Chapter 26: I seem to have a ghost in my heart
It was strange enough that a subway station appeared on the surface, but even stranger was that this place actually had a moon.
Hmm, I don’t know if I should call it a moon, because I have never seen such a sharp moon. Generally, a crescent moon is at most a shape cut from a semicircle, but the two sharp corners of this ‘crescent moon’ are almost touching, like a ‘hollowed-out moon’.
If we use a smiling face as a metaphor, a normal moon is a smile, while the moon I see now has smiled too much, its mouth cracked to its ears, exuding a mad aura.
Then what’s stranger is the color, it’s white, a kind of white that doesn’t shine.
How does that saying go? Black and white is more jarring than white and black, as if a piece of the sky has been cut out.
If the moon really drives people mad, then perhaps this is the moon those mad people see…
Originally, the place Li Nai said we were going was called the Underworld, so I thought it was some kind of underground world, a place with a ceiling and glowing moss, but it turned out to be this kind of place.
Li Nai had specifically warned me not to get off the bus early. What would happen if I got off early in that ‘Outer Field’? Damn it, such an important detail was omitted.
Since even Li Nai solemnly warned me, it means that getting off early might lead to danger.
So, what should I do next?
Staying in this station isn’t a solution either. For now, I’ll just walk along the tracks.
After deciding on my next course of action, I jumped off the platform and started walking in the direction the subway was going.
However, I wasn’t walking on the tracks, as it would be terrible if another subway train came.
To prevent getting run over, I walked three meters away from the tracks.
It was already close to seven o’clock. After leaving the station, the surroundings became darker and darker, feeling oppressive as if it were pressing down on my head.
The wind howled, making the grass on the ground rustle violently. For some reason, I suddenly felt a tremor in my heart, as if a rabbit was beating wildly inside it. It felt like an ice-cold hand might rest on my shoulder at any moment.
…I’m actually scared?
How could that be?
Although I don’t particularly ‘like’ it, my tolerance for ‘fear’ is quite strong.
For instance, walking alone at night, others might say they feel a bit spooked, but I never feel that way. When people are alone, they feel helpless and then uneasy. Many horror games create this atmosphere to scare players.
But I don’t have that situation.
At least, I never did before… but now I actually feel uneasy. Because I never had friends before, and I had to rely on myself for everything, so I wasn’t afraid of anything. But now that I’ve formed various bonds, have I developed dependence and thus felt uneasy when alone?
Perhaps it’s true, as that trash guy said, friends only weaken a human’s strength…
But then again…
(I don’t think this is a bad thing.)
Yes, yes, that’s right, I also… ?
“?!” Who!
Suddenly a voice rang out in my mind, finishing what I was about to say.
Startled, I turned around and nervously scanned my surroundings.
But I couldn’t see anyone.
“Who is it! Stop playing ghost games here! Get out!”
Behind me, no one was there.
However, based on what I just said, if I turn around now, I should see… something.
…Don’t panic, calm down, slowly turn around. No matter what appears, I’m ready… to punch it out!
My fist swung through the air, hitting nothing. The front was the same, with no one there.
I stood there with my fists poised like an idiot, suddenly feeling like a chuunibyo.
I scratched my head, feeling a bit lost. Could I have imagined it?
“Just an illusion…”
Speaking of which, that voice sounded a bit familiar.
I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before, but I can’t place it.
Where was it from…
(That’s your own voice.)
Come to think of it, that’s true, it is my own voice.
The reason I didn’t recognize it immediately is because my own voice sounds slightly different when heard through another channel compared to when I speak it. See, when you record your voice and play it back, don’t you also feel like, ‘Is this my voice?’
…Huh?
“What the hell! Why can I hear my own voice?!”
Suddenly realizing this, I clutched my head and shouted.
Think quickly, what is going on! Is there anything related to this… Ah!
That’s right! That time!
The time Ye Liusu possessed Lianbing, I heard my own voice too!
It’s just that the subsequent events made me too preoccupied to think about anything else, so I forgot about it. But at that time, someone indeed did remind me.
What on earth… Am I going insane?
(No, that’s not it.)
My voice rang out in my mind again! Now I can be sure that this voice is not my delusion!
Knowing this, I could deal with it more calmly.
I stood still and began to try and communicate with ‘him’.
“What are you? Why are you in my mind? Am I a split personality?”
Like Lianbing and Ruanbing, perhaps I’ve split into another… But why was there no warning at all?
(That’s not it. I am the ghost living in your heart.)
“What?!”
A ghost?! Damn it, have I been possessed by a ghost at some point without realizing it?!
But I don’t have the talent to be a murderer. I’m such a weakling, I don’t have any killer intent at all…
Bah, bah, bah! I’m not a weakling!
(Hehe, I’m not that kind of ghost. Hmm, anyway, I won’t hurt you.)
A ghost scholar would believe you! …No, it should be that even if you are a ghost, I won’t believe you!
What does this guy want?
Does he want to take over my body, or does he want to devour this part of my personality?
I can’t relax at all, anything feels possible.
(Originally, I didn’t want you to know about my existence, but since this opportunity finally came, I couldn’t help myself.)
Didn’t want me to know about ‘his’ existence?
Why?
And now he’s appearing on his own? Because he couldn’t help himself? Couldn’t help what?
Speaking of which, does he know what I’m thinking? If so, aren’t I completely losing my freedom and being toyed with by him?
There are too many doubts and questions right now, but of course, I can’t ask him directly, so I just asked:
“What do you mean? Can’t you talk to me anytime, anywhere?”
(Before, I couldn’t, but now I can. However… even if I can, I will only talk to you when you are ‘alone’. So… let’s talk again next time.)
“What! Hey! Wait! I am alone right now, aren’t I…”
“Jun Cheng!”
“Ugh!”
It’s Ruanbing’s voice!
It rang out from somewhere behind me in the distance.
Because Ruanbing is here, this ghost has hidden himself?
He possessed me, what does he want… I can’t figure it out.
He only talks to me when I’m alone? It seems I can only wait until I get home to talk about it.
For now, I should rendezvous with Ruanbing first.
