Xue_Mu

Chen Li is a painter who has been forgotten by the art world and lives in seclusion on the outskirts of the city. His life was originally simple and dull until he began to notice that during his creations at night, he had inadvertently painted some strange scenes and figures. At first, he thought it was just his illusion, but as time went by, the details in the paintings gradually became connected to his real life. Even more terrifyingly, these "appearing" figures seemed to be closely related to an unsolved disappearance case that had occurred several years ago.

Amid a series of mysterious hallucinations, dreams, and eerie incidents in reality, Chen Li gradually realized that all of this might be related to a forgotten past of his—and that past was slowly emerging from the canvases.

Silent whispers of the night

The next day, the air in the apartment felt stifling. Chen Li couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He spent the morning pacing around, occasionally glancing at the painting, which now seemed to dominate the room. Every time he looked at it, the figure seemed to shift, just slightly, as if it was preparing to step out of the canvas.

That afternoon, there was a knock on the door.

Chen Li hesitated for a moment before answering. He wasn't expecting anyone. When he opened the door, an old man stood on the threshold, wearing a dark coat and a wide-brimmed hat that shadowed his face. His eyes were sharp, too sharp, and Chen Li immediately felt uneasy.

"Are you Chen Li?" the man asked, his voice low and rasping.

"Yes," Chen Li replied, unsure of what to expect.

The man stepped forward, just slightly, and Chen Li noticed a glint of something cold in his expression. "You've seen it, haven't you?"

"Seen what?" Chen Li asked, his heart beginning to race again.

"The figure," the man said, his gaze drifting past Chen Li and landing on the painting behind him. "You've seen him."

Chen Li's mouth went dry. How did this stranger know about the figure in his dreams? About the painting? He took a step back, suddenly feeling as though he was in danger.

"Who are you?" Chen Li demanded, his voice shaking slightly.

The old man's eyes never left the painting. "I'm here to help you," he said, his tone cold and certain. "That figure… it's not just in your mind. It's real. And it's coming for you."

Section 6: The Visitor