Himmlisches Buch Die große Leere

Kapitel 29

"You don't need to put that mirror on," Mona whispered in my arms. "I already looked in the mirror before you came." As she spoke, she looked up.

I didn't know what to say, and tears streamed down my face.

"Don't be like this, don't be sad for me. Although time is short, I'm really happy right now. This is the happiest I've ever been in my life." This girl, who should be receiving comfort from others, is comforting me at this moment.

"Mmm." I wiped my eyes and hugged her even tighter.

PART 3.

The night was deep.

Entering the dormitory, Xu Zhifei was still fast asleep, just like the night before. A white candle was still lit on the table, which was piled with messy books.

Exams are coming up soon, and I haven't been able to attend a single class properly lately, let alone study. Tomorrow we'll be entering the review period after school closures, but I also have to take care of Mengna during the day; she only has eight days left.

I took off my coat, sat on the stool, and took out my textbooks and notes from the drawer, starting to flip through them. Even last-minute cramming is better than nothing, and for this kind of exam-oriented education, last-minute cramming is often the most effective method. I was quite confident in my memory; even if I didn't get a high score, passing shouldn't be a problem.

The Fourth Campus: The Ghost Returns (2)

The winter night was cold.

The dormitory in the dark was unbearably cold; after sitting for less than ten minutes, one's hands and feet would stiffen. This dormitory, once brimming with friendship, now resembled a tomb, burying everything. Even the flickering candlelight on the table swayed back and forth, as if it might suddenly go out at any moment.

The north wind howled through the buildings on campus, making a "whooshing" sound, like the wailing of a wronged soul in the night. The flickering candlelight cast my shadow on the wall, twisting back and forth rhythmically.

The wind was getting stronger, and the sound it made as it passed through the buildings was getting louder, making it impossible for me to concentrate on my reading. I couldn't help but look out the window, but I couldn't see anything except my reflection in the glass.

In the flickering candlelight, my face, reflected in the glass, appeared eerily strange and sinister, sometimes bright and sometimes dark.

"I looked at myself..." Meng Li's words echoed in my ears once again. Suddenly, I saw my reflection in the windowpane move unusually.

I rubbed my eyes, and he rubbed his too. I suddenly remembered that the reflection in the mirror should indeed move like me, and I breathed a slight sigh of relief. Just as I was about to continue reviewing, my reflection in the glass seemed to reveal a strange smile again.

The candle flame flickered incessantly, wisps of smoke rising from the wick. I reached out and waved my hand at my reflection in the glass, and he reached out and waved his hand back at me.

I felt something was off about that image. I waved my hand, staring at it intently... Suddenly I realized—the image in the glass was my other hand outstretched!

I froze, my scalp tingling. Then, he withdrew his hand, slowly stood up from the stool, a sinister smile on his face, and then made a throat-slitting motion at his own neck.

All of this is exactly the same as what was recorded in Meng Li's suicide note!

I struggled to my feet, stumbled to the window, and pushed it open.

The howling north wind cut my face like a sharp blade, blew through the window, and extinguished the candle on the table.

There was nothing outside the window, only a few streetlights casting a dim light.

They swayed from side to side, making a "creaking" sound. Just then, a figure flashed past under the streetlights in the girls' dormitory area.

Long, flowing hair, a white dress! It's her again—that mysterious woman who repeatedly appears in my nightmares and in reality! She appeared yesterday, and today someone died in the reading room. So, who is she looking for today?

I dare not think about it anymore, nor do I want to. I will never go out and chase after her like I did yesterday. Yes, I am scared!

I slammed the window shut, plopped down on the bed, and felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. I kept asking myself: Was I dreaming again? I couldn't distinguish between dreams and reality!

PART 4.

It was another gloomy morning; yesterday's azure sky was now covered by thick clouds. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and realized I had slept all night against the headboard.

I opened the window, and the stuffy air in the dormitory made me feel very uncomfortable. I stuck my head out the window and took a deep breath of fresh air, and my nose immediately felt sore and itchy.

"Achoo!" I couldn't help but sneeze. It seems I caught a chill last night.

After washing up, I went to the hospital to see Mengna, just like yesterday.

Walking on campus, I suddenly felt something was off. I couldn't describe the feeling in words, but I was sure that something had happened on campus again.

In the past, I might have doubted that I was being neurotic, but today, I have great faith in my sixth sense. As Reiko Maeda said, people who are in a certain environment for a long time will have a sixth sense that is beyond ordinary people.

I looked up at the sky; the heavy, overlapping clouds seemed ready to fall, creating a suffocating, oppressive atmosphere. Two girls walked towards me, then brushed past me. They were whispering amongst themselves. Fear and unease were visible on their faces. I stopped and turned to look at their retreating figures, the fleeting white shadow from last night flashing through my mind again.

"Excuse me, wait a minute!" I caught up with them.

"What do you want?" The two girls looked at me with surprise.

"Excuse me, I'd like to ask what you're talking about?" I asked politely, or at least I thought I was very polite.

They looked me up and down with curious eyes, and one of them, with a ponytail, said, "What are we talking about? Why should we tell you?"

I was taken aback, unsure how to answer her. Just then, another short-haired girl tugged at her ponytail and said, "Let's go, ignore him."

"Wait, you guys should know about the suicide that happened in the girls' dormitory a little over a month ago, right?" I tried to use a quick remark to keep them engaged, and as I expected, the girl with the ponytail paused, then suddenly yelled at me:

"What's it to you!"

The woman with the short hair also looked flustered, constantly tugging at her ponytail and urging her to leave quickly.

"Of course it's related to me," I said. "I've been investigating the reasons for her suicide; I'm Lin Yuan."

"Lin Yuan? You're the scoundrel who drove her to her death!" "Ponytail" slapped me across the face.

I suddenly realized she looked familiar… Oh, I remember now, she was the girl who yelled at me at the scene of Lingmin's suicide attempt. I wanted to explain, but the two of them had already walked away.

"Her name is Xu Silu, and she's Lingmin's classmate," a familiar voice came from behind, "and she's also Lingmin's roommate."

That's Lin Musen.

"It's been a long time," he patted my shoulder, "and a lot has happened lately."

"It has indeed been a long time," I said. "Our last meeting was probably to investigate the 'corpse theft' case."

Lin Musen chuckled. "Hehe, your memory is really good." He then introduced the girl with the ponytail, "She and Lingmin always had a good relationship. After Lingmin lost her mind, she always thought it was your fault."

The Fourth Campus: The Ghost Returns (3)

I shrugged helplessly. "No wonder she got so excited when Lingmin was mentioned. By the way, what was her name again?"

"Xu Silu, what's wrong?"

"Xu Silu, Silu, could it be her?"

"You know she's hostile towards you, so why did you still provoke her?"

"Provoke her?"

"I saw it all just now. You went straight for a beating," Lin Musen laughed.

"Oh, I didn't recognize her. I saw the two of them talking mysteriously, so I called them over to ask what was going on." I glanced at the overcast sky. "I have a bad feeling. Something must have happened in the girls' dormitory last night."

Lin Musen's smile faded. "Your hunch was right. Last night, another ghost appeared in Girls' Dormitory No. 3!"

How did you know?

Lin Musen didn't answer my question. "Not many people know about this, but it won't be long before the whole school is abuzz with news. Panic will strike again because the ghost has reappeared, and everything will be just like it was three years ago..."

"I want to ask, you're not a girl, how do you know there's a ghost in Girls' Building 3?"

"Don't forget I'm also a member of the Séance Society. How could I not have a premonition when ghosts appeared?"

I was taken aback, then asked, "Did you see 'her' too last night?"

Lin Musen smiled at me and said, "You're the one who saw 'her,' right?"

I nodded. "Yes, she keeps appearing in my dreams and in reality."

"A dream? Are you sure?"

I shook my head in anguish. "I don't know if it was a dream or reality."

"I heard from Maeda Reiko that Meng Na is dying," Lin Musen changed the subject.

When I heard the name Meng Na, my heart felt incredibly heavy. Lin Musen said:

"I heard you really like this girl."

I didn't say anything, and I didn't know what to say.

Lin Musen patted my shoulder again, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It doesn't matter."

"Alright, go see her at the hospital as soon as possible and spend more time with her. I have other things to do, I'll come see you again in a while, but before I leave, I'd like to give you some advice."

"What?"

"This is just my personal suggestion," Lin Musen emphasized the word "personal," "Forget everything that happened around you in the past; that will be more helpful to you."

"Forget? That's easier said than done."

"Give it a try, you can do it. Of course, learning to forget is harder than learning to remember; you'll need a strong will. To be honest, I don't want to come looking for you anytime soon, especially because of what's about to happen."

"What are you talking about?!"

Lin Musen smiled again. "I can't tell you now, and telling you wouldn't help anyway. You'll find out eventually. If you accept my advice and work hard, this won't happen, and you'll soon be able to unravel the mysteries around you. I want to help you, but this is all I can do. I hope that one day you'll understand me." With that, he waved to me and left without looking back.

PART 5.

On the way to the hospital, I kept thinking about Lin Musen's words. He seemed to know a lot, but why didn't he just tell me? Did Maeda Reiko know even more than him? What was she hiding from me? Why were they keeping it from me? Was it simply to prevent me from getting into trouble? I thought that was unlikely. I was already deeply involved. I kept having hallucinations and had become a suspect in a series of events. Logically, they should have told me the truth or some clues as soon as possible and helped me find the answers. What was there to hide?

I dare not think any further, for fear of going insane. When you have no one around you you can trust, wouldn't you go crazy?

There's an old saying: in this world, the only person who can truly help you is yourself. So from now on, I shouldn't rely on anyone anymore; I need to unravel these clues myself. At least, a key figure has appeared—Xu Silu. She knows a little about Lingmin's affairs; starting with her might lead us to Zhang Xueyao, who cursed Lingmin years ago. I don't know what word to use to describe this so-called Zhang Xueyao—a ghost or a spirit? If she truly is a ghost, then let her reveal her true form and get to the bottom of things. If we can find her, we might be able to find out how the real Zhang Xueyao died, and perhaps even unravel the mystery of "seeing another version of myself" in Meng Li's suicide note.

As I walked along, lost in thought, I unknowingly arrived at the hospital. Just as I stepped into the inpatient ward, I encountered Dr. Liu, Mengna's attending physician.

"You've come at the right time; I was just about to go to the school to find you." Dr. Liu grabbed my hand.

"Is it urgent?" My heart clenched instantly.

"Last night, the nurses found Mengna missing during rounds."

"ah!"

"She's missing. We've searched the entire hospital, but we haven't found her. We don't know if she's gone back to school."

Without saying a word, I turned and ran towards the school.

PART 6.

As dusk fell, Mengna was still nowhere to be found. They had asked almost all of her classmates, but none of them had seen her.

Night gradually enveloped the entire campus, and I wandered alone outside that forbidden area, recalling the time I took a walk here with Mengna.

Mengna, where are you?

"Lin Yuan, you stop right there!" A woman's voice came from behind me. When I turned around, I suddenly saw a flash of cold light. Instinctively, I lowered my head and grabbed a hand holding a fruit knife.

"Xu Silu!" I called out.