My House of Horrors

Chen Ge stood in the classroom unmovable like a statue. The old headmaster’s appearance left a deep impression on him. A hidden clue had been discovered, and his world was slowly being turned around, which introduced change to his way of thinking.

Mu Yang High School and the Third Sick Hall are among the earliest scenarios I experienced. It has already been so long, and I didn’t expect I’ll run into things connected to them at a four-star scenario.

No one went to disturb Chen Ge—they stood like guards around him. Mu Yang High School was the first two-star scenario that Chen Ge had experienced, and the Third Sick Hall was the first three-star scenario. Now, the School of the Afterlife was his first four-star scenario. These three scenarios were linked in curious ways, and this surprised Chen Ge. He suspected that none of the missions given by the black phone were random, and each of them served a specific purpose.

All the missions given by the phone have the word trial before them. Could such a difficult mission just be a Trial Mission?

One-star scenarios deal with people, two-star scenarios deal with Specters, three-star scenarios deal with Red Specters, and four-star scenarios deal with Greater Red Specters. Logically speaking, the difference in star level means a difference in difficulty, but actually they are also interconnected. This feels like someone is behind this... They want me to experience certain things through these scenarios to achieve a certain goal.

Chen Ge’s brows were creased deeply. It was rare for him to have this kind of expression.

Why would someone do something like that? What is there for me to know, or what exactly have I lost?

Lowering his head to look at Yin Hong and Yin Bai, the two girls looked away in fear.

Could it be that I have lost a version of myself, too?

Chen Ge did not know what kind of expression he should show. His brain was a mess, and for some reason, he was reminded of his Haunted House and the door inside it. When he found out about the blood door in his Haunted House for the first time, he had been really scared. The most unsettling thing was, when the door was opened at midnight, he could hear someone calling his name from inside. He had a fresh memory of that voice. It was very familiar, but he could not pinpoint it. It sounded like himself.

My voice calling my own name?

Thinking back to this strange experience, Chen Ge felt a chill run up his spine.

Perhaps I have lost my real self.

Chen Ge had many secrets that he could not share with others. He had to shoulder them himself. He would not be afraid; he would hold everything in.

When Doctor Gao entered the door in my Haunted House, he was almost scared to death, and he hurriedly escaped. With ghost story society’s power at the time, only a four-star scenario would warrant a reaction like that.

The door was in the Haunted House’s toilet, so in other words, the world behind the door was a reflection of Chen Ge’s Haunted House.

I wonder what the Haunted House behind the door looks like.

Chen Ge was curious, but with his current power, if he went in, he would probably not come out.

Since the person behind the door is calling my name, won’t I walk into their trap if I enter the door voluntarily? Before I understand everything, I have to control myself.

Chen Ge decided to add another door to the toilet cubicle after he returned to the Haunted House. Perhaps he might add a cement wall as well, pinning it down with wooden planks now felt too weak.

The door only opens at midnight. If I can deal with this problem, my Haunted House can open at night. That will increase the operating hours and increase income.

Shaking his head, Chen Ge stopped himself from thinking too far ahead. He put down his bag and squatted down between Yin Hong and Yin Bai.

Regardless of whether or not they were a hint left behind by his family, he had some questions for them.

“I will not harm you; I merely see my past self in you. So, I need to understand one thing. When did this happen to you? Or should I say, when did Yin Hong show up?” Chen Ge was getting closer to the truth step by step. It was like he was walking through the fog. Any source of light was something that he needed to hold onto.

“I don’t know.” Yin Bai was helpless. Her hands were gripped together. Of everyone there, she was closest to the old headmaster, but the headmaster was shielding another girl, and the girl looked so much like her. Chen Ge did not force Yin Bai, instead turning to Yin Hong.

Scrutinized by him, Yin Hong was first afraid and nervous, reacting the same way Yin Bai did. But when she realized that this would not work and could not earn her sympathy from Chen Ge, her real self surfaced. The red eyes stared at her own bag on the ground. Yin Hong kept her head lowered so others could not see her expression. “If I tell you the answer, will you return my bag?”

Yin Hong’s schoolbag looked normal; it was very feminine and youthlike. Who would have thought it would be filled with papers reciting curses and murders?

“Okay.” Chen Ge gave his promise.

“It was nighttime when I first opened my eyes, around 2 am. I heard movement from inside the bedroom, and when I turned to look, I saw my adopted father inside my room.” Yin Hong’s voice was eerily calm like she was telling another person’s story. “I was spooked, and a scream escaped. My adopted father opened the door and ran.”

After some pause, she said, “I surfaced on that day. I only appeared after Yin Bai fell asleep. I know everything that she’s experienced, but she never remembers me.

“I do not blame her because I understand her best in this world. I know the kind of hell she lives in, the fears that she must face. I don’t know why I appeared. Perhaps Yin Bai was too scared, too cowardly, but couldn’t seek help, so she created me.” Yin Hong glanced at Yin Bai. “Of course, it could be that I am a ghost who happened to come across her.”

A cruel smile lit up her lips. Yin Hong reached out wanting to touch Yin Bai’s face, but the latter shied away. “In the morning, I was the innocent, cute angel, but I can’t even describe what I am at night. I tried to find meaning to my existence, and I eventually found it.”

Yin Hong pulled back her long sleeves. There were signs of burn on them. “The old dog liked to come into my bedroom at night. I prepared a glass of hot water by my bedside. That was the first time I resisted, but because I was too weak, the result wasn’t perfect. Still, it did give him quite a scare.”

Yin Hong’s term of reference to her adopted father kept changing. The girl had started to slowly shed her disguise.