Zachary's nonchalant remark, "Didn't you hear it?" echoed in his mind. Suddenly, an absurd idea struck his, sending a chill down his spine.He lowered his head, bringing his ear closer to the cup's cold and damp surface. "Whoosh, whoosh." A clear and distinct breath, inhaling and exhaling, stirred the tea, akin to the life rhythm of a creature concealed beneath its fur. Yet, it carried a chilling malice, subtly vibrating with the cup."Ah... Ahem." A silent scream caught in his throat as his legs weakened. In an instant, he felt like he had been thrown into the cold, wet rain outside, with a chilling dampness enveloping his entire being, as if something had licked him all over.With a "drip," the flashlight on his phone extinguished. Trembling, he hastily turned on his phone again, and the flickering red indicator reminded him that his battery was running low. The darkness intensified his torment, and he almost expended all his strength to lower his head and frantically search for the
Lawson Wright is approaching sixty years old. He has spent half of his life working in the Special Investigation Division. He has a strong and robust physique and carries a middle-aged and elderly universal insulated cup. He drinks three cups of wolfberry tea every day and claims to look forty when he's out and about.When Wright speaks, he exudes a commanding presence. According to Zachary, he has a "confident and persuasive manner that's perfect for fooling spirits." Perhaps due to his extensive paperwork, he always likes to summarize the main points during conversations. He is known as the "master of persuasion" in the Special Investigation Division.As soon as he starts talking, Zachary, who is in the car, realizes that his nap was in vain. He tosses his phone on the mahogany table and slumps into the leather chair, fully embodying a relaxed and carefree demeanor.Lawson Wright clears his throat, sitting opposite him, inadvertently captivating him. Unable to bear seeing him lookin
"Nowadays, the so-called 'exorcists' in the market are ridiculously expensive," Zachary commented. "Considering that they specifically reached out to me, the chances of this being some kind of superstitious scam group are low. Is this mother really the victim of this mission?" "That's correct, this case is one of your assignments for this trip." "One of them? The pressure is really intense. It seems like there's a whole package waiting for me," Zachary continued, flipping through the documents. It was evident that there wasn't just one, but several peculiar incidents related to Gale Watts. The most notable one was a case from last year, also involving a disappearance, and there were some similarities. Last winter, a student went to the library to borrow books. Exhausted, he fell asleep in a corner on the top floor. That day, there was a power outage in that area of the campus, and it suddenly started pouring rain. The administrator, in a hurry to go home, didn't check properly and a
Camacho City seemed plagued by an unrelenting curse as rain continued to pour incessantly. The downpour relentlessly pounded against the window, resembling the anguished cries of tormented souls yearning for justice. It was as if they had congregated around the small temple, demanding retribution. Unsurprisingly, Zachary's sleep was haunted by nightmarish dreams. Gradually, the strange and vivid dreams faded, and he found himself awake in the middle of the night, staring blankly at the ceiling. The dark, lightless room offered an eerie and deceptive sense of security, but it couldn't dispel the biting cold of the rainy night. After collecting his thoughts, his mind slowly regained clarity. The digital alarm clock emitted a faint glow, revealing that it was 2:30 in the early morning. Zachary reached out groggily and switched on the bedside lamp. He made a phone call, but there was no response from the other end. He tried again, and it wasn't until the seventh attempt that someone an
"Excellent! I was still disoriented and completely lost," Zachary beamed, maintaining a courteous and slightly familiar demeanor, as if he had finally found his way. When he wanted to establish a connection with someone, it was nearly irresistible. "Could you be my guide, buddy? I hope I'm not causing any inconvenience. By the way, what's your name?" "No trouble at all, really. It's not time for morning study yet," Corey Huff couldn't help but smile. In his mind, he marveled at the transformation of a tall 6'3" guy into a stunning beauty. He enthusiastically said, "I'm Corey Huff, the class representative for Class 9. Feel free to reach out to me for any academic matters in the future." Zachary hadn't fully embraced his student identity yet and casually remarked, "Are non-academic matters off-limits?" Corey Huff was caught off guard by the hidden meaning behind his words. Zachary realized that this campus was solely dedicated to serious studying, so he quickly added, "I just transfe
After leaving the restroom, Zachary took a detour and headed in the opposite direction of the restrooms, heading toward the second floor. As he approached the Watts Building, he couldn't help but notice two gazes coming from the second floor. One seemed carefree, belonging to a child engrossed in a game of espionage, either curious about the new transfer student or attempting to intimidate their classmates. However, the other gaze seemed more mature, lacking the innocence of childhood. Although it was brief and disappeared quickly, even Zachary didn't initially notice it, but his instincts kicked in. Zachary's intuition told him that the person was among the crowd before him. He decided to circle, going from the first to the third floor, but the person seemed to be well-acquainted with the layout of the building. They skillfully navigated various staircases, corners, and students' movements, avoiding entering any classrooms while Zachary struggled to keep up. The students around h
With 27 years of experience acting like a slacker, Zachary had honed his skills to seamlessly embody his true nature inside and out.He deftly unzipped his school uniform and rolled up his sleeves, holding a chilled cola from the vending machine in his hand. Sporting a mischievous expression, he lightly knocked on the door without waiting for a response and boldly entered the room, perfectly capturing the essence of his slacker persona."Come in."The sound of the door opening collided with a cold and malicious voice, causing an instant pause.That voice.Why does it sound so familiar? They locked eyes simultaneously. Zachary, about to open the cap of his cola and take a sip, continuing his rebellious act, suddenly met the gaze of those all-too-familiar cold eyes. In that moment, those eyes widened slightly, reflecting a glint of light on the lenses, cutting the strings controlling Zachary's puppetry just as he was about to step onto the stage. The
"It appears you're adjusting well," Quilly finally lifted her head, her sharp eyes scrutinizing the student before her, who seemed visibly uneasy. "Gale Watts has a complex layout, and you got lost. That's why I arranged for a student to accompany you. So, apart from being half an hour late, do you have any other reasons?"Oh, he hadn't thought of a reason for his lateness.Originally, he had planned to say, "What's the big deal about being late?""Uh, I didn't get lost on campus, but I had trouble finding the office. It was crowded with students returning to class, and I have a terrible sense of direction..."Zachary found himself at a loss for words when he met Quilly's calm gaze. Of course, his sense of direction wasn't poor; it could even be described as exceptional, as Quilly had witnessed on many occasions before.After all, in the haunted maze of the amusement park, he had located Quilly, who had intentionally been separated and placed in th