture for silence. She then picked up the steel pipe that Ziya had discarded and cautiously crept into the room, using the beams of light filtering through the corridor to examine what was writhing on the floor.
Ziya leaned against the wall, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She licked her cracked lips and struggled to swallow the dry saliva. Seeing Zhiqing crouched down examining something made her glance nervously at the eerie corridor and then back at the Masked Man at the door, her fear intensifying.
In a hurry, Ziya jumped over the Masked Man and rushed to Zhiqing's side. She saw that Zhiqing had already untied the rope from a burlap sack and was gradually pulling it open, revealing a human head inside. From the disheveled hair, it was clear that this person was undoubtedly a woman.
"Oh my god... it's Sun Meng..." When Zhiqing fully removed the burlap sack, revealing not just her face but her entire body covered in blood and panic-stricken eyes, Ziya recognized her immediately as Sun Meng.
"Mengmeng... is that you?" Ziya gasped softly in surprise. Her chaotic thoughts suddenly cleared up as an image of a Doll Face flashed in her mind. It was indeed Sun Meng…? Ziya crouched down, trembling fingers reaching out to touch her but recoiling upon seeing Sun Meng's body covered in wounds.
Hearing Ziya’s tone, Zhiqing seemed to recognize Sun Meng too; it indicated that Ziya's memories were gradually returning. A sense of joy filled her heart even as concern for Sun Meng’s condition grew. Why hadn’t she responded to Ziya’s call? Upon closer inspection, they realized that Sun Meng couldn’t speak because she wore a mask over her mouth.
This wasn’t just any mask; it was a torture Mask specifically designed for this purpose. It only covered her mouth while being secured at the back with screws; in front, metal plates completely concealed her lips.
As Ziya and Zhi Qing looked on, Sun Meng's tears flowed freely, making it hard to tell whether her face was wet with tears or blood. Ziya and Zhi Qing faced Sun Meng, but their backs were turned to the doorway. They both noticed that Sun Meng kept blinking rapidly, as if trying to say something or convey another meaning.
"It's okay, you're in pain, I know..." Ziya said, observing the anguish on Sun Meng's face. Apart from offering verbal comfort, there was little else she could do to alleviate her suffering. However, despite Ziya's attempts to console her, Sun Meng continued to blink frantically, her gaze fixed intently behind them.
Suddenly, Zhi Qing turned around. There was nothing behind him, but he realized something serious: the body of the Masked Man was gone. He sprang up from the ground, disbelief washing over him as he glanced back at the doorway. All that remained was a pool of dark red blood; the Masked Man had truly vanished. Hadn't Ziya just smashed him? This oversight allowed him to escape.
It turned out that Sun Meng had seen the Masked Man flee, which was why she had been blinking so insistently at them. In their panic, neither of them had noticed this crucial detail. With the Masked Man on the loose, danger still loomed. Ziya's already pale face grew even paler as she cursed herself for hesitating and not ensuring the Masked Man was dead.
Zhi Qing took a deep breath and immediately resolved to address Sun Meng's situation first. They moved a long table in the room to block the door tightly, preventing the Masked Man from entering. Then they began searching for tools to try and unscrew the cap from Sun Meng's head.
Liu Yi's body still lay in the room, and Ziya couldn't bring herself to look at it. Each time she approached his side, she averted her eyes, unable to face his lifeless form.
"You stay with Sun Meng; I'll handle this," Zhi Qing said, understanding her fear.
"Uh." Ziya felt utterly useless, like a burden dragging Zhi Qing down. Her pride crumbled under this realization. Her eyes filled with gentle concern as she looked at Sun Meng; they were two young women who shared a deep bond.
Zhi Qing pondered that since there was a computer in the room, there must be other useful tools nearby. He glanced at the computer on the floor and shifted his gaze toward a dark corner of the room.
In that corner sat a dusty wooden box. Ignoring Ziya's implied warning about potential traps, he pried it open with both hands. Inside were dirty scraps of paper, various nails, aluminum rivets, and among them was a crescent wrench. A surge of joy filled Zhi Qing as he picked up the wrench and walked over to Sun Meng.
"I'm going to unscrew your cap now; it might pull on your head and feel uncomfortable. Just hang in there for a moment," he said calmly and reassuringly.
"Mm, mm..." Sun Meng nodded, her eyes filled with determination.
Ziya felt a wave of self-doubt wash over her; she truly wasn't as strong as Sun Meng. She gently wiped away the tears that had fallen onto Sun Meng's blood-streaked face, each rotation of Zhiqing's hands tugging at the iron mask covering Sun Meng's mouth.
"It must hurt a lot, I know. Just hang in there, we'll be out soon," Ziya comforted Sun Meng, though she couldn't contain the tears welling up in her own eyes.
Zhiqing wore a solemn expression, trying to slow down the speed of his movements. In truth, he was even more anxious than Ziya and Sun Meng, fearing that a moment of carelessness could cause them pain. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, but he also felt relieved as the screws gradually loosened.
Comment 0 Comment Count