Chapter Sixty-Seven: Hospital Room (Part One)
This Dusk Crow bore a striking resemblance to Goat Cheese.
Both had similar sizes, equally chilling scarlet eyes, and their beaks looked almost identical. But upon closer inspection, one could spot some subtle differences. For example, the eye color was darker, the neck feathers were not as dense as Goat Cheese’s, and the tail feathers were longer and more upright… all very minuscule details that were hard to catch unless you squinted really hard.
But it was definitely not Goat Cheese…
If it wasn’t Goat Cheese, that meant I could eat it.
“Caw—”
The pitch-black crow let out a raspy, ear-piercing caw. It suddenly spread its wings, as if about to take flight—only for the next moment, a thick cloud of Dead Smoke enveloped it entirely.
Where do you think you’re running off to…
The black smoke slithered around the equally dark bird, making a nauseating “zzzz” sound, quickly devouring it. I shut my eyes, quietly waiting for the delicious moment to arrive.
“……”
?
After what felt like an eternity, I didn’t feel the expected sensation. I cracked one eye open and saw only the railing and vines in front of me. The crow that had been perched there was gone, and so was the Dead Smoke, leaving no trace behind—nothing returned to me.
How strange…
Had the crow been swallowed by the Dead Smoke? But I didn’t get to eat it… what’s going on?
This doesn’t make any sense…
Without thinking, I stepped forward, my delicate arm reaching out to touch the emptiness ahead—
Buzz…
Suddenly, a prickling pain jabbed through my head.
“Ah!”
The fleeting pain wasn’t very intense, but it caused me to gasp in surprise. I quickly drew my hand back, pressing my thumb against my temple and massaging it.
…What’s going on?
In that moment, another electric jolt of pain struck my mind again, followed by waves of dizziness. My feet stumbled slightly, but I managed to grab onto the railing, and then countless images flashed before my eyes like fast-forwarded slides.
The damp walls of a room were mottled, rows of tattered white beds were separated by curtains, and figures lying on those beds twitched faintly in the dim light.
A decrepit display case filled with unknown items, yellowed transparent containers, and syringes.
bl**d.
Bright red bl**d slowly dripping down a tube.
Many silhouettes.
Something worm-like…
The scenes flashed by too quickly for me to take in any details, and soon everything returned to silence, the railing and vines sharpening back into focus.
“Ugh—”
The intense dizziness made me gag, followed by the hollow sound of dripping water.
Drip.
Drip…
That sound seemed to come from deep within my brain, or maybe right from behind me.
What was that…?
What’s happening to me…?
I felt an overwhelming sense of panic, not understanding what was wrong with me. My mind went blank, my heartbeat accelerating. After a moment of standing frozen, I suddenly turned and ran back.
I need to go to sleep. I want to curl up in my blankets and hide… as long as I sleep well, everything will be fine when I wake up.
But just as I ran out of the terrace, I suddenly stopped short, as if someone had pulled the brakes on me.
In front of me was a narrow, dark corridor. It looked like it was built from rough beams of wood, stretching out into a pitch-black abyss at the end. The surrounding walls were just as old and mottled as the scenes I had just seen, in some places the plaster was already peeling. Candle sconces dangled on the walls, their dim flames flickering as if they might go out any moment. The air was thick with damp, decaying odors.
With a faint hint of bl**d.
This isn’t my home…
But I was just at home a moment ago!
My lips trembled, and my right eyelid twitched. I was completely dumbfounded by this bizarre, unthinkable situation, my brain felt like mush, and I couldn’t think straight. My feet started backing up on their own… I turned around and ran!
Jump off the terrace and find Vido—
Bam!
A violent collision caused me to lose my balance, and I fell backward onto the ground, immediately covering my face and groaning, “Ugh… ah…”
Ouch, ouch, ouch…
That hurt like crazy!
I really hit something solid there. My face smacked right into a sharp edge, almost biting my tongue. Now I was seeing stars, my head buzzing, and after a moment, I felt a sting in my nose and tears rolling down my cheeks.
“Ow…”
I struggled to get back on my feet, one hand covering my face while the other groped forward, only to find slick, cold stone… My heart sank as I quickly wiped away the tears swirling in my eyes and looked closer—I realized the terrace was no longer behind me.
The slick, cold rocks had completely blocked the corridor behind me.
What in the world…
Thwack, thwack, thwack.
I pounded my small hands against the stone, but it didn’t budge an inch.
What’s happening here…?
Wasn’t I at home? Where is this place?
Fear consumed me, and I bit my lip, gathering my strength and throwing a punch at the rock face.
Bam!
That punch had enough force to punch through the wall of an average house. The ground shook beneath my feet, dust fell from above, and pain shot through my hand, but the stone remained unmoving. There wasn’t even a crack, let alone a tremor.
“Hiss—”
I quickly realized that going head-to-head with a rock was incredibly foolish. I stepped back several paces, inhaled deeply, and my entire body glowed with blue light.
Boom, boom, boom…
Countless sharp ice shards formed above me, and I compressed their hardness to the limit before swinging my arm.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The ice shards flew forward at nearly invisible speeds, hitting the stone with a resounding “clink” only to bounce off, scattering across the walls and floor. One even brushed past my cheek.
Crack, crack.
The next moment, an icy sickle was firmly gripped in my right hand.
“Ah!”
With a light exhale, I dove into the swirling mist, slashing the sickle against the stone surface.
Crash!
The sharp ice blade sank deep, cracks spiderwebbing across the stone with a booming echo, rapidly spreading out of sight.
I can do this…
I strained to pull the short sickle out and swung down again at the cracks—
Clang!
Scrape, scrape, scrape…
Stone fragments exploded into the air, and the cracks widened further. I pressed my lips together tightly, yanked the sickle out, and swung down once more.
Boom!
Boom, boom, boom—
Swinging the icy blade repeatedly, I gradually carved out a large hole in front of me. White frost spread over the stone surface, climbing the walls beside it. The rubble beneath my feet piled higher and higher, soon leaving me with no place to stand. Even as my arms grew numb and the palms of my hands throbbed, the stone still showed no signs of yielding, as if I were chiseling into a mountain.
Clang!
Finally, the sickle shattered.
“Phew—phew—”
I breathed heavily, tossing the broken sickle aside and plopping down on the pile of rubble.
I’m so tired.
Drip, drip.
The peculiar dripping sounds still echoed around me, and aside from that, there was an eerie silence, quiet enough to send chills down my spine.
I couldn’t comprehend what was happening now; it was beyond my understanding.
I must be dreaming, right?
Just like before, those vividly immersive dreams… but this time, it seemed somewhat different.
Clearly, this isn’t a memory. And I’m no longer an onlooker unable to act; I’m right in the middle of it… is this really a dream?
I definitely wasn’t sleeping a moment ago…
Can’t figure it out.
I shook my head, stood up, and brushed the dust off my rear. After a moment’s hesitation, I began to walk deeper into the corridor.
Since I can’t get out, I might as well see what’s inside…
Creak, creak.
In the narrow, dimly lit space, the sound of my shoes on the wooden floor was especially jarring. I trembled forward along the corridor, my hands instinctively pulling in front of my chest, small fists clenched tight.
I’m so scared…
To bolster my courage, I cleared my throat and timidly called out, “Is anyone there…?”
“Is anyone around?”
“Hey—”
My soft, weak voice faded into the darkness, receiving no reply.
Not long after, I noticed a slightly ajar door on the left side of the corridor, a flicker of firelight escaping through the crack.
What room is that…
I tiptoed over cautiously, first pressing my ear against the door to listen for a moment. Not detecting any noise inside, I steeled my nerves and gently pushed the door open.
Creeeak—
An indescribable smell assaulted my nostrils.
