The corridor was brightly lit in the night.
Dean Zhao walked ahead, speaking with emotion, "Though I’ve only recently been transferred here as dean, I’m also a graduate of this school. Like many others, I have deep feelings for this place. I want it to keep improving, to avoid being left behind by the tides of time."
Xia Miao followed at a steady pace, listening to Dean Zhao’s endless reflections.
The female teacher walked behind Xia Miao, wearing a kind and gentle smile.
They descended the stairs. The first floor led further down to the basement, where valuable items were stored. The heavy iron door was secured with multiple locks.
Dean Zhao took out his keys and unlocked it himself.
As the metallic clinking echoed, a sudden thought flashed in Xia Miao’s mind. "What’s the date today?"
The female teacher answered, "It’s May 4th."
A bolt of lightning split the night sky, followed by a deafening thunderclap, heralding an impending downpour.
"Shen Chi… I need to see Shen Chi."
Xia Miao took a step back, but the female teacher steadied her with a hand on her shoulder, soothing her softly. "Xia, don’t panic."
Dean Zhao turned back, speaking amiably, "It’s about to rain. No need to rush off—let’s go inside first."
With a creak, the iron door swung open.
In the storm-laden night, the illuminated library stood like a lone island in a black sea. The warm glow of the lights now felt eerily cold.
Normally, the library was bustling, but at this late hour and with the approaching storm, it was nearly empty.
Tian Meimei was still tense, her face sickly pale, as if gravely ill. Clutching Si Mugu’s hand, she whispered, "Do you think… do you think it’s her curse?"
Si Mugu frowned. "Who?"
"That girl… the one you used to provoke me before!"
Si Mugu’s expression darkened. "If it’s really her, I won’t let her off."
He wasn’t faring well either—wearing a hat to conceal his thinning hair, but unable to hide his gaunt frame, which had withered alarmingly in a short time.
Tian Meimei had heard rumors from classmates: if the fourteenth step on the library’s fourth floor appeared, one could enter the misty world.
Some made wishes for personal gain; others sought revenge.
If a curse succeeded, the victim would rapidly deteriorate, inching closer to death.
Tian Meimei and Si Mugu reached the fourth floor, but no matter how hard they tried, the fourteenth step refused to appear.
Tears of despair welled in Tian Meimei’s eyes. "Am I just going to die like this?"
She had vomited repeatedly, each time wracked with excruciating pain. A gnawing fear told her she might soon cough up her own organs—a horrifying thought that chipped away at her sanity.
Si Mugu remained composed. "Don’t panic. They say you need a lit candle at 2 a.m. It’s not time yet—we’ll wait."
Tian Meimei could only nod.
After their health declined, they had searched for Fang Bei, but strangely, the girl seemed to have vanished from campus.
This only deepened Tian Meimei’s dread.
A premonition settled over her—she might not escape this.
Then, another voice whispered in her heart: If not for Si Mugu… if not for him…
Her gaze caught a familiar figure. She immediately released Si Mugu’s hand and ran over.
"Shen Chi!"
Shen Chi stopped as she blocked his path.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, Tian Meimei felt a fierce intuition: if Shen Chi helped her, she might survive.
"Shen Chi, I’m in trouble… can you help me?"
Her tear-streaked face was pitifully soft, designed to evoke sympathy.
Si Mugu pulled her back. "What can a bookworm like him do? Meimei, don’t beg him!"
But Tian Meimei yanked her hand free, stubbornly pleading with Shen Chi.
No matter how pathetically she cried, Shen Chi remained unmoved. "Move aside."
Driven by desperation, Tian Meimei reached for his hand. "I really need help, Shen Chi. We’ve known each other for years—"
Before she could touch him, Shen Chi stepped back.
"Don’t bother me."
His icy tone sent a chill through her bones.
Shen Chi walked past her without another glance.
Si Mugu’s pride stung. Gripping Tian Meimei, he hissed, "I told you I’d protect you. Why beg him?"
Tian Meimei suddenly snapped, "If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be like this—dying over and over!"
The words hung in the air, leaving both of them stunned.
The scene felt unnervingly familiar.
Shen Chi ignored their noise. It was time to meet his girlfriend. As he prepared to leave, his phone buzzed with a message from Xia Miao:
[The dean suddenly wants me to join a competition. I don’t want to. Should I meet him to refuse in person?]
Frowning, Shen Chi replied: [Miao, don’t go.]
No response came.
After a pause, he called—still no answer.
Memories resurfaced: a man threatening Xia Miao with a knife.
"Xia Miao, being chosen is your luck. You’re talented—you’re perfect material. Sacrificing just one person benefits everyone. What’s wrong with that?"
Panic surged. Shen Chi sprinted out of the library into the stormy night, darkness swallowing all directions.
"Do you know where to find Miao?"
A voice echoed in his mind.
"Miao isn’t like you. She can’t be hurt."
"Let me out. Only I can protect her."
Blackness pooled in his eyes, thick as ink, swirling like blood steaming in his veins.
"Don’t you understand?"
"This isn’t the time to hide."
"Miao must not be harmed in this world."
Then, his own voice spoke:
"Shen Chi… it’s time to wake from this dream."
The young man raised his pallid face, his monochrome visage a haunting specter of black and white.
