The Eerie Alley and the Whispering Mist

“Uh…” Lin Ling was momentarily speechless, utterly at a loss for an excuse. He couldn’t possibly tell Chen Sishi directly that he was afraid of interacting with her, could he?

Moreover, if he mentioned going out with anyone else, Chen Sishi would surely turn dark with jealousy. And if he claimed he was going out alone, she’d likely cling to him shamelessly. ‘Damn it,’ he thought, ‘there’s no escaping Chen Sishi’s clutches, no matter how I scheme.’

Pressing his temples, Lin Ling found himself utterly devoid of further excuses. Then, a peculiar thought, a sudden flash of insight, illuminated his mind. Lin Ling had finally stumbled upon a promising solution.

“Ahaha,” he chuckled awkwardly, “this weekend I promised my sister I’d help her with some chores. I’m truly swamped; I won’t have any time.”

“Oh, I see.”

Chen Sishi lowered her head, a picture of quiet dejection. Her silence was so profound it sent a shiver of unease down Lin Ling’s spine.

Mercifully, the class bell soon chimed, and Lin Ling gratefully plunged into the boundless ocean of knowledge.

The rest of the day passed without incident; at least, Chen Sishi and Qin Ruoxue didn’t come looking for him. His only encounter was a brief, chance meeting with Chen Sishi at noon, where they merely exchanged a quick greeting before parting ways.

This, he mused, was a triumphant interim victory, one that solidified his chosen tactic: to swiftly cool their affections and gradually fade from their lives.

Once he had truly broken free, Lin Ling intended to test if a return was possible. If not, he wouldn’t mind continuing his existence in this world. Life was life, after all, regardless of the setting, though a faint guilt pricked him regarding his parents.

Strolling along the familiar street, Lin Ling paused at an intersection, waiting for the traffic light to change. Qin Ruoxue hadn’t joined him after school, a fact that genuinely surprised him.

Before he could dwell on it, the red light shifted to green, and Lin Ling swiftly made his way across the road. It was at that very moment that hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from behind him.

Lin Ling spun around, his eyes widening at the sight of a group of burly, uniformed men, each easily 1.9 meters tall, charging directly at him. They clutched an assortment of small devices in their hands, which appeared to be stun guns or similar incapacitating weapons.

Lin Ling’s body went rigid. Instinctively, his hand shot to the inner pocket of his clothes, where the dagger Lin Yiting had given him lay concealed.

Acting on pure instinct, he darted into a narrow alleyway. Only after watching the group vanish at the far end of the street did Lin Ling slowly release a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. His hand, which had been clamped around the dagger, finally loosened. He then turned, venturing deeper into the shadowed confines of the alley.

Lin Ling had no idea who those men were or what their purpose might be, but fearing he might become entangled in their affairs, he decided it was best to simply change his route.

– Bell: Sis, I just encountered a group of people in uniforms. Do you know them?

He pulled out his phone, quickly typed a message to the contact saved as ‘Sister,’ and sent it. Then, Lin Ling tucked his phone away once more, resuming his path.

A moment later, his phone buzzed. Lin Ling checked it, confirming it was indeed a message from Lin Yiting.

– Sister: There are so many people in black clothes, how could I recognize them?

– Sister: But… if they were in matching uniforms, they’re probably bodyguards or something. Rich people love hiring groups like that, don’t they?

– Sister: Oh, right, stay away from those kinds of people lately. Don’t get into any trouble; you’re my only brother.

– Bell: Okay, I got it.

A small smile playing on his lips, he lowered his phone and rounded another corner. After walking a short distance, Lin Ling checked his device again, only to realize his signal had vanished.

Lin Ling didn’t dwell on it. The area was somewhat secluded, so he assumed there was just some signal interference.

Yet, the further he walked, the more a sense of unease settled upon Lin Ling. The silence was unnerving, and a faint, persistent mist seemed to cling to everything.

With a furrowed brow, Lin Ling pressed on. A chill began to seep into his bones, his body’s warmth seeming to drain away, and the air around him was far colder than any summer evening should be.

He halted, the meager alley lights doing little to pierce the gloom. Though some windows glowed warmly from nearby homes, vast stretches of the path remained swallowed by shadow.

Even the sky above was a blurry expanse of mist. This alley, a narrow fissure between two towering, multi-story buildings, was barely wide enough for a single car. It twisted and turned, its edges littered with an abundance of refuse.

The entire setting felt like nothing short of a dumping ground. Lin Ling’s brow furrowed in distaste; he loathed such squalid places, and the path ahead was exceptionally filthy.

Just as he prepared to turn and retreat, a shadowy figure flickered around the alley’s bend. Lin Ling jumped, his feet freezing in place, and then a raspy voice drifted to his ears.

“Save… save me…”

At the sound of it, Lin Ling’s eyes flew open. Without a moment’s hesitation, he drew his dagger and pursued. Yet, with every stride, the surrounding mist intensified, growing denser until visibility plummeted to less than a meter. Only then did Lin Ling halt, his gaze wary as he peered into the opaque haze ahead.

His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic rhythm born of either exertion or terror. A wave of regret washed over him for having given chase.

Still, the voice persisted, an insistent whisper beckoning Lin Ling further into the unknown.

“Please, save me…”

The voice was remarkably clear, emanating from somewhere directly in front of him. From its tone, it sounded masculine, yet it was so raspy that its true pitch remained obscured.

“Wh-who… are you?”

Lin Ling’s hand trembled around the hilt of his dagger, but his feet remained rooted to the spot, refusing to advance.

“Save me!”

The voice seemed capable only of repeating that singular plea, and with each repetition, Lin Ling felt a growing sense of dread. In a sudden flash of insight, a term from his previous world surfaced in his mind: the ‘Inner and Outer Worlds’.

The pervasive white haze surrounding him bore an unsettling resemblance to the fabled Outer World. At this chilling realization, Lin Ling’s free hand instinctively closed around the jade token.

Dismissing all concern for the source of the voice, Lin Ling retreated two steps. But to his utter shock, the voice suddenly erupted with savage intensity.

“Save me!”

No sooner had the frantic cry faded than a sickening *squelch* pierced the air, as if flesh were being ripped apart. Faintly, chillingly, a woman’s maniacal laughter drifted through the oppressive mist.

Cold sweat beaded on his temples. Without a moment’s hesitation, Lin Ling turned and bolted, not daring to glance back. He ran like a man possessed, desperate to retrace his steps.

From his knowledge of the Inner and Outer Worlds, he knew that if he could just return to the exact point where he’d entered this strange reality, he could escape back to his own. He ran with a desperate frenzy, the ominous sounds from behind relentlessly dogging his heels.

Terrified to the point of tears, Lin Ling clutched the jade token ever tighter, his palm slick with cold sweat.

He had no idea how long he’d been running, but his lungs burned as if they might rupture. The eerie sounds had indeed faded, yet the pervasive mist showed no signs of dissipating.

Eventually, utterly spent, Lin Ling could run no further. He sagged, hands on his knees, gulping down ragged breaths.

“Ahaha, running, are we? Why stop now?”

“Holy hell!”

The voice, erupting abruptly beside his ear, made Lin Ling jump out of his skin. All other thoughts evaporated as he ran for his very life.