As the chime sounded in his mind, the entire estate, along with the ghostly figures behind him, rapidly receded from his view like a movie scene pulling away.
At the same time, an incredible image appeared before Xiao Bai's eyes.
In the distance, the eerie manor resembled a lurking monster, churning black mist from every door and window. The entire building seemed to melt within the darkness, transforming into a massive black beast. Beside this colossal entity stood a human silhouette—a black suit half-hidden in the fog, a pale face still wearing what seemed like a courteous smile.
Whether the manor itself was the evil force, devouring and corrupting everyone inside, or the butler was the true demon who turned the estate into a haunt of ghosts, remained unknown in the end.
This story seemed to hold truths that many participants had yet to uncover.
But one thing was certain.
The doll that initially terrified them was the only thing in the story that could protect the participants.
Every requirement on the list was actually meant to help them.
The most important of these was "stay with Tongtong."
The list wasn't intentionally left by the painter couple; it was the story's restriction on the ghosts. In other words, if participants stayed near the doll, they could fend off most supernatural attacks.
The clearest sign was that night in the toy room—when the doll appeared, all supernatural attacks vanished instantly. This was an obvious hint that the doll could suppress the manor's paranormal power.
But their fear of it made them overlook this crucial clue.
As for the gardener...
He was also a ghost, just better disguised. The participants even mistook him for a helpful story character.
In reality, everything—including that key—was meant to lead them astray. The secret room held something beneficial to the ghosts: the only item that could destroy the doll.
In the end, the participants unwittingly completed the ghosts' most critical step.
They destroyed the one thing that limited the ghosts!
The following days were merely the calm before the storm, yet the participants foolishly believed they had finished their mission.
On the final night, the story's restrictions fully lifted. The painter couple revealed their true forms, and the butler and gardener appeared together, unveiling the grand curtain of this terrifying feast.
By then, the participants' doom was sealed.
Though Xiao Bai carried a special item to repel ghosts, he couldn't fight four fully unleashed evil spirits at once!
And then there was the spirit that appeared on Ke Shufan...
Honestly, Xiao Bai was puzzled by this.
Could it be that spending enough time with the doll triggered a hidden protection mechanism? Even after the doll was destroyed, a faint protection remained?
Perhaps this was the story's last glimmer of hope for the participants.
That glimmer happened to fall on Ke Shufan, likely because she was the one who treated Tongtong the "best" throughout the story.
The doll indeed held a soul—a child's pure soul.
Though the participants didn't know it, that child used his eyes to discern good and evil, kindness and malice.
Who would have thought Ke Shufan's personality would become the key to survival?
In any case, as the teleportation began, everything from the story faded away, like a distant backdrop.
When Xiao Bai opened his eyes again, he was back in his familiar room, as if the past seven days had been a dream.
A nightmare with no end in sight.
He stood quietly for a moment, then walked to the window and pulled the curtains wide open.
Bright light streamed through the large French windows, flooding the room with clarity.
There was a subtle sensation.
As if something inside him had come alive.
Beauty he'd never felt before, and fear he'd never known, now seemed vividly perceptible.
Though not perfect, he had completed his third horror story. With its end, his rank in the radio station had risen from ordinary listener to senior listener, unlocking privileges for veterans.
Longer cooldown periods between tasks, and greater exchange permissions than newcomers.
After letting the sun's warmth soak into him, Xiao Bai picked up his phone from the table to check the settlement for his last story.
As expected, the participants' completion rate wasn't high, earning only 15 plot points.
Given the story's difficulty, if they had strengthened the doll and sealed the four ghosts in a perfect ending, Xiao Bai estimated the final points could have reached 25 to 30.
But that was just speculation. Achieving a perfect ending in a horror story wasn't easy.
There was also the matter of Ke Shufan.
The four ghosts seemed blocked by some power emanating from her. If that power could be brought out of the supernatural world, it might become another special item in the Seventh Program Group.
Meanwhile, in a distant apartment, Ke Shufan sat exhausted on the carpet.
The moment she teleported out of the supernatural world, all negative effects vanished, leaving her without a scratch.
But the mental fatigue from extreme tension couldn't fade instantly. It felt like waking from a long, terrifying dream, leaving her deeply unsettled.
After sitting for a while, she finally stood up, only to notice something fall from her pocket.
It was the glass eyeball from the doll.
The eyeball, carrying the doll's soul, had been brought into the real world!
Startled, Ke Shufan jumped back a few steps. But after a moment, realization dawned, and her face grew complicated.
In the story group, many listeners had mentioned that some special items with ghost-repelling properties could be brought out of story worlds. These items often proved more useful than shop-bought tools in other stories!
Could this be...?
She picked up the glass eyeball, a glimmer of surprise in her eyes.
This was her first special item!
...
After the manor story ended, details about it appeared on every listener's phone. Chen Mo and Li Yan received the same information.
In the horror story group, listeners naturally engaged in analysis and discussion. Then, time passed in seemingly peaceful days, until the next mission arrived!
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PS: With this, the "Doll's Return" story arc concludes. The four participants in this story were played by readers from the book club and cameo thread—thanks for the support! The next arc will return to the male lead's perspective, with some roles still played by guest actors. Good luck to everyone :)
The next story, "Seven Days to Die," promises equal excitement and thrills. Looking forward to your support!