My House of Horrors

The fourth room of the nurse’s office was more like a prison where various types of people were imprisoned. Those imprisoned there were all adults; there were no students. “Looks like the fake doctor knows the rules of the school well. He does not go after the students, probably to avoid angering the school’s consciousness.”

Chen Ge looked at the mirrors, and each of them was trapping a monster. They were fully assimilated by the negative emotions, and they were not possible candidates for friends. He walked through the room, where pools of blood were left on the ground, before finally stopping before the last mirror at the corner of the room.

“This mirror looks different.”

The other mirrors were covered with doctor’s coats, but this mirror was covered with a patient’s garb. It was tattered and bloody, and there was a ‘Xin’ sewn around the chest area.

“This outfit doesn’t come from the School of the Afterlife; it should have been taken by the Red Specter from the cursed hospital!”

Even though Chen Ge had not been to that hospital, he had met its residents more than once already.

“Looks like the doctor is a patient from that hospital in disguise, but the question is, how did the monster from that four-star mission arrive here?”

Chen Ge could not figure it out. He noticed that the monsters at the cursed hospital, be it Red Specters or Lingering Spirits, seemed to be trying their best to escape.

“Only a Greater Red Specter could cause a normal Red Specter to run. The doctor looks like he’s much more powerful than a normal Red Specter, so what has really happened at that hospital? Did even a Red Specter have to escape to another four-star scenario to survive?”

There were many questions, but Chen Ge did not mind it. As long as he could find and detain the doctor, most of the questions could be answered.

“Boss, don’t get too close to that mirror. It gives me a bad feeling.” It was Bai Qiulin who spoke. His eyes were filled with blood, and a dangerous aura wreathed him.

“Can you see the person trapped inside the mirror?” Chen Ge was very careful. Knowing there was danger, he retreated. This was the world behind the door; he could not afford to be too careful. Bai Qiulin, who had his hand in his pocket, stood to the left of the mirror, and Xu Yin, who had his head lowered, stood at the right; the two of them guarded Chen Ge.

“I cannot see it, but I can sense his malice. This person is very powerful.” Bai Qiulin glanced at Xu Yin, but the latter did not reply. After a signal from Chen Ge, without saying a word, the bloody palm pressed on the surface of the mirror.

BANG!

The mirror that was already cracked became more splintered like it could not hold the pressure.

“If you refuse to come out, we’ll ruin the mirror, and you’ll be trapped in there forever. For us, we’re losing a not-so-important mirror, but you’ll lose your last hope. You should know which choice to make. Other than that, don’t think about resisting. There are five Red Specters in this room. I’m not threatening you; I’m trying to help you.”

After spending so much time with Chen Ge, Bai Qiulin had learned how to deal with other people from Chen Ge. Chen Ge’s sole reflection appeared in the blood mirror. Gradually, the reflection started to shift until the face turned into that of a stranger. This looked very curious. The reflection still had Chen Ge’s body, but the face was different.

“You’re also outsiders, right?” The man in the mirror had a low voice, and a pool of evil hid in his eyes. But strangely enough, he had a ready smile for the world as if that was the only expression he knew. “Since you have shown up here, it means that the madman has already been killed—he would never allow a living person to enter this room.”

The man in the mirror seemed to recognize Chen Ge because his eyes kept falling onto Chen Ge.

“If you wish to capture me as your scapegoat, I advise you to change your mind. The last Specter who planned to do that is still in my shadow, too afraid to face me.” Chen Ge took a step back to maintain a safe distance from the mirror.

“I don’t know why you’d think that. Actually, I mean none of you any harm. You’ve killed the madman, and that has helped me with my revenge. I should be thanking you—why would I harm you?” The man’s smile widened further, turning his face uglier.

“You look like a clever person, so I won’t talk circles around you. Tell me everything about the doctor and this room, or I’ll destroy the mirror.”

“Don’t worry, I will tell you everything. Only after you understand my value will I be able to live.” No matter what he said, the man would have a smile on his face. He only knew how to smile, and this made Chen Ge uncomfortable as it reminded him of someone. When he took the bus to Li Wan City, there had been a passenger who only ever smiled. During the last mission in Li Wan City, the passenger had even helped Chen Ge, but that was for the man’s self-preservation as well. After the mission in Li Wan City ended, the strange man had disappeared. At the time, Chen Ge did not think much of it. So, he was surprised that he had encountered someone similar at the School of the Afterlife. They were always smiling like it was a disease that they could not control.

“Let’s talk about the Red Specter masquerading as the doctor first. How did he get to this school?” Chen Ge was not sure whether the man would lie to him or not, so he decided to ask some unimportant questions first.

“He was a patient that escaped from a certain hospital. I can’t tell which specific hospital it was because once you mention the name, you will be cursed.” The man’s first answer provided an important name for Chen Ge. Be it the black phone or other people, none named the hospital directly, like the name was a curse.

“The cursed hospital?” Chen Ge’s eyes narrowed. After he said that, the brows of the man in the mirror lifted, and the blood in his eyes amplified like his emotions were getting out of control.

“Yes, some do call it that.”

“Why would the fake doctor escape from there?”

“I don’t know. I’m not from there. I was a teacher at this school…”

“You’re lying.” Before the man finished, Chen Ge cut him off. He looked around before grabbing a chair to walk toward the mirror. “Who are you?”

Seeing the threat that was imminent, the man’s eyes darkened, but his smile brightened. “Fine, actually, I’m like you. I came from outside. You can call me… or people like me, the non-smilers.”

The man would pause with each word like he was saying something important.