The suffocation came like a tidal wave, a sharp pain piercing her neck as her vision blurred into a sea of red. Gradually, the intense asphyxiation numbed her senses.
In the darkness, a silver blade glinted as it tore through flesh, splattering crimson liquid. The thick metallic scent of blood clung to the air. A woman held her head down, stabbing relentlessly. Surging adrenaline dulled the pain—all she could feel was the warmth draining from her body.
Time: 00:23, May 28, 2024. Tong Yang was dead.
Suddenly, her body lurched forward, a sensation of weightlessness overtaking her. Her eyes flickered open to the faint flicker of candlelight, illuminating a desk strewn with exam papers.
"Bang!"
Tong Yang shot up from her chair, sending it crashing to the floor with a deafening thud.
"What…?" Her voice trembled as she braced herself against the desk, drenched in sweat, her face ghostly pale. She stared in shock and confusion at the scene before her.
Her phone lay face-up on the desk, the screen displaying the group chat "Gossip Squad 007," frozen on her last message: [What about the college entrance exam?]
But the time at the top of the screen read 00:13.
"Twelve thirteen…" she murmured.
A memory flashed—her bloodstained phone, discarded beside her in her final moments, its screen lighting up with the time: 00:25.
A nightmare? Had she dozed off and dreamed something so horrifyingly real?
No. Impossible. No dream could feel this vivid.
She remembered hiding behind the door for too long, her body stiff from tension. Then the woman appeared out of nowhere, wielding a knife. Before Tong Yang could react, the blade was already slicing into her. The icy sting of metal against skin still haunted her.
[Ding—]
At 00:14, May 28, 2024, a news link popped up in the "Gossip Squad 007" chat.
—Tragedy Strikes: Gifted Student Tong Yang Dies in Home Invasion Days Before College Entrance Exam. Teachers Mourn: "She Could Have Been the Provincial Top Scorer!"
Simultaneously, the signal bars on her phone vanished—completely blocked.
She had been killed… and sent back ten minutes before her death? Why?
Damn it, no time to figure that out now!
Last time, she had read the news at 00:19, and the footsteps outside only came after. That meant she had at least four minutes to escape.
Tong Yang blew out the candle, grabbed a screwdriver, and rushed from her bedroom to the living room.
The building had nine units per floor, with stairwells on the north and south sides. Her apartment, Unit 307, was near the north stairs—the killer must have come from there. Four minutes should be enough to avoid crossing paths, but what if the killer was already hiding somewhere?
Her only option was the south stairwell.
She eased the door open, careful not to make a sound. When the gap was wide enough, she slipped through. The frigid night air prickled her skin as she scanned the pitch-black hallway—empty. The other units were locked tight.
No one.
Without hesitation, she moved swiftly toward the south stairs. The building’s thin walls made noise travel easily, so she resisted the urge to run, afraid of alerting the killer.
Reaching the stairwell, her breath came in ragged gasps. The wind whistled eerily, making her spine tingle—as if someone were following. She glanced back every few steps, terrified of an ambush, but nothing stirred.
"Haah…"
Leaning against the wall, she exhaled shakily.
But she couldn’t relax. The woman had known exactly where to find her—even that Tong Le wasn’t home. She had a key.
Someone they knew? A neighbor?
But Tong Yang had no enemies, and the neighborhood was mostly elderly. Who would want her dead?
Was this the same person who killed the bakery owner? Would the killer vanish without a trace again, leaving another unsolved case?
Jaw clenched, she edged down the stairs, checking every corner before descending further.
Her clothes clung to her, soaked with sweat. Each step felt heavier.
Ten days until the exam. She couldn’t die now. Not after years of effort.
Reaching the second floor, the wind rattled a plastic bag on the hallway floor. Her legs trembled as she leaned against the wall, pulling out her phone. 00:17. Still no signal.
She tried calling the police again. Failed.
Putting the phone away, she took a deep breath.
The killer would appear at 00:19. But she was only on the third floor.
A normal person could climb three flights in thirty seconds—maybe a minute if slow. If she went down now, she might run straight into the killer.
In theory, she could outrun them. But theory meant nothing.
When terror took over, the mind and body froze. Weakness, paralysis—even screams died in the throat.
Her best chance was to leave the building before 00:23, get outside the signal-blocked zone, and call the police.
Screaming would only reveal her location and endanger others. Most residents here were elderly. The killer was experienced. Let the authorities handle this.
Time crawled. Sweat dripped from her chin, her bangs sticking to her forehead.
"Thud—"
An unknown amount of time passed before a clear, distinct footstep suddenly echoed through the silence.
Tong Yang instantly tensed up, her grip on the screwdriver trembling with force. It took her several seconds to realize the footsteps were coming from the northern stairwell.
The killer didn’t seem to care about hiding their presence. The footsteps moved unhurriedly toward the third floor, accompanied by the crisp clang of metal striking the hollow railing—likely the sound of a knife being dragged lazily against it.
The noise sent chills down her spine.
Tong Yang squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to stay calm. When the footsteps reached the third floor, two knocks sounded against a door. No one answered. Then came the unmistakable twist of a key turning in a lock.
This was her chance!
Tong Yang immediately quickened her pace down the stairs, her breaths growing ragged as she descended. Passing through the enclosed stairwell corner, she finally reached the last flight of steps.
The bright glow of the moon hung in the night sky, and the damp scent of grass filled the air. Tong Yang’s heart, which had nearly stopped, suddenly surged back to life. The icy numbness in her limbs thawed, warmth returning to her skin.
If she could just leave now and call the police, she’d survive this nightmare!
She was only seventeen—her life shouldn’t end tonight. She had a bright future ahead, one she’d fought hard for!
Maybe the heavens couldn’t bear to see her die so young, so they’d given her a glimpse of the future, a second chance. Tong Yang wouldn’t waste it. She would live, and she’d build a good life for herself and Tong Le!
Moonlight bathed her as the euphoria of survival sent her pulse racing. The killer was still in her room—she had at least four minutes to escape and call for help.
"Creak—"
Suddenly, the rusted groan of hinges caught her attention.
Tong Yang stood beneath the eaves. All she had to do was leave, and she’d be safe. But for some reason, she turned back.
The window of the first-floor apartment near the stairwell was slightly ajar, its rusted frame swaying in the wind, emitting an eerie screech. A faint candlelight spilled onto the windowsill.
Aside from Tong Yang, an elderly woman lived in this building.
Tong Yang was on the third floor; the old woman lived on the first.
"Cough…" The muffled sound of the woman’s coughing drifted through the window.
At the same moment, a metallic object clattered to the ground just a few steps away from Tong Yang.
Her head snapped up.
On the third-floor balcony, a grotesque head leaned over the railing. Bulging eyes, stretched to the brink of bursting, locked onto her from above. A throaty, unnatural laugh slithered out.
"Found you—"
Tong Yang’s face drained of color. The woman bolted toward the southern stairwell. Every instinct screamed at Tong Yang to run, but her legs felt like lead, refusing to move.
What should she do?
Warn the old woman about the killer? But what if the murderer’s only target was her? Would she drag an innocent person into this?
Forget it… The killer only wanted her. She just needed to escape.
If the killer changed targets, that wasn’t her fault, right? She was still young. She hadn’t even taken her college entrance exams yet. She couldn’t die here…
Run! She had to get out and call the police before the killer caught up!
Tong Yang sprinted forward. After a dozen seconds, she glanced back, panting heavily. The woman had already emerged from the stairwell, bending down to pick up the fallen knife before fixing her with a sinister glare.
Yes, she was after Tong Yang alone!
Relief flickered through her, and she ran even harder toward the neighborhood gate.
But seconds later, she looked back again.
The woman wasn’t chasing her. Instead, she stood beneath the eaves, staring coldly at Tong Yang before turning toward the candlelit window.
The first-floor window had no bars—no thief would bother stealing from a place nicknamed "the parasite’s den." Tong Yang’s own window had bars only to keep her laundry from blowing away.
The woman pushed the half-open window wider, planting one foot on the sill. The knife glinted in the moonlight as she turned back to Tong Yang, frozen in place, and flashed a twisted smile.
Tong Yang’s mind teetered on the edge of collapse. A voice inside her screamed that she should leave, call the police, prioritize her own safety. She was young. She’d suffered for years, raising Tong Le alone since he was nine. She was so close—so close—to a better life. Just one more exam, one more achievement…
Yes, she should go. Now.
"Who are you?!"
The old woman’s furious voice rang out from inside the room.
Right. She should leave…
Tong Yang… just leave.
"Goddamn it!!!"
With a desperate roar, Tong Yang charged toward the half-open window, moving faster than she had while fleeing.
Then, with one brutal kick, she smashed through the old wooden door.
