"That doesn’t make any sense," Dali said immediately, frowning at Jun as though he’d suggested something ridiculous.
Jun shrank under her gaze.
He Zhihan remained focused on the unconscious little girl before looking up at Dali. "You said you’re an experienced player." His voice was calm. "How many scenarios have you survived?"
"Three." Dali crossed her arms. "Why?"
"Then don’t you think this Nightmare might work in reverse?" He gestured toward the girl. "Normal children need their favorite toy to fall asleep. She belongs to the game." His eyes narrowed. "Maybe she needs hers to wake up."
Jun blinked, while Hao Qing slowly turned to look at Dali.
After a moment, Dali nodded thoughtfully. "...So you’re saying this scenario is designed to mess with the way we think."
"Exactly."
She let out a short laugh. "You know, I may have survived three Scenarios, but that’s only because I always end up following people smarter than me." She looked him up and down with open approval. "I like the way you think."
He Zhihan met her gaze.
She’s lying.
Not about surviving Scenarios, but about something else. She was too composed, too quick to agree.
Interesting...
"Then perhaps," He Zhihan said casually, "you should retrieve the teddy bear from the first classroom, while I return to the art classroom."
The smile on Dali’s face froze.
Hao Qing immediately stepped forward. "Wait." He looked at He Zhihan in disbelief. "You want her to go alone?"
Before He Zhihan could answer, Dali smiled again. "No, it’s fine." She waved a hand dismissively. "If retrieving the teddy bear helps us clear the Scenario, I’ll do it."
Hao Qing still looked uneasy.
He Zhihan simply looked away, wrapping the white coat around his neck like a scarf before walking toward the door. "Come on, Jun." He opened it slightly. "Bring the child."
He glanced back over one shoulder. "We’ll be waiting for you, Miss Dali."
Jun, still carrying the unconscious little girl, hurried after He Zhihan.
Just as He Zhihan pulled the office door open, Hao Qing suddenly spoke. "I’ll go with her." His voice was firm despite the fear lingering in it. "You can’t just send a woman to her death."
Dali looked at him in surprise. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
He Zhihan didn’t even bother turning around. He simply paused, scanning the silent hallway. There was no screeching. No dragging footsteps....
That somehow made it worse.
The lights overhead flickered once. Twice. Then steadied.
His eyes narrowed. "...Do whatever you want, Doctor. Just bring back the bear."
Without another word, he stepped into the corridor. Jun glanced back at Hao Qing and Dali, bowing his head awkwardly before following after him.
Once they disappeared around the corner, Dali turned toward Hao Qing. "You don’t have to come with me," she said seriously. "You’ll only be putting yourself in danger."
Hao Qing smiled weakly. "I want to know what’s really happening here too."
Dali studied him for a second before nodding. "...Let’s go."
Together, they slipped into the bloodstained hallway, every step cautious.
Meanwhile, the art classroom looked exactly as He Zhihan had left it. Children’s drawings still littered the floor where he had crashed into the wall. He walked straight toward them.
Jun carefully knelt and laid the unconscious little girl on the floor. After a moment, he frowned. "...The floor’s too cold."
Without looking up, He Zhihan tossed Hao Qing’s white coat over his shoulder. "Use that."
Jun barely caught it before gently wrapping it around the little girl. He moved toward the classroom door instead, peeking nervously into the hallway. The lights flickered again. "...What exactly are you looking for?" he asked quietly.
"Clues." He Zhihan crouched and picked up another drawing.
Flowers. A family. Friends holding hands. Another drawing. More stick figures. Another flower. Another smiling sun.
Jun leaned against the wall, trying to steady his breathing. "...I still can’t believe this." His voice trembled. "I was just going out to buy food for my sister... Now I’m here." He lowered his head. "...I’m going to die."
His eyes drifted toward the back of He Zhihan’s prison uniform, where dark hair concealed most of the dragon tattoo climbing his neck.
He Zhihan ignored him completely. His attention remained focused on the drawings.
They were far too cheerful. Far too bright.
It felt so wrong.
Survive for six hours. Don’t get caught by the Teacher....
But these drawings...
His eyes moved from one picture to the next. Families. Flowers. Friends. The school. Random landscapes.
His fingers paused.
His smile slowly faded.
Different children. Different crayons. Different styles. Yet every single drawing contained the same woman. And every single child had drawn her the exact same way.
A huge smile stretched across her face. Her eyes were nothing but two empty black circles. One hand always held a ruler. The other... always held the hand of the same little girl and the little girl wore the same green dress in every picture.
"Green..." He Zhihan pupils contracted as he slowly turned toward the unconscious girl.
The same Green dress.
"...Ah." He spread every drawing across the floor. "There are dozens of children..." He tapped one picture. "...different families." Another. "...different friends." Another. "...different homes."
Then he placed every drawing of the Teacher beside one another. "...But they all drew the same girl and the same teacher."
A slow grin spread across his face. "...Huh. Maybe I should’ve become a detective instead."
Ding.
A translucent panel appeared before his eyes.
[Player He Zhihan has successfully discovered the first hidden clue of the Nightmare Scenario.]
[Scenario Exploration Progress: 10%]
[Reward: +20 Points.]
[Current Points: 30/100.]
He Zhihan stared at the notification. "...That’s it?"
The System remained silent.
He clicked his tongue. "I solved part of your stupid game and all I get is twenty points?"
Another notification appeared.
[Player He Zhihan complaints will not increase Rewards.]
He Zhihan snorted. "So you do have a personality."
The System refused to respond.
Jun blinked, snapping out of his daze. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes." He Zhihan picked up another drawing. "We need that bear."