Chapter 6: The Price of Survival

The eerie flickering of the candlelight cast shadows across the abandoned classroom, creating shapes that seemed alive. Lin Mei sat stiffly in one of the broken chairs, her green eyes darting between Zhihao and Yunfei. She was tense, like a cornered animal forced to share space with strangers who might become enemies.

Yunfei leaned back lazily, his grin never fading. "So, Mei-Mei, tell us your story. We've got time before the next spook shows up to try and drag us to the afterlife."

"Don't call me that," she snapped, her tone sharper than she intended. She winced immediately and lowered her gaze. "Sorry. It's just... I don't like nicknames."

Yunfei raised an eyebrow but didn't push further. "Fair enough. So, how'd you end up here?"

Lin Mei hesitated, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her tattered uniform. "It's not a happy story."

"We're in a death trap with murderous ghosts," Yunfei said cheerfully. "I wasn't expecting rainbows and sunshine."

Zhihao shot him a warning look, and Yunfei held up his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll behave. For now."

---

Lin Mei took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I was a scholarship student," she began. "I didn't come from much. My parents worked hard, but we barely scraped by. When I got the offer to attend this academy, it felt like a miracle. The tuition was covered, and it came with a dorm room and meals. I thought I'd finally be able to make something of myself."

Her voice grew quieter as she continued. "At first, everything was fine. The classes were challenging, but I thrived. The other students were... distant, but I didn't mind. I was used to being alone."

"What changed?" Zhihao asked, his tone even.

Lin Mei's hands tightened into fists. "The academy changed. It was gradual at first—little things that didn't make sense. A classmate would disappear, and no one would talk about it. Doors that were open one day would be locked the next. Then the rules appeared."

Her voice trembled, but she pushed on. "They showed up one morning, carved into the walls of every classroom. No one knew where they came from, but everyone understood one thing: breaking them had consequences."

---

"What happens when you break them?" Yunfei asked, his curiosity piqued.

Lin Mei's eyes darkened. "I learned the hard way."

She paused, her lips pressing into a thin line. "I had a friend—Li Hua. She was one of the few people who treated me like I belonged here. She had a rebellious streak, always questioning authority, even when the rules appeared. One night, she broke the first rule."

"Out after midnight?" Yunfei guessed.

Lin Mei nodded, her voice breaking. "She thought it was stupid. Said it was just a way to scare us into obedience. So she dared me to go with her."

"You went?" Zhihao asked, his tone neutral but with a hint of surprise.

"I didn't want to," Lin Mei admitted. "But I didn't want her to think I was a coward. We only made it halfway down the hallway before... it found us."

"What's 'it'?" Yunfei leaned forward, clearly fascinated.

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "A shadow. It didn't have a face or a body, just... darkness. It wrapped around her first. I tried to pull her away, but it was like trying to hold onto smoke. She screamed, and then... she was gone."

The room fell silent except for the faint crackle of the candle.

Lin Mei looked down, her shoulders trembling. "The next morning, her face was on the wall, like all the others who've disappeared. That's how the academy reminds us: break the rules, and you become part of it."

---

"Sounds like a fun place," Yunfei said lightly, though his eyes gleamed with uncharacteristic seriousness.

Lin Mei glared at him. "You don't understand. You've just arrived. This place... it wears you down. Every day is a fight to stay alive, and the longer you stay, the harder it gets."

"Then why haven't you tried to leave?" Zhihao asked.

She let out a bitter laugh. "You think I haven't? The exits are sealed. Even if you make it to the gates, something always pulls you back. The only way out is through the headmistress's office, but getting there is suicide."

"And yet, here we are," Yunfei said, gesturing dramatically to himself and Zhihao. "Ready to do the impossible."

Lin Mei stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "You really think you can survive this?"

"Survive?" Yunfei echoed, his grin widening. "Mei-Mei, I don't plan to survive—I plan to win."

Zhihao sighed. "What he means is that we've faced worse before. This academy won't break us."

Lin Mei looked between them, her expression a mix of disbelief and something else—hope, perhaps.

---

As the conversation lulled, Yunfei turned to Zhihao with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Hey, Ice King, why don't you tell Mei-Mei where we're from? She might find it inspiring."

Zhihao's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond.

"Fine, I'll do it," Yunfei said dramatically. "So, Mei-Mei, picture this: a world full of martial artists, sects, and glorious combat! That's where we started. Zhihao here was a prodigy—you know, the stoic, sword-wielding genius type. Meanwhile, I was just your average guy with a knack for annoying people and a tiny bit of world-ending power."

Lin Mei blinked. "World-ending power?"

"It's not as dramatic as it sounds," Yunfei said, waving a hand. "Well, okay, maybe it is. Long story short, we stopped a war, saved our world, and then got roped into this whole world-hopping gig. Now we're here, fighting ghosts instead of warriors."

Zhihao shot him a glare. "You're oversimplifying."

"Of course I am," Yunfei said with a wink. "The truth is way too complicated for one bedtime story."

Lin Mei looked at them both, her expression unreadable. "You're not ordinary, are you?"

"Not even a little," Yunfei said proudly.

---

A Plan Takes Shape

As the candle burned lower, Lin Mei hesitated before speaking again. "If you're really serious about reaching the headmistress's office... you'll need help."

"Great!" Yunfei said, clapping his hands. "Welcome to the team, Mei-Mei."

She scowled. "I didn't say I'd join you. I just meant I could give you information. I know this place better than anyone."

"That works too," Yunfei said, unbothered.

Zhihao stood, his sword gleaming faintly in the candlelight. "Where do we start?"

Lin Mei took a deep breath. "The library. It's the first step, but it's also the most dangerous. The man there... he's not like the others. He can't be killed."

Yunfei grinned. "Sounds like a challenge."

"Or a death sentence," Lin Mei muttered.

"We'll take our chances," Zhihao said, his voice firm.

Lin Mei looked at them, a flicker of admiration in her eyes. "You're either the bravest or the stupidest people I've ever met."

"Why not both?" Yunfei said with a laugh.