A shrill system beep pierced the silence.
When Qin Yan which was subordinate of Bai Wanyi and childhood friend of Li Zeyang, opened his eyes, he was no longer in the safehouse of the real world.
He now stood in a mist-covered plaza. Cold, damp stone bricks lay beneath his feet, and the sky was as dark as ink, pressing down on everything.
In the distance, a towering black castle loomed in the fog, its spires piercing the sky as if devouring the last of the light.
He heard voices and confirmed that he wasn't alone.
Screams of fear, curses of rage, frantic demands.
"What the hell is this place?!"
"Let us out!"
A young couple clung together. The girl trembled with sobs while the boy held her close, trying to calm her despite his own fear.
Qin Yan stood silently at the rear of the group, calm yet vigilant, eyes scanning everything.
Suddenly, a heavy creak echoed through the plaza—the castle doors were opening.
A man in a black tailcoat stepped forth.
He stood tall with an air of refined grace. His features were almost unnaturally handsome like a noble gentleman stepped out of a painting. Every movement was smooth and measured, like a performance of etiquette. Only his eyes betrayed him with deep crimson, glowing faintly with a chilling gentleness.
"Welcome, honored guests," he said softly, his voice cold yet commanding.
"This castle belongs to Count Leyen. And you… have been chosen as 'entrants.' "
The crowd grew restless. Some muttered curses; others looked for a way out.
"Please proceed in order," he said, gesturing toward the gate. "Any attempt to flee will be seen as rebellion."
A man bolted for the edge of the plaza. But as he crossed the boundary, black mist surged up and swallowed him whole.
The next moment, his body froze and then was torn apart and devoured by a maid who appeared from nowhere, leaving only a dark blood stain on the stone.
Silence fell over the plaza.
"I shall repeat myself," the butler said with a slight bow. "Enter. In order."
One by one, the players stepped forward. No one dared to resist now.
Qin Yan moved with the crowd. But just as he reached the gate, he stopped.
He had spotted someone familiar.
Amid the crowd stood a young man who was slim, dressed in black, his gaze cast downward in silence.
"Zeyang?!" Qin Yan gasped.
I looked up slowly. Our eyes met.
I gave a faint smile and there was fatigue in my eyes… and something distant.
"You… you're alive?" Qin Yan whispered.
"I escaped," I said hoarsely. "But when I woke up… the world had already changed."
"Where have you been all these years? Aunt Bai's been looking for you."
I was quiet for a moment. Then said: "I was in a coma for a long time ."
"I only woke up recently."
Qin Yan's nose stung. His voice trembled. "You can come home now."
I didn't reply immediately. Instead, my eyes softened slightly and smiled faintly. "I remember you."
"You used to take me to catch fireflies in the back hills."
Qin Yan's eyes turned red. "You were only nine years old at that time. It was your first time seeing them."
"Yeah," I said softly. "Feels like forever ago."
"Come with me," Qin Yan said gently. "Let me take you home."
I didn't answer. I simply turned toward the vast, consuming castle.
A low, resonant bell tolled deep within the castle.