The Game of Dread

Watching Liu Yinuo disappear, Lin Ziyan pressed her lips together. She knew she had no legitimate reason to leave. Two people had already departed, and if she left now, she would only incur the sports teacher’s displeasure. Her only option was to wait until free activity time.

****

He wanted to escape.

To leave this place, to leave the school.

He couldn’t… he couldn’t return to the classroom.

He would be caught.

The young man fled the sports field, running in desperation. His arm was pressed tightly against his chest, and his eyes stared blankly ahead.

No one would care if he lived or died; no one would notice his disappearance. That chilling gaze echoed ceaselessly in his mind.

What would happen if he were caught? Perhaps he would be beaten into a cripple?

His head grew increasingly heavy, his fever worsening by the moment. He could no longer suppress the tremors wracking his body, whether from the high fever, the biting cold, or sheer panic.

His heart pounded faster and faster, threatening to leap from his throat.

He couldn’t stay on the sports field; he would surely be caught.

He needed… to find somewhere to hide.

Yes… to hide.

A secluded, deserted place.

Though it was almost noon, the sky remained a dismal grey. A biting wind howled mercilessly, as if brewing a heavy snow.

The young man fled in a frantic rush, like a headless fly, searching for a place to conceal himself. He darted into the corridor of a teaching building, hastily searching for an old room he could enter.

At last, he discovered an unlocked room. Overjoyed, he slipped inside and closed the door.

“Click.”

As the lock clicked shut with a crisp sound, the silent room filled with dust stirred by the rush of air, its scent lingering in his nostrils.

“Haaah… haaah…”

Gasping heavily, the young man leaned against the door, utterly spent. This place should be safe.

Now, he just had to wait until school was dismissed. While resting, he surveyed his surroundings.

The room appeared to be a changing room, with a row of rusted iron lockers directly opposite him, caked in thick layers of dust. He moved away from the door, scrutinizing the area.

‘Strange… has anyone been here recently?’

Faint footprints marred the dusty floor, appearing quite fresh and not belonging to a cleaner. Could it have been the sports teacher, coming to retrieve equipment?

Regardless, this discovery left him feeling uneasy. He feared he might be punished if another teacher found him hiding here.

Yet, dwelling on it was useless. What he needed to do now was compose himself and consider how to handle Lin Ziyan’s lunch invitation.

‘Why would she suddenly want to take me to eat? That’s not like Lin Ziyan at all. It’s a good day if she doesn’t bully me.’

Nevertheless, he knew he had to go. If he didn’t, he would likely face severe consequences.

His mind was a jumble, but ultimately, he was ill. After a short while of frantic thoughts, he grew exhausted.

Leaning against a wall in the corner where a bench sat, he decided to sleep for a bit and leave only after school ended. However, fate had other plans.

Just as his consciousness was blurring, on the verge of succumbing to sleep, the room door suddenly swung open. The crisp click of the turning lock jolted him awake.

When he lifted his head, he saw the very person he least wanted to encounter…

Golden hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and that familiar, cold, sharp gaze.

‘Qin… Qin Haiyue…’

‘How did she know I was here…?’

The sudden turn of events, coupled with the icy draft that swept into the room through the open door, shattered his thoughts. His mind went blank, his gaze slowly turning vacant, and his body began to tremble violently from fear.

Qin Haiyue, upon seeing the young man huddled in the corner, revealed a satisfied smile.

“You actually delivered yourself to me. Excellent. It saves me the trouble of having to drag you here myself.”

A hint of malevolence colored her smile as she slowly approached him.

“No… don’t come closer… I’m… sorry… please don’t come closer… I beg you…”

Shielding his head with his arm, Ye Xingmian lowered his gaze, his eyes devoid of light, and pleaded softly. Ignoring his humble pleas, Qin Haiyue advanced until she stood before him.

Her expensive Doc Martens clicked crisply on the wooden floor.

“Why weren’t you there this morning?”

Her voice was softer than he had ever heard it, a tone he had never once heard from her lips. Not only her tone, but her face, too, bore a smile of almost appreciative delight.

It wasn’t an accusation, but rather a chiding, a gentle inquiry as to why he hadn’t kept their appointment. Yet, this only made him more uneasy.

Stiffly, he raised his head, his eyes rimmed with red, his cheeks flushed pink. His gaze met Qin Haiyue’s, then froze, and he instinctively flinched away, trembling.

“I’m… I’m sorry…” He mumbled, head bowed, apologizing instinctively.

Qin Haiyue remained silent. She crouched down, her golden hair releasing a cool, sharp scent that filled his nostrils.

Her blue eyes held no blame as they fixed on his tear-filled, cherry-pink gaze, and a chilling hand gently touched his burning cheek.

“I asked you for a reason.”

His body trembled even more violently. Qin Haiyue’s palm was icy, bone-chilling, as if it might strike his face at any moment.

He stammered for a long while, his mind racing, and it took him ages to formulate a mediocre reply.

“I… I have a fever… I’ve been lightheaded all morning…”

Given the scorching heat radiating from his cheek into her palm, his words didn’t seem to be a lie. Yet, Qin Haiyue chuckled, her beautiful, icy countenance blossoming into a smile as radiant as a flower.

“So, did you forget our appointment?”

Her cold hand caressed his cheek, as if touching a rare treasure. Her movements were so gentle, so tender…

A shiver of dread ran down Ye Xingmian’s spine.

He instinctively wanted to deny it, but no matter how he tried, he couldn’t find a single reason to justify himself.

“Are you very scared?”

Her tone remained soft, yet Qin Haiyue released his face and quietly stood up. Watching him curl up on the bench against the wall, trembling violently and unable to speak, her smile grew even more pronounced.

“Let’s play a game. If you win, I’ll let you go, alright?”

Hearing a chance to avoid punishment, his body gave a slight tremor. Then, filled with a glimmer of hope, he slowly lifted his head, gazing at Qin Haiyue, who was methodically pulling a pair of gloves from her pocket onto her hands nearby.

Noticing his gaze, Qin Haiyue, now gloved, smiled back at him.

“What’s wrong? Are you already looking forward to it?”

Picking something up from the floor, Qin Haiyue’s tone began to grow excited.

“I’m… looking forward to it too…”

However, Ye Xingmian’s gaze swiftly transformed from hope to terror. He pressed himself against the wall, frantically searching for something to shield himself.

The reason was simple: what Qin Haiyue had picked up from the floor was a solid ball, heavy and wrapped in coarse orange-yellow rubber.

Clearly, Qin Haiyue was greatly pleased by his reaction.

“The rules are simple. All you have to do is catch this ball ten times…”

Her smile deepened, revealing stark white teeth.

“And I’ll let you go.”