Chapter 22: One Person Missing?

The third round of the game began. Someone tapped my shoulder, and I started to grope my way forward. If everything went as usual, I should pass by that unoccupied corner this time.

In the darkness, every step was cautious; no one knew what might await ahead. I regretted it a little. Knowing how dangerous the school was, I shouldn't have agreed to play this game with them in the first place.

Step by step, my outstretched hand finally touched the solid wall. There was no one in the corner.

For some reason, I felt relieved. The game had been normal so far without any abnormalities.

"Ahem!" I coughed, following the game's rules, and continued to the next corner.

Feeling my way along and accompanied by the "tap-tap" of footsteps, a dark shadow awaited me ahead.

I lightly tapped their shoulder and stood at the corner.

The game proceeded normally until the seventh round. By then, I had lost patience and was starting to feel numb. Suddenly, the coughing sound stopped.

A minute, two minutes, three minutes passed—still no coughing sound—but the "tap-tap" footsteps continued clearly!

"Is there an extra person in the room?" I suppressed my curiosity and didn't turn around. I observed with my peripheral vision instead. The signal light of the camera at the window kept flashing, and Sakura stood there like a corpse, motionless.

"If Sakura didn't join the game, then who's the extra person in the classroom?"

My heart pounded faster and faster. In the darkness, it felt as if vengeful spirits were hiding in every direction.

"Listen to me, everyone. It seems like there's an extra person in our game. Let's change the rules now." Xiumu's voice floated uncertainly in the classroom. "The basic rules remain the same, but let's add one more: when you tap the shoulder of the person ahead of you, you must say your name. Alright, let's start with whoever's turn it is."

The footsteps never stopped. I was debating whether to end the game forcefully when my back was suddenly tapped.

"I'm Xiumu," a low voice spoke slowly. It was subtly different from the voice I had heard before, like someone speaking while chewing food.

Without turning around, I walked toward the next corner.

"I'm the streamer." The person ahead of me heard this and stumbled away. I nervously took my place at the corner.

We'd gone through seven rounds. I remembered everyone's positions in each round. Based on logical deduction and known clues, my and Xiumu's positions were normal. That meant the extra person should be between Xue Fei and Shen Meng, or between Shen Meng and Xiumu.

Time passed. Only the sound of footsteps remained in the classroom. I counted seconds and tried to deduce everyone's positions.

"Tap!" My back was gently tapped.

"I'm Shen Meng," a voice said.

"Shen Meng?!" Her voice made my hair stand on end. "How did she end up behind me?"

In the darkness, I didn't look back but stiffly moved forward.

"Some games should never be played, especially in a place like this," Shen Meng seemed to say something else, but I didn't catch it clearly.

Feeling my way along the wall, I left with trepidation.

"That's not right. You only ever hear one person's footsteps in the classroom. Where did Xiumu and Xue Fei go?"

Before I realized it, I had reached the next corner.

"No one?"

The empty corner was swallowed by dense darkness. I felt along the wall, coughed softly, and moved toward the next corner.

"Could the fifth person have already left? Is that why there's an empty spot…"

I was still pondering when the situation ahead startled me. The second corner was also empty!

"This…" Quickening my pace, I headed for the third and fourth corners.

"No one, still no one!"

Feeling along the wall, my lips dried. "Could they all be following me?"

I spun around, but only blackness greeted me.

"The footsteps have stopped. I'm the only one moving. No way. Could it be that besides me, the others were…"

I glanced at the window. The signal light of the camera blinked, but Sakura was gone!

Standing in the corner, an unprecedented fear surged from all directions. It felt as if countless eyes hidden in the darkness were maliciously staring at me.

I could no longer remain calm. Rushing toward the window—the only light in my sight—I pushed it open and jumped into the corridor, escaping the eerie, oppressive black room.

It was as if I had been drained of all strength. I collapsed on the ground outside.

"Haha! So even adults can be this scared!" Xiumu, Xue Fei, and Sakura hid behind the classroom door, with Xiumu laughing uncontrollably.

"When did you two come out?" I eyed them warily.

"We've been out for a while now."

"Then why did it feel like there was an extra person among us?"

"Actually, there were only four of us in the classroom. The footsteps you heard were because I kept moving. After tapping your shoulder, I returned to my original position, creating the illusion of an extra person," Xiumu said smugly, showing none of the usual fear or dread of someone his age toward the dark.

"Boring." Xue Fei shrugged. "There are no ghosts in this world—just people scaring themselves."

"So it was just a prank." Relieved, I put away the camera and stood up. "As long as nothing happened. The game is over; you guys should head home now."

It was already the middle of the night. Their parents were probably worried sick by now.

Sweeping my gaze over the three kids, I asked, "Wait, why is one missing? Where's Shen Meng, the short-haired girl?"

"She hasn't come out yet? Maybe she's hiding in the classroom, scared stiff. Haha!"

Xiumu joked but stopped laughing when he saw my face darken.

"Still not out?"

"What's wrong? Didn't you figure out Xiumu's prank and come out early?" Xue Fei asked, noticing my unusual expression.

"No, I didn't figure out his prank. I only left in a hurry after searching the classroom and finding no one in any of the four corners…" I tried to keep my words straightforward and clear. "I've searched. Shen Meng isn't in the classroom."

"Impossible!"

The kids realized the seriousness of the situation and rushed into the classroom. I took out my phone for lighting, but the classroom was empty and quiet.

"Shen Meng is missing? Right under our noses?!"

"Shen Meng!" Their calls echoed in the eerily silent school building, but no response came.

"Damn it! It's all your fault for insisting on playing this Four Corners Game!" Xue Fei grabbed Xiumu by the collar and lifted him off the ground.

"How is this my fault? We all agreed to test our courage here, didn't we? You approved too!" Xiumu didn't dare fight back against Xue Fei's larger frame, waving his arms helplessly. "Calm down. Shen Meng is brave. She might've left earlier and is hiding somewhere laughing at us now."

"Do you think she's as careless as you?" Xue Fei grew angrier and raised his fist to hit Xiumu.

"Calm down. Now's not the time to argue about who's right or wrong," I sighed, grabbing Xue Fei's arm. "The priority is finding Shen Meng. This school becomes increasingly bizarre at night. We don't have time to waste fighting."

After separating Xue Fei and Xiumu, I crouched in front of Sakura. She hadn't joined the game and had stayed outside the classroom, so she might have seen something.

"Sakura, do you know where that sister went?" Not experienced in dealing with children, I tried to speak as gently as possible.

The doll-like Sakura didn't look at me. Her eyes were vacant as she stared at the floor before shaking her head.

"Is this girl too introverted?" No matter what I asked, her responses were either a shake of the head or complete silence, as if she hadn't heard me at all.

"Streamer, what do we do now?"

"What else can we do?" I looked toward the eerie campus shrouded in darkness. "We search every building until we find her."

I couldn't just stand by when a young life was at stake, even though I knew it would drag me deeper into the unknown.

"Check the classroom building again, then we'll head to the lab building together. Stick close to me. No more getting separated." Carrying my camera, I led the group. When they weren't paying attention, I discreetly reviewed the footage.

The video was extremely blurry. Only when I passed by the window was there a faint glimmer of light, and in that brief moment, the camera captured an incredibly horrifying scene.

Someone had been following me in that classroom the whole time!

"As expected, you lied…"