Chapter 3 - Bitter Night

Trudging through the snowstorm along the endless road, the four somehow encountered no strange happenings on their way back to the shelter. However, upon their return, they immediately sensed something amiss about the atmosphere inside the house. The others sat motionless in the living room, their faces pale as ghosts, with an air of foreboding silence even more oppressive than when they had first arrived in this world. 

Qiu Shi's gaze swept over the group, quickly counting heads to confirm no one appeared to be missing. Only then did he slightly relax.

"What happened?" Xiong Qi asked. 

One of the men shuddered as he spoke. "The—The corpses upstairs...they're gone."

"If it's just missing corpses, what's there to be so afraid of?" Xiong Qi said. "You newcomers clearly have a lot to learn."

A young woman beside him dissolved into sobs. "It—It ate them...blood everywhere..."

Exchanging a glance, Xiong Qi and Xiao Ke realized no coherent account could be extracted from such a distraught group. The four headed upstairs to survey the situation themselves. 

As they climbed the stairs, Qiu Shi noticed irregular dark flecks marring the wooden walls of the second floor. Dread crept up his spine as he realized it was blood spatter. 

"Watch your step," Xiong Qi warned from the front. "Could be something still up there."

At last they reached the third floor, and Qiu Shi finally grasped what they meant by "eaten." The expected corpses were absent from the room. In their place was a grisly mess of shredded flesh and splintered bones, as if something had viciously ripped the bodies apart and devoured them, leaving only tattered scraps behind. Qiu Shi blanched at the sight, his stomach roiling. 

"Quite a clean job," Xiao Ke remarked indifferently. "No clue what kind of thing it was." 

Xiong Qi sighed. "Let's go. We'll lock up the third floor for now and all stay on the second tonight." 

"Right." Xiao Ke turned to head back down. "I'll get the full story from them first."

Once they returned downstairs and pressed the group for details, the shelter residents finally revealed what had transpired in their absence:

While searching the second floor earlier, they heard alarming sounds emanating from above—the wet chewing and ravenous gulping of something feeding. After confirming no one was unaccounted for upstairs, cold dread had seized them. Frozen in horror on the second floor, they waited until the nauseating sounds ceased before nervously venturing up to the carnage left behind on the third floor. 

"It was just too terrifying," one older female newcomer uttered vacantly, tears flowing unchecked. "This is only my third time inside. How can such a world exist? Will any of us escape alive? And what was that thing..." Her questions trailed off into the funereal silence shrouding the room.

Xiong Qi heaved a sigh. "Well, I'm feeling hungry. Anyone want to come along to check the kitchen?" 

"I'll join you," Qiu Shi offered.

Ruan Bai Jie piped up softly from beside Qiu Shi, "I'm hungry too. Could I have some noodles, Qiu Shi?"

"I'll look to see if there are any and cook you a bowl if so," he assured her.

"Thanks!" She beamed up at him sweetly. "Do be careful."

Qiu Shi nodded before heading off with Xiong Qi.

The kitchen lay to the left of the living room. Devoid of gas utilities, only a primitive wood-burning stove was available. The two men walked in silence until reaching the kitchen, where Xiong Qi kept his head lowered while starting up the fire. 

"I don't plan on telling them everything," he finally said cryptically. 

Qiu Shi blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Xiong Qi shot a furtive glance toward the door to ensure no one had overheard before continuing quietly. "I can't be certain everyone in our group is human."

A chill slithered down Qiu Shi's spine at the implication. 

"It's happened before," Xiong Qi revealed. "Teammates thought to be one of us turned out to be those things instead."

"Then why do you trust me?" Qiu Shi countered. "What if I'm one of them too?"

Xiong Qi appraised him briefly. "You don't seem to be. Plus the rest are clearly too panicked for people who've gone through this multiple times already—even more rattled than you." 

Qiu Shi felt somewhat embarrassed by the inadvertent praise. "Honestly, I'm pretty freaked out too."

A wry smile touched Xiong Qi's lips. "If this is your idea of freaked out, then what do you call pissing your pants three times the first night here like I did?"

Recalling the terrifying woman from yesterday, Qiu Shi discreetly eyed his crotch, relieved to have maintained control thus far. 

"My advice is you should hold some clues back too instead of revealing everything," Xiong Qi suggested. 

Qiu Shi nodded. "Got it, thanks. Can I ask how many times you've been in here now?"

"Six," came the grim reply. 

"I see..." Qiu Shi struggled to process this new insight into the doors, the groups, the hidden dangers. 

"No point thinking too hard about it," Xiong Qi said with an air of defeat. "Just focus on trying to make it back out alive. Not that I have much hope for this world anymore."

The water in the iron pot bubbled furiously over the freshly lit stove fire. Beside it, Qiu Shi located a basket of provisions—noodles, eggs, even some greens. He set a portion of noodles to boil and fried an egg, the mouthwatering aromas quickly permeating the small kitchen.

"Not bad," Xiong Qi complimented his skill. 

Qiu Shi smiled modestly. "It's passable."

In the end, he prepared four bowls—one each for himself, Xiong Qi, Xiao Ke and Ruan Bai Jie. The others could fend for themselves. 

Upon receiving her noodles, Ruan Bai Jie noiselessly finished the entire bowl, not wasting a single drop of broth. Yet she made no move to leave after, instead fixing Qiu Shi with a simmering expectant look. 

Discomfited by her burning gaze, he sighed. "Still hungry?"

"I'm full," she claimed even as her stomach immediately betrayed her with an audible rumble.

Qiu Shi rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Oh for... Just eat up if you want more. I'll whip up something else." 

"No, no need." She held up her hands in refusal before he could stand.

Skeptical, he made a show of reaching to take another bite himself, only to catch her ogling his food longingly, eyes bulging. The endearing sight drew a laugh from him. "Alright then, go ahead. I'm done anyway."

This time she dug in without pretense. 

After polishing off two more bowls, the bone-chilling cold abated somewhat within her. Back in the living room, Xiong Qi informed everyone of the clues gleaned from the carpenter earlier, omitting only the final instruction to fill the well. 

"Maybe the key's hidden inside one of the coffins?" one of the more level-headed members, Zhang Zi Shuang, speculated logically. "Since the major clue involves coffins, that would make the most sense..."

Xiong Qi sighed again. "One can hope. My plan is we'll all head up the mountain tomorrow morning to chop lumber. The men will go while any women who want to come along can, or stay back here out of the cold if needed—though we won't be able to help if something happens inside. Everyone agreed?"

After some discussion about the dangers of braving the elements, all conceded to Xiong Qi's proposed course of action. While the worsening weather posed risks, the true threat in this world stemmed not from nature itself but the unnatural horrors roaming within. Escaping this place as swiftly as possible took priority, even if it meant facing snowstorms atop the mountain.

Having wasted enough time already, night soon descended to cloak the village in darkness once more. Lacking any other diversions after their hasty dinner cleanup, everyone retreated early to their rooms, on edge about what new calamity this next round of sleep might bring. Qiu Shi asked why they couldn't all just gather together in one place.

Xiong Qi explained, "When too many people congregate in one room here, we'll all simultaneously fall asleep at a fixed time regardless." 

Puzzled, Qiu Shi echoed, "So you're saying when a certain time hits, everyone present will just pass out?"

"Essentially. It seems to be one of this world's built-in mechanisms," Xiong Qi elaborated. "Once the number of people in a room exceeds some threshold, we'll all lose consciousness at a set point. And then there'd be nothing anyone could do if something happened."

"So we'd be sitting ducks?" Qiu Shi frowned. 

"Well, those things can't simply kill indiscriminately either," Xiong Qi clarified. "They operate based on meeting special criteria. The higher the difficulty, the more lenient the criteria become. Some can be quite...nonsensical." 

"Such as?" Qiu Shi pressed.

"Like only being able to kill those wearing shoes at the time," Xiong Qi provided. 

Qiu Shi automatically glanced down at his shoed feet.

Noting his reaction, Xiong Qi gave a thin smile. "Just a random example. For all we know, the condition here could be the opposite—those NOT wearing shoes get killed. So taking them off might be what gets you killed instead. In any case, criteria tend to be more complex, requiring multiple factors in conjunction. Through trial and error, we've found sticking together and sleeping through the night to sunrise is generally the safer method." He paused before adding grimly, "Assuming one even can sleep, that is."

Qiu Shi thought back to last night's disturbing incident, and the way Ruan Bai Jie now sat beside him placidly cracking melon seeds without a care, seemingly oblivious to how narrowly he'd evaded death himself. 

"Go rest up," Xiong Qi finished. "Good night."

"Good night," Qiu Shi echoed back. He called for Ruan Bai Jie to turn in with him. 

Stifling a yawn, she casually dumped her remaining melon seeds onto the table. "So tired...might as well sleep early tonight."

"Sure, early to bed," Qiu Shi agreed readily.

With the third floor effectively condemned after the carnage, all had crammed into the rooms on the second floor for the night. Qiu Shi once more found himself sharing a bed with Ruan Bai Jie. Determined to take precautions this time, he made sure to lock the window first. He tried pulling the curtains closed too but they refused to budge, seemingly stuck from years of disuse.

Already burrowed under the covers in her nightclothes, Ruan Bai Jie whined, "Qiu Shi, it's freezing..." 

Preoccupied with the curtains, he responded distractedly without turning, "Then bundle up more if you're cold."

In the ensuing silence, he could almost hear her scowl. "I'm guessing you don't have a girlfriend?"

Bewildered by the non sequitur, Qiu Shi shot back, "Girlfriend? Why would I need one of those?"

The muteness persisted for several beats before he finished adjusting the curtains and pivoted to find Ruan Bai Jie lying rigid as a plank, facing away from him. 

Perplexed, he prodded, "What's wrong with you now?"

When she finally spoke, her voice was small. "Don't you...have anything you want to say to me?"

Thrown by the expectant tone, Qiu Shi pondered the beauty's yearning expression for a long moment. At last inspiration struck. "Actually, yes I do," he declared.

She instantly brightened. "What is it?"

Qiu Shi hesitated briefly before confessing, "Well, I was wondering...if we run into ghosts tonight, could you maybe run a bit slower than me?"

Her features frosted over. "No promises there." 

Incensed, Qiu Shi burst out, "Then why'd you ask what I wanted to tell you? Good night!" 

And with that, both burrowed into their respective sides of the bed, backs turned stubbornly away from the other as they commenced their futile efforts to will themselves into slumber. 

By Xiong Qi's logic, peacefully drifting off would be the optimal way to safely navigate this night. Yet Qiu Shi's mind raced too frantically to permit sleep to overtake him anytime soon. Just as he neared the cusp of finally nodding off, an anomalous sound abruptly pierced through the fog enshrouding his consciousness. Unlike the relentless knocking from before, this noise originated from the ceiling above their bed, the heavy viscous dragging of something moving lethargically across the third floor. Thanks to his acute hearing, Qiu Shi's burgeoning drowsiness vanished instantly, his breath hitching as he reluctantly cracked his eyes open to peer up at the nondescript wooden beams over their heads.

Nothing visible, yet an icy chill crept down his frame as he distinctly made out the sounds shifting directly overhead before halting. 

Thick wet thumps now assaulted his eardrums, the hairs on his body standing erect from the implication. Steeling himself, he prepared to rise from the bed only to feel an arm snake around his waist, anchoring him in place. 

"And just what do you think you're doing?" came Ruan Bai Jie's drowsy murmur.

Qiu Shi urgently lowered his voice. "Don't you hear something strange? From the ceiling upstairs?"

"Hear what? I don't hear anything." She nuzzled against him. "Stop squirming, I'm cold." 

He bristled at the frosty puffs of her breath tickling his ear, carrying the very scent of ice and snow itself. 

"But—" he attempted again futilely.

Her arm tightened around him. "Go to sleep," she commanded, brooking no argument.

Helpless, Qiu Shi resigned himself to shutting his eyes once more. 

Ruan Bai Jie began lightly tracing abstract shapes along his side with her fingers. The intimacy of the unprompted caress should have felt awkward, yet instead exuded a profound soothing quality that gradually dissipated his earlier fear. 

The ominous sounds from above continued on unabated, but somehow they no longer bred the same urgency within him. Sleep slowly encroached upon his senses again until finally he drifted off completely.

The next morning...

Qiu Shi awoke enveloped snugly in Ruan Bai Jie's embrace, her arm locked around him as she nestled his head tucked under her chin, face still burrowed against his hair. Caught off guard when he stirred her awake, she nuzzled in closer with a grumble. 

"Shhh, just a little longer..."

Trapped for several minutes listening to her soft breaths, Qiu Shi finally announced, "I need to get up now." 

Ruan Bai Jie mewled indistinctly without loosening her hold.

"Ruan Bai Jie?" he tried again, to no response. Losing patience, he attempted a different tack. "You called me 'sweetie' last night. Today I don't even get a name?"

She relinquished her grip with a sigh as she sat up. "You make noodles for me yesterday, but today suddenly you ignore me."

Qiu Shi slid out of bed and began dressing. "I'll cook you some at lunch, no time now."

Perched at the edge of the mattress, she tracked his every movement with unconcealed interest. The weight of her simmering gaze soon grew unnerving.

"Could you not look at me like that?" Qiu Shi finally snapped.

Ruan Bai Jie blinked guilelessly. "Like what?" She patted the space beside her. "Money's on the nightstand, just take it when you leave. And don't forget to pass me a cigarette before you go. I could use a smoke after all that."

Qiu Shi gaped at her, nonplussed by the non sequitur. 

She flapped a hand at him impatiently. "Well, go on then. We agreed on five hundred last night. Not a cent more, no matter how nicely you ask."

At a complete loss, he quickly finished dressing and clattered downstairs without another word.

The others were already gathered in the living room finishing up breakfast provided by the villagers. Qiu Shi quickly counted everyone present, noting three missing besides Ruan Bai Jie.

Xiong Qi beckoned him over with a meaningful look. 

"Uneventful night, I hope?" Qiu Shi asked as he took a seat.

"Nothing happened. No casualties," came the terse reply. 

No deaths was always welcome news. Qiu Shi breathed a sigh of relief. 

In truth, the previous night had passed with surprising peacefulness—no disturbances or odd noises reported by anyone. When Qiu Shi casually questioned if the rest had heard any peculiar sounds from upstairs, he received uniform denials all around. Aside from the ever-present winter winds, the night had been silent.

Xiong Qi seemed mildly troubled by this anomaly. "We should head up the mountain after breakfast to chop more lumber," he strategized aloud. "The weather's only getting worse, yet nothing happened last night..." 

A round of nods and murmurs met his assessment before talk shifted to more practical matters. The three missing members eventually shuffled downstairs to join them, Ruan Bai Jie arriving last. She was clad once more in her fine dress with two thicker outer layers added against the cold, along with woolen trousers peeking out from the long hem trailing behind her stately, almost gliding gait. 

Catching sight of her, Qiu Shi self-consciously averted his gaze.

"Qiu Shi," she called out sweetly.

He sighed out a reluctant acknowledgment. 

"Why are you ignoring me now?" She pouted. "I want the noodles you make."

Qiu Shi repeated his earlier excuse about lack of time, promising to prepare her a meal later.

Just then, Xiao Ke happened to be drinking soup and nearly choked at her next candid words.

"But you said something very different to me in bed last night."

Even Xiong Qi's expression grew conflicted as his eyes involuntarily flicked between Qiu Shi and Ruan Bai Jie.

Qiu Shi forced an uneasy laugh. "Now really, there's no need to tease them like that. I'll make you noodles and extra eggs at lunch, alright?"

"Oh fine," she huffed. "Scallions would have been nice though." 

On such a frigid day, having any fresh vegetables was already a luxury, let alone garnishes.

After hurriedly finishing up, the group donned their warmest gear and headed out, axes in hand, to the mountain forest at the village outskirts containing the lumber they required. A single narrow path comprised the only route leading to that area. The blanket of snow rendered it even more treacherous to traverse, permitting just one person to carefully pick their way along it at a time. 

This trip up hadn't posed too much difficulty, but Qiu Shi harbored doubts about how they would manage transporting cut timber back down such a precarious trail.

Fortunately, one of their number, a man in his thirties, claimed knowledge of carpentry. He took the lead in selecting appropriate trees and instructing everyone else in the proper techniques for chopping them down. Despite the guidance, most fumbled through the unfamiliar motions during this first attempt. 

After hefting his axe experimentally a few times, Qiu Shi's initial swing left merely a faint mark on the trunk. 

Observing nearby, Ruan Bai Jie called out, "You're still not swinging right. Put more force behind it from your shoulders and back—just using your arms won't generate enough power to lift something so heavy."

Qiu Shi arched an eyebrow. "Since when do you know anything about lumberjacking?" 

"I've watched people do it before," she maintained breezily.

"Ah, I see." 

"Do be careful not to hurt yourself," Ruan Bai Jie reminded him with a smile.

Qiu Shi nodded before resuming his sloppy chops. Even with the men taking turns attacking the trees, by midday their joint efforts had only succeeded in felling one.

Xiong Qi took in the darkening skies with a worried frown. "Let's haul this one back for now and pick up where we left off tomorrow." 

Although not even late afternoon, the sun already sank low on the horizon, obscured behind swiftly massing snow clouds promising another heavy snowfall tonight.

"How much wood do we need for one coffin again?" Qiu Shi asked.

"The village chief said three tree trunks' worth," Xiong Qi informed him. 

Qiu Shi squared his shoulders resolutely. "If we keep at it for another two days, we should have enough then."

"Easier said than done," Xiong Qi muttered under his breath. "Alright, let's get this log moved. Lend a hand here." 

Just as Qiu Shi started toward him, a sudden exclamation stopped him short.

"Oh dear, I seem to have twisted my ankle! Qiu Shi, could you please carry me back down the mountain?" 

He swiveled to face Ruan Bai Jie, flabbergasted by the abrupt request. "Huh?"

She flapped a hand at the other men. "Oh go on, no need to make a fuss. There's plenty of them here to handle things without you trying to pitch in."

Qiu Shi opened his mouth but caught the significant look Xiong Qi threw his way before he could respond.

"Go ahead," Xiong Qi urged, clapping Qiu Shi's shoulder meaningfully as he strode past toward the felled tree.

Still taken aback but reading the implicit cues, Qiu Shi reluctantly moved to assist Ruan Bai Jie instead. From her artfully arranged damsel-in-distress pose, he discerned no trace of artifice to imply any ulterior motives. Yet an unnamed premonition needled at him that her sudden injury likely harbored more than met the eye...