The Whispering Darkness
As dusk fell, the sky donned various hues, blending shades of orange and pink. Shen Xiao Yang and Xue Zi Qian walked together towards their dorm. The colors of dusk painted a tranquil backdrop to their conversation. Zi Qian, noticing that Xiao Yang had been unusually talkative recently, couldn't help but express his curiosity. He stopped walking and turned to Xiao Yang. "You're not usually this talkative... What has changed?" Zi Qian inquired, gazing at Xiao Yang with an inquisitive expression. Xiao Yang paused for a moment, his lips curving into a faint smile. "Do you not like it when I talk to you?" he teased, his eyes gleaming. Zi Qian was slightly flustered but then smiled in return. "No, no, it's not that. I appreciate it, especially when I was sick yesterday. I could tell you were worried and i thank you for that," Zi Qian admitted, his smile becoming more pronounced.The pair continued their walk and eventually reached their dormitory. After a long day, night had fallen, and they prepared for rest. Zi Qian was filled with excitement; he was on the brink of executing his escape plan. The looming entrance exams in two days motivated him to put his plan into action.
Xiao Yang switched off the room's light and settled into his bed, preparing for sleep. Zi Qian followed the same. In the darkness, Zi Qian kept glancing at the slumbering Xiao Yang to ensure he was in a deep sleep. Eventually, the soft snores confirmed it. Zi Qian silently chuckled and began to execute his plan. Swathed in a black cloak, he slipped out of his bed, tiptoed to Xiao Yang's bedside, and waved his hand in front of Xiao Yang's face to ascertain his deep slumber. Satisfied that he wouldn't be noticed, he stealthily made his way to the room's door and ventured toward the main gate, moving with quiet haste. Hiding behind a pillar adorned with intricate patterns, Zi Qian kept a watchful eye on the guards. Their attention appeared unwavering and difficult to divert. Frustrated and anxious, he began biting his nails, a habit he fell into when stressed. Desperate for a distraction, he noticed a wooden branch nearby, and with a mischievous grin, he hurled it in the opposite direction to draw the guards' attention. However, their steadfastness proved to be a formidable challenge. They were indeed very responsible and sensible. Such a petty trick would not work with them.
" What are you doing?" A voice called out from behind Zi Qian. "Shhh, can't you see I'm hiding from these guards? Don't make noise," Zi Qian whispered, annoyed, as he hid his face in his cloak while keeping a watchful eye on the guards unbothered about that person.Then, Zi Qian felt a tap on his shoulder. Startled, he turned around and yelled softly " What do you want?", his mouth hanging open in astonishment as he saw the mysterious person. "You!" Zi Qian yelled. "Who's there?" a guard yelled from a distance as the faint noise drew their attention. Panicked, Zi Qian was grabbed by the wrist and swiftly pulled away from the guards. He and his mysterious savior fled to a hiding spot near the cold spring, panting heavily. "Wei Yang, why are you still awake?" Zi Qian asked in surprise, still catching his breath. "Young master, what were you doing there?" Wei Yang questioned with a raised eyebrow, a sense of suspicion in his eyes. Caught off guard and attempting to conceal his true intentions, Zi Qian replied with a chuckle, "Oh, just a leisurely stroll. The fresh air here is so invigorating; I needed a breath of it." Wei Yang maintained a skeptical gaze, as Zi Qian's light-hearted explanation seemed not to satisfy him. He urged Zi Qian back to their room, cautioning him that it wasn't safe outside at this late hour.
Once alone in his room, Zi Qian couldn't help but berate himself for not considering Wei Yang. He climbed into bed, frustration seeping through his thoughts. "How could I forget about Wei Yang?" he muttered, pulling his blanket over his head, vexed by the failed escape plan. "That's outrageous!" he grumbled as he slipped into sleep. In the adjacent bed, Shen Xiao Yang observed this, a smile curling on his lips. He knew more than Zi Qian realized, and his heart swelled with emotions he hadn't expected. Around midnight, the academy was enveloped in a dark, eerie atmosphere. Nocturnal creatures came to life, and an unsettling feeling hung in the air. A haunting, feminine voice could be heard singing a mournful, anguished song. Its haunting melody reverberated through the academy. The guards were startled by that song :
"I wander through this shadowed night,
Seeking vengeance with all my might.
For those who wronged me, they'll pay the cost,
Where are you? Where are you hiding sinner? I shall find you!
In this darkness, revenge shall be my host.
My silent footsteps make no sound.
Their faces haunt my cursed sight,
I'll take revenge with all my strength.
Where are you? Where are you hiding sinner? I shall find you!
For every torment, for every slight,
I'll bring the darkness and endless night everywhere,"
Eerie, red mists began appearing, flowing in the air. This eerie red mist was so potent that it rendered the guards outside unconscious, their bodies hitting the ground with a thud. The red mists approached them and said " What's your greatest fear?" and laughed malevolently. The red mist swirled into Zi Qian's room, casting an eerie crimson hue over everything. It seeped into his slumbering form, drawing him into a nightmarish world. Xue Zi Qian was once again caught in a nightmare, beads of perspiration forming on his forehead. In his dream, a dark, creepy hand with long, blood-red nails extended from the black mist and began tracing his face. The red Mist drifted closer to Xue Zi Qian, who was paralyzed with fear due to the cruel sight infront of him. Zi Qian found himself amidst a grisly scene. Lifeless bodies lay around him in a pool of crimson blood, filling the air with a metallic tang. The disarray of the corpses and the oppressive atmosphere left him paralyzed with fear. The pungent metallic scent filled the air, making it difficult for him to breathe. With a hollow, echoing voice, it spoke, "Tell me, young one, what is your greatest fear?" Xue Zi Qian's heart raced, his mind clouded with dreadful visions, and he managed to stutter, "I... I fear... losing the ones I love."
As soon as the words escaped his lips, the ghost's presence seemed to intensify. In an instant, Zi Qian was plunged into another nightmarish illusion in his dream itself. He was surrounded by an impenetrable darkness, and the people he cared about vanished one by one in thin air as black smoke, leaving him utterly alone. The feeling of isolation, despair, and the crushing fear of abandonment overwhelmed him and he dropped on his knees feeling utterly powerless as he heard their agonising cries. The mist that was talking to him soon took the another form. A ghostly apparition emerged from the mist. Judging its body outline, it was indeed a female ghost. Her torn, blood-red attire hung in tatters, her hair in disarray, covering her face that was marred with red veins. Dark, red inky veins snaked around her neck, and her red eyes brimmed with anguish. She seemed to float in the air, her feet absent, creating an intruiging and suspenseful moment for Zi Qian. However, Zi Qian could not move, his body was stiffed as if he was being controlled by someone, the ghost lady slowly approached him and bent to his level. Zi Qian eyes were tightly closed, tears escaping from his eyes.
The ghostly apparition in Zi Qian's nightmare cackled ominously, her voice filled with malevolence. "Even though it's just a dream, if you meet your end here, it may well become your reality," she taunted, her malevolent laughter growing more wicked. as she forced Zi Qian to open his eyes and look at her. Zi Qian knew that even if it was a dream he could not just give up everything. Determined not to succumb to the nightmare, Zi Qian summoned his magical weapon, Qing Feng. The fan glimmered with a soft azure glow as he grasped it firmly behind his back . He took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest, as he prepared to confront this malevolent apparition. However in order to outsmart the ghost, Zi Qian discreetly retrieved concealed dart weapons from hidden compartments in his sleeves. With a focused determination, he launched an unexpected attack on the menacing ghost who stood before him. The silver darts, adorned with intricate engravings, sliced through the air with deadly precision. They aimed directly at the ghost who was taken aback by such a sudden attack.
The cunning ghost sported a sinister grin just before she abruptly dissolved into thin air, leaving the darts to harmlessly plummet to the ground. It was a calculated move on Zi Qian's part. As she vanished, he seized the opportunity and sprang to his feet, his movements swift and fuelled with unflinching determination. he hurled his fan with remarkable precision, the elegant fan slicing through the air like a deadly boomerang. Its trajectory was almost flawless, the ghost's form barely avoiding a close encounter with the fan's sharp edge that dould have slice her throat but nonetheless her ghastly figure dissipated into nothingness, only to reappear in a different location. She finally vanished and didn't reappear, leaving Zi Qian bewildered. He scanned the area, searching for any sign of the ghost. Unbeknownst to him, she silently materialized behind him, preparing for a sneak attack. Her ghostly hands were positioned as if ready to strangle someone as she crept closer to him. The moment Zi Qian turned around, she lunged at him, her spectral hands closing around his throat. The latter held on her hands attempting to remove them but in vain