Rustle, rustle, rustle. At that moment, a sound echoed in everyone's ears, rising from the depths of the corridor. This sound was not unfamiliar to them. As it rang out, a dim yellow light flickered across the corridor opposite. Dai Minghan's expression shifted slightly. "Speak of the ghost, and it appears."
"Let's find a place to hide first," Chen Mo said, quickly scanning his surroundings. Less than a meter away, there was a large door. He stepped forward, twisted the handle, and the door swung open with ease. Inside was pitch black, but he could vaguely make out that it was an art classroom.
Holding their breath, the group slipped into the classroom. No sooner had they locked the door behind them than they heard the rustling footsteps turn the corner and approach.
Rustle, rustle, rustle. Accompanied by the deathly sound of footsteps, the beam of a flashlight swayed across the corridor outside the classroom. A dim yellow light seeped through the crack in the door, spilling into the room.
Chen Mo gently shifted his steps, avoiding the light coming through the gap. Although the conditions for triggering the ghost's killing spree hadn't been met yet, being caught in the flashlight's beam might still lock onto him.
After a while, the rustling footsteps gradually faded, and the flashlight's glow disappeared. Chen Mo stood up from behind the easel where he had been hiding, walked to the back door where the ghost had just left, gritted his teeth, and twisted the handle to open it.
At the far end of his vision, he saw the back of the flashlight ghost. The swaying beam outlined its silhouette in darkness.
He hesitated for a moment, then stepped out.
*If the ghost turns around now, I'm dead,* Chen Mo thought silently. But the ghost didn't turn. It maintained its unhurried pace, as if deliberately leading the way, walking deeper into the corridor.
Chen Mo took a deep breath and followed behind the ghost.
Lin Tianheng emerged from behind, sneaking forward with a sly look, but Chen Mo reached out and stopped him. The two retreated into the shadows of the corridor. Just then, the flashlight ghost suddenly turned and headed toward the stairs.
"That was close," Lin Tianheng said, sticking out his tongue and patting his chest. "But man, that was thrilling."
"We can follow now. Just make sure it doesn't see us."
Without triggering a dead end, this ghost wouldn't actively attack participants. But if it saw them or if the flashlight beam caught them, it might still trigger a killing response.
Rustle, rustle, rustle. Seemingly unaware of being followed, the flashlight ghost walked slowly. Chen Mo quickly figured out its pattern: every time it climbed a floor, it would patrol the corridor in a loop before continuing up the stairs.
Second floor, third floor, fourth floor. The ghost neither killed nor did anything unusual. But just as it reached the fifth floor, it suddenly stopped.
*Has it spotted me?*
In that instant, Chen Mo felt a chill run down his spine. But he quickly realized the flashlight ghost didn't seem to have noticed anyone following. Instead, it had stopped in front of a classroom door.
The flashlight's beam suddenly went out, plunging the corridor into darkness. Then, the ghost's form gradually dissolved into a wisp of black mist, vanishing before the classroom door.
But just before the light went out, Chen Mo caught a glimpse of the room's number plate.
Class 3, Senior Year 3! Again, Class 3, Senior Year 3!
The flashlight ghost had led them back to that classroom once more, confirming without a doubt that it was Chen Mingyuan, the flashlight ghost. This room was where he had attended class while alive.
No wonder the flashlight ghost kept disappearing periodically—it returned here every so often. This classroom, Class 3, Senior Year 3, might be a restriction imposed by the story or the source of its resentment. Even as a vengeful spirit, it unconsciously repeated the experience of returning to class.
*Could it be inside the classroom right now?*
A flicker of doubt crossed Chen Mo's mind. If that were the case, opening the door might trigger a killing spree.
Often, judgment was a gamble.
There was no other way. In the end, he had to take the risk.
With that thought, Chen Mo walked to the spot where the ghost had vanished, reached for the front door handle, and prepared to open it. But just then, as if his eyes had blinked, the scene before him blurred. Though still shrouded in darkness, something seemed to have changed.
*Fwoosh!*
A scraping sound cut through the darkness. In Dai Minghan's hand, a lit match suddenly flared with an orange flame, illuminating a small area around them.
Chen Mo's heart jolted.
Ahead, there was a podium and a large blackboard. Behind him, rows of neatly arranged desks. No wonder he felt something had changed—he was no longer in the corridor but had been transported into the classroom!
Not just Chen Mo, but the others also wore expressions of shock. At the door of Class 3, Senior Year 3, another spatial shift had occurred!
And this burning match wasn't ordinary. It was a spiritual artifact Dai Minghan possessed—a spirit-detecting match.
When lit, it could detect the presence of supernatural forces within a few meters. Though it couldn't harm spirits, it could reveal their existence. During the "Seven Days of Death" mission, Chen Mo had seen Dai Minghan use this item before.
Just now, Dai Minghan must have been the first to notice the spatial change and immediately lit the match to illuminate the darkness while detecting any supernatural presence.
The orange flame indicated no supernatural forces nearby. Just as Dai Minghan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the small flame suddenly flickered in midair. With a soft *pfft*, it turned an eerie green!
Supernatural forces had appeared again!
*Slap! Slap! Slap!*
*Crack! Crack!*
Sounds echoed from the surrounding darkness. Without a second thought, Chen Mo activated his spirit-repelling flashlight and swept it around. The classroom windows slammed shut one after another with loud *slaps*. As the flashlight beam hit them, the slapping stopped, but the windows remained closed.
*Bang!*
A loud noise made Chen Mo flinch. The flashlight beam swept over to reveal the front and back doors of the classroom slamming shut simultaneously. That loud bang must have been the doors closing.
Was this another trap set by the ghost?
In a confined space like a classroom, a supernatural attack would be extremely dangerous!
---
P.S. Second chapter delivered. Thanks to Xin Kai Bu Cong Xiao Zhou, Wang Ye Da Da, Pu Tian Heng, and fellow readers for your support. Hugs to you all!
Also, it's a new month. I hope you can spare some monthly votes and recommendation votes to support this newbie author. I'm groveling before you!