"Who are you?" Mo Wen wondered.
"I'm also a traveler, trapped here and injured," the girl's voice replied.
"Where are you?"
"I'm in the hallway behind you, come to me quickly!"
Mo Wen's fingers froze on the door handle. The darkness of the hallway seemed like an abyss, and the voice came from its depths, gentle yet urgent.
"I'm in the hallway behind you, come to me quickly!"
Mo Wen glanced sideways, the darkness seemed to writhe, and a sense of unease crawled up his spine. He took a deep breath, let go of the handle, and stepped into the darkness. However, just as he took the first step—
"Swish—"
A white shadow suddenly slid out from the shadows, silently blocking his path. The white fox stood still, its green eyes glowing faintly, locking onto his movements.
"Run! The demon fox is back!"
The voice suddenly became sharp, like torn fabric, with an eerie tone. Mo Wen's heart skipped a beat, and he stumbled back a step.
He gritted his teeth,"Let's do this!"
Mo Wen's pupils narrowed, and he feigned a leftward sprint, only to change direction and dash to the right hallway. His shoes screeched against the floor, and his heart pounded. In the blink of an eye, a white shadow appeared like a ghost, silently landing in the shadows ahead of him.
This time, the white fox didn't hold back, leaving scratches on Mo Wen's face.
Seeing no way through, Mo Wen kicked open the nearby closed doors, trying one room after another.
But the white fox sat leisurely on the ground, its fur seemingly ruffled by an invisible wind, its gaze calm and mocking, as it licked its paws.
Being looked down upon by this beast!
Mo Wen's anger flared, and he forcefully opened a door, only to find room after room filled with mummified corpses from different eras, their faces twisted in their final moments of struggle.
Mo Wen panted heavily, retreating step by step until his back was against the wall, careful not to expose his weaknesses. His palms were sweaty, and he cursed under his breath,"This demon fox must have drained their blood!"
Suddenly, the white fox seemed to understand his thoughts, letting out a low, dissatisfied growl, casting a threatening glance at Mo Wen with its green eyes, making him freeze.
Suddenly, the white fox's ears twitched, and it slowly stood up, turning its head to look warily at a corner in the darkness. In the next moment, it raised a paw and lightly swiped—
A blinding silver light exploded in the air!
A white arc of electricity moved through the void, starting as a faint light point, then spreading like a spider web, forming a dense electric net. Crackling sounds echoed all around, filling the air with the smell of burning.
Mo Wen's pupils contracted slightly under the bright light, and he instinctively took a step back. However, just as he moved, a sharp scream suddenly exploded in his ears!
The scream was twisted and distorted, like two voices struggling and tearing in the same throat—one of them was the girl's voice from earlier.
Mo Wen quickly turned around and saw the electric net wrapping around a withered black arm, with sunken skin and long, sharp nails, unlike a human limb. The arm twisted wildly in the electric light, like dead vines whipped by lightning. In the darkness, a twisted figure struggled back into the shadows, but the white fox's eyes remained fixed on it, unmoving.
"Roar—"
From the depths of the darkness, the figure let out a hoarse, unwilling roar, like a blade scraping against glass, striking Mo Wen's eardrums.
Mo Wen's spine tingled, and his heart pounded like a drum. His throat moved, and he looked away from the struggling withered arm to the white fox.
The green eyes were still fixed on the shadow, cold and indifferent, as if facing not a creature but a dying ember.
"Go."
A voice echoed in his mind, deep and calm, yet filled with undeniable authority. Mo Wen's mind reeled, and his legs moved as if pulled by an unseen force. Almost instinctively, he turned and rushed to the door.
As his fingers touched the door handle, the space around him twisted for a moment—
The next second, he felt a sudden lightness in his body, the ground beneath his feet disappeared for an instant, and when he regained his footing, he was standing on the grass outside the villa.
The morning sunlight filtered through the trees, the air was fresh, and birds chirped in the distance, everything peaceful and serene.
But cold sweat still trickled down Mo Wen's forehead.
He stiffly turned back, the villa still stood there, as if everything that happened was just a dream. However, in the wind, there seemed to be a barely audible sigh, like the white fox's final response to him.
He stood at the edge of the woods, his legs weak, yet feeling more clear-headed than ever. He vaguely guessed the truth of the encounter, a sense of inexplicable gratitude welling up within him.
The villa still stood there, but his heart was filled with greater confusion,"What is this place? Who saved me, and who wanted to harm me?"
-----------------
The morning mist covered the earth like a thin veil, damp and cold. Mo Wen ran frantically, his heart pounding like a drum. His shoes scraped against the slippery ground, making rapid "pat" sounds. He didn't stop until he reached a riverbank and saw a bridge crossing the river. He paused, panting heavily, and looked around.
Cars flowed nonstop on the bridge, accompanied by the blaring of horns and the sound of tires on the road, as if everything was normal. Below the bridge, the morning market was bustling. Vendors shouted,"Fresh soy milk—freshly steamed buns," while customers in cotton-padded jackets yawned and crowded around the stalls, picking out their breakfast.
Mo Wen leaned on the bridge railing, cold sweat still on his forehead. Compared to the unknown terror of last night, the everyday hustle and bustle made him feel a long-lost sense of security. He eagerly took out his phone, but was stunned to see that although only one night had passed, the date showed he had been inside for two days and one night.
What's going on? This must be a time warp!
Mo Wen stood there in a daze, replaying the scenes from the previous night in his mind. He had experienced an incredible adventure:
"A large villa, a lawn at least several thousand square meters, big like a football field... and then a strange corridor..." Mo Wen muttered to himself, afraid to miss any details.
He wanted to tell someone about it but hesitated. Who would believe him? Besides, when he tried to recall more details, the memories began to blur.
Mo Wen scratched his head, frowning in thought,"Did I stumble into a parallel space? Or a time gap?"
As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something, his pupils dilated, and he shouted,"Oh no, my job!"
With that, he hastily put away his phone and rushed into the crowd, as if trying to leave all the confusion behind.
But was last night's dreamy experience really just a dream?
Mo Wen was publicly scolded by his manager, feeling utterly humiliated and frustrated. He silently carried a large backpack, parked his electric bike at the entrance of the quarantine zone, took a deep breath, and quickly walked towards the volunteer team waiting at the door.
He ran straight to the leader holding a small flag, apologizing breathlessly. The leader was a gentle young man with gold-rimmed glasses, giving off a scholarly vibe. His name was Tanaka, a doctor who had recently graduated from medical school. Six months ago, during a boozy banquet, his superior patted him on the shoulder and promised with a smile,"This mission will boost your resume, and if you do well, it might help you land a good position at the city medical center." Tanaka couldn't resist such an opportunity, so at the volunteer meeting, he was the first to stand up, even receiving a round of applause.
He observed Mo Wen running towards him. Mo Wen, in his black courier uniform, looked five or six years younger than Tanaka, with thin shoulders carrying a backpack almost as tall as he was, appearing burdened by life. Tanaka sighed slightly, then smiled warmly, signaling the team to gather and get ready to depart.
It was almost nine o'clock, and the smog still blanketed the city like a heavy gray quilt, making visibility extremely low. Dr. Tanaka was somewhat anxious and, unlike other teams waiting for the smog to clear, decisively waved his hand, leading the team out. The red flag in his hand swayed, and the volunteers followed one by one, the thirty-plus team moving slowly under the faint glow of their flashlights, like fireflies flickering in the night.
Mo Wen walked at the front of the team, his figure standing out. His eyes fell on the slowly opening iron gate, a hint of curiosity flashing in his gaze—the quarantine zone's gate was finally open to them.