Chapter 4

By the time classes start winding down, I'm riding a wave of pure, unfiltered confidence. Every time the teacher throws a question at me—bam—I nail it, leaving everyone around me with their jaws on the floor. It's kind of hilarious, actually. Mei Ling keeps shooting me these wide-eyed, "Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?" looks.

I can't blame her. Normally, I'm barely passing, let alone acing history or math. But thanks to my helpful little invisible voices, I've been on fire all day. They've got the answers to everything, from algebra to ancient history. I should probably be creeped out by it, but honestly? It's kind of awesome.

"You're welcome again," one of the voices says smugly as I get yet another answer right.

"Yeah, yeah. You're real heroes," I mutter under my breath.

Mei Ling leans in, nudging me with her elbow. "Okay, seriously, what's going on? Did you start studying or something?"

I just shrug. "What can I say? Maybe I'm having a genius week."

"More like a freaky week," she mumbles, shaking her head in disbelief.

Then the final bell rings, and it's time for PE—my nightmare. Not because I hate sports (though I do), but because I have to get changed. And there is no way I'm letting anyone see my scars or, worse, the tattoo that's now permanently etched into my hand.

As we head to the locker room, my heart is pounding harder than it ever did during history class. I walk in and immediately spot a toilet stall. That's it. That's my safe haven.

I dart into the stall like my life depends on it, slamming the door shut. Mei Ling's voice floats over, sounding confused. "Wei? What are you doing?"

I don't even think—panic mode is fully activated. "I, uh, I've got—diarrhea! Yeah! Super extreme, can't-get-out diarrhea!"

The room goes dead quiet for a second, and then I hear the unmistakable sound of snickering. Someone outright laughs, and I can practically feel the waves of confusion radiating from the other girls.

Mei Ling sounds half-concerned, half-amused. "Extreme diarrhea? In the middle of school?"

"Yes!" I yell through the stall door. "Horrible, terrible stuff. You don't want the details."

"Uh-huh," Mei Ling says slowly, and I know she's thinking, What in the world is wrong with you?

But I stay put, waiting until the last possible moment. By the time I emerge from the stall—fully dressed for PE, mind you—everyone is staring at me. Like, really staring.

"How'd you get changed so fast?" Mei Ling asks, her brow furrowed in confusion.

I quickly adjust my shirt, trying to act casual. "Oh, I'm just, uh… really efficient."

Someone else pipes up from the back of the room, "What are you hiding, Wei? Did you grow a tail or something?"

Now everyone's laughing. I force a grin and throw my hands up. "Nope, no tails! Just, uh, you know, going through a glow-up."

Mei Ling squints at me. "A glow-up?"

"Yup! I'm working on my transformation. A little mysterious, right? Can't reveal the results too soon. Gotta keep you all guessing."

The room bursts into giggles, and someone yells, "Yeah, right!"

But hey, at least they bought it. I'm not sure how long I can keep this up, though. I'm going to run out of excuses eventually. I've gotta figure something out before someone actually catches on to the whole mystical tattoo and scar situation.

For now, I'll just have to survive this gym class. Extreme diarrhea excuse and all.

The whistle blows, signaling the start of PE, and I'm already dreading it. Our teacher, Ms. Zhang, always starts with running. And not just a nice little jog—miles. Around the field. In the hot sun. If there was ever a place for my soul to leave my body, it's during these PE classes.

The girls start running, and I drag myself along with them, my feet hitting the track in slow, painful rhythm. Normally, by now, I'd be wheezing like a dying walrus, but today… it's different. I'm still awful at running—don't get me wrong—but not as bad. It's weird. My legs don't feel like jelly, and I'm not on the verge of passing out after the first lap.

Mei Ling runs up beside me, huffing but still keeping pace. "You're… not dying?" she says between breaths, giving me a side-eye.

I shrug, trying to play it cool, though my heart is racing for more reasons than just running. "I guess… I'm having a decent day?"

She raises an eyebrow. "Decent? You still kinda suck, but not as much as usual."

"Thanks, I think?"

But I already know why this is happening. After all those creepy dead animal absorptions, I figured something might change. My endurance is better—though it's not like I've turned into some track star or anything. But even a little bit of improvement is shocking for someone like me, who usually struggles to survive these torturous laps.

We continue running, my mind drifting back to the voices. What else is going to change? I can't help but wonder if there's more to this tattoo than just healing and stamina. As my feet pound against the dirt, I'm half-waiting for something else to—

"AHHHH!" A scream pierces the air, slicing through my thoughts.

I stop in my tracks, as do all the other girls around me. Another scream follows, and then more. They're coming from the far side of the field, near the tree line.

"What's going on?" Mei Ling asks, her face going pale.

A few girls are gathered in a huddle, pointing at something on the ground. The rest of us jog over, my heart now racing for entirely different reasons. The moment I get close enough to see what's lying there, my stomach flips.

It's a body.

A human corpse, lying twisted on the ground, like someone just tossed it there. Blood has dried around stab wounds all over its chest and arms, and its face—oh god, its face—is frozen in this horrible grimace, eyes wide open. The metallic scent of blood hits me hard, making me gag.

"Holy crap, that's a real body!" one of the girls shouts, backing away.

I freeze, unable to move or speak, staring at the grotesque sight in front of me. My heart is thumping so hard, it feels like it might explode. I don't even register the whispers and panicked voices around me. All I can focus on is the sheer terror that's clawing its way up my throat.

"Liang Wei!" Mei Ling's voice snaps me back to reality. "We need to get out of here! Someone call the police!"

But I can't move. My feet are rooted to the spot. This… this can't be real. This can't be happening.

The air around me is suffocating. The sight of the dead body twists my stomach, but I can't look away. I can't move. My mind's a swirling mess, torn between horror and disbelief, and that's when the voices start again.

"Absorb it."

I blink, my heart nearly stopping. Absorb it? The human body?!

"No, absolutely not!" I whisper harshly, panic rising in my chest. My voice comes out strangled as I continue, "That's a human being! Are you insane?!"

"It's crucial for your survival, Liang Wei." The voices are calm, almost detached, like they don't understand what they're even asking me to do. "In a few minutes, you'll be in danger. You need to absorb the energy from that body to defend yourself."

Danger? I blink hard, my hands trembling as I clutch my sides. "What do you mean I'll be in danger? What's coming?"

There's a silence, like the voices are considering how to answer. Then they finally say: "It. It is coming, Liang Wei."

I feel a cold sweat break out across my forehead. "What... what is 'it'?"

"A monster. From the mirror world."

I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. "You mean one of those—those things? Like the one from before?"

"Yes. It's escaped." The voices sound eerily calm, like this is all just some casual chat, but I can feel my heart racing out of control, panic gripping my entire body. A monster. Here. In the real world. How?! Why is this happening to me?!

I glance around, my classmates huddled together in fear, still freaking out over the body. No one seems to notice my inner breakdown.

"No… no way. I can't… that's a person. A real, dead person!" I hiss under my breath, trying to keep my voice low. "I'm not some kind of monster that disrespects the dead!"

"We understand your hesitation. But the monster is close, and you are not ready to face it. This body… it can help you."

I squeeze my eyes shut, my mind racing. The voices don't relent.

"It's survival, Liang Wei. The corpse isn't just a corpse. It's energy. You need it to stand a chance."

I want to scream. I want to tear out these voices from my head and shout that I'm not going to listen, but the fear, the fear of what's coming—what if they're right? What if I do need this power to survive?

My breathing quickens. "Fine," I mumble under my breath, my voice shaking. "I'll do it. But only after everyone's gone."

"Wise choice."

I feel like throwing up. I watch as the other girls, teachers, and staff slowly gather around, calling for help and trying to figure out what's going on. As the crowd grows, I stay back, blending into the background as best I can. Minutes pass like hours, and eventually, the field is cleared, with everyone being ushered away from the scene.

When the coast is finally clear, I step forward, my heart hammering in my chest. The body lies there, just as twisted and lifeless as before. I stare at it, my stomach churning.

"Do it now."

I hesitate, then slowly extend my left hand, the one with the cursed tattoo. "Here goes nothing…" I mutter, dread filling every fiber of my being.

The moment my fingers hover over the corpse, I feel the tattoo burn with a familiar crimson light. My hand moves on its own, almost instinctively, as if the voices are guiding it. The moment it makes contact with the body, the corpse jerks violently, and a sickening sound echoes in the air as the skin tightens and the body starts to deflate like a balloon.

It's horrifying. The skin peels back, the muscles shrink, and the once solid body turns into an empty shell—like a grotesque, human-shaped rug. The life, or whatever was left of it, gets drained out and pulled into me, a cold surge of energy shooting up my arm.

I gasp, the sensation overwhelming, like I'm being plugged into an electrical socket. Energy floods my veins, coursing through my body with such force that my knees nearly buckle. My vision blurs for a second, and the world around me spins.

My scars tingle, then sting as they begin to heal, but they don't completely vanish. No, they remain, but the pain? The pain is fading.

I stand there, panting, as I feel my body changing. I'm taller, maybe by just a few centimeters, but enough for me to notice. My muscles—my arms and legs—feel stronger, leaner. My entire frame feels tighter, more compact, like I've suddenly been thrown into a training montage overnight.

I stare at my hands, my fingers trembling from the surge of power. What have I just done?

The voices hum with satisfaction. "Good. You've done well, Liang Wei. Now, you are a step closer to survival."

I collapse to my knees, barely able to process what just happened. My entire body is tingling with newfound strength, but my mind? My mind feels like it's about to break.

I stand there, trembling, trying to catch my breath as my heart pounds against my chest. My body feels foreign, so different. I flex my fingers, noticing the subtle definition in my arms. This can't be real. I feel like I just stepped out of some weird training montage, except instead of working out, I… well, absorbed a human body. If I have to compare myself to someone I would say I'm on par with a novice high school athlete now?

"What… what was the point of this?" I mutter, my voice shaky. "Why was it necessary to absorb the body?"

The voices, always calm, respond almost casually: "Because you were just way too underdeveloped, as if you've never done any physical activities in your life."

I blink, flustered. "What?! I was born unathletic, okay?!" I lie, indignantly crossing my arms, even though I know damn well that's not true.

"Mm-hmm." The voices don't seem convinced. They give off this silent, judgmental vibe, like they're raising an eyebrow at me. Not that they even have eyebrows.

I groan, rubbing my temples. "So, what? Was this just to help me fight back against that monster you mentioned? The one that's supposedly coming?"

The air goes cold, and when the voices respond, their tone is devoid of warmth. "No."

My stomach drops. "W-What do you mean 'no'? If I'm not supposed to fight it, then why—"

"Because," the voices cut me off, speaking slowly, like I'm a child trying to understand something too complex, "those monsters from the mirror world cannot be defeated by regular humans. They are superior to any other living beings."

I swallow hard. "Superior?" My mind flashes back to that monster I saw in the mirror world, its twisted form, its acidic claws. My body shivers instinctively.

"We had you absorb the body so you can run."

Run. RUN?! That's it?! I absorbed a human corpse—changed my entire physique—for the sole purpose of running?

I stare blankly into the distance, completely flabbergasted. "You've got to be kidding me…"

The voices remain silent, confirming that, no, they are not kidding. My heart sinks as the gravity of the situation hits me. I'm not strong enough to fight this thing. All I can do is run.

I shake my head, trying to collect myself. My hands are still trembling from the surge of energy. Run... that's it? Just run? I bite my lip, feeling a wave of fear settle deep in my chest.

But before I can even think too hard about it, I hear commotion in the distance. It's time to rejoin the others.

With a deep breath, I head back to the field, meeting up with the rest of the students. The police have arrived, cordoning off the area around the body. Everyone's gathered, talking in hushed tones, still in shock from the gruesome discovery. The chaos has died down slightly, but the tension in the air is thick. I try to blend in, to act like I haven't just gone through the most horrifying experience of my life.

And then… it appears.

A cold, suffocating dread fills the air, like all the warmth and light has been drained from the world. I freeze, my blood turning to ice as I look towards the edge of the field. The monster from the mirror world—the same twisted, grotesque creature with acidic claws that almost killed me—is here.

It's real. It's not just a nightmare.

The creature is enormous, its warped, shadowy form dripping with malice. A strange, acrid stench fills the air, like burning chemicals. The sheer pressure of its presence is overwhelming, a suffocating wave of bloodlust that makes it hard to breathe.

I can't move. I can't even scream. My classmates are frozen in place, eyes wide with terror, but no one can make a sound. The monster's presence paralyzes everything and everyone around it.

It's here. It escaped.

Terror claws at my throat as I realize the voices weren't exaggerating. This thing… it's beyond anything I could've imagined.

The monster moves slowly, its eyes—if those glowing orbs can even be called eyes—sweeping over the field, locking onto us like prey.

And I stand there, paralyzed, as the world closes in around me. What do I do now?

The silence grips the air, leaving only fear and the promise of the inevitable.