Himmlisches Buch Die große Leere

Kapitel 5

Reiko Maeda frowned, then suddenly looked up. "Are you really not going to regret it?"

I said seriously, "I don't regret it. I want to find out the truth of the matter, and it's not just out of curiosity..."

"Yes," she interrupted me, "I know there's another reason why you're so eager to join, and that's because of Mengna."

I chuckled. "Yes, that's right. I'm becoming more and more convinced of your abilities now, hahaha."

PART 4.

silence.

Reiko Maeda and I stared silently at the cups in our hands.

Soft music filled the café, punctuated by occasional whispers from the neighbors. But what I felt was a chilling silence.

Actually, I was very clear about the consequences of getting involved in this. Although the diary entries weren't that bizarre, I at least believed my own eyes—the image I saw in Maeda Reiko's eyes when we first met, the strange "person" that couldn't be seen in a mirror.

I lit another cigarette; smoking seemed to have become my way of relieving my psychological fear.

Reiko Maeda sat motionless for a long time, her long, dark hair obscuring her face, making her appear eerily unsettling in the dim light. As I stubbed out my cigarette, she suddenly looked up. "Alright, since you've made your decision, then you're very welcome. I think those who have already died will be grateful to you."

I achieved my goal, but I wasn't happy at all.

"Thank you, thank you for accepting me."

"You don't need to thank me; my decision will only put you in a more dangerous situation."

I changed the subject, "So, can you tell me what you know now?"

The Fourth Campus: Mind Reading (3)

"Yes, even if you didn't ask, I would tell you that you need to understand this in order to deal with dangerous situations."

"I will listen carefully."

Reiko Maeda pondered for a moment, then began to recount this unanswered story. "Nami Ikeda's autopsy report stated that she had anesthetic in her system; she likely died from a hallucination, a terrifying one. But she had no history of taking or inhaling anesthetic drugs, and there were no signs of a struggle at the scene. I believe she most likely inhaled a gas containing anesthetic components unknowingly. I suspect it was homicide, and the police share this suspicion, but they haven't been able to find any evidence, not even a trace. After that, two more people died in that forest."

"The same cause of death?"

"No, different causes of death; those two people committed suicide."

"Suicide?" I asked. "That's not really related to Nami Ikeda's death, is it?"

"That's what I thought at first too, but Lin Yuan-kun, have you ever considered why that forest became a paradise of death ever since Meng Li disappeared? Is it just a coincidence?"

"Yes, it is indeed very strange." I shrugged. "So, do you have any leads now?"

"No, the only clue might be in that mysterious red brick house, the one Ikeda Nami mentioned in her diary. But for many years, no one has found it. After the academy closed off the woods, it became even more impossible to find. Many people have begun to doubt Ikeda Nami's account."

"Yes, it does sound a bit like a fairy tale."

Even I started to have doubts. If it weren't for that strange feeling I had when I saw Meng Li, I might have given up on investigating.

I checked.

"So, all the leads have gone cold? There's no way to find out anything more?"

"No," said Reiko Maeda, "Do you remember what happened when we first made our promise at the 'Clock Tower'?"

"Of course I remember, I even dreamed about it."

"I've experienced that more than once. Whenever I try to sneak into that grove, that mysterious shadow appears."

Hearing this, I felt a chill run down my spine. "No wonder you told me that day it was a warning. It's a pity I only saw a blurry outline in your eyes. You wouldn't let me look back. And why can't I see myself in the mirror?"

"There's a reason I didn't let you turn around. I don't want that figure to see your face."

Why? What would happen if he saw it?

"You will be overwhelmed by fear."

"Is that person really that terrifying?"

"That's not human. It's not human at all."

I gasped. "Could it be... a ghost?"

"It's not that simple. That figure is Nami Ikeda."

"What? Nami Ikeda? Wasn't she dead?" I exclaimed in horror.

"Yes, it's strange, she looks exactly like Nami Ikeda."

Are you sure you're not seeing things?

"I'm absolutely not mistaken, I trust my own eyes."

"How could that be? Unless it's the ghost of Nami Ikeda, do ghosts really exist in this world?"

“That’s not a ghost,” Maeda Reiko said. “It absolutely couldn’t be a ghost. Have you forgotten Meng Li’s suicide note? It mentioned someone who looked exactly like her.”

"Do you suspect that Nami Ikeda also experienced the same event as Meng Li, and encountered another version of herself?"

"Yes."

"But how is that possible? So many years have passed, and 'she' is only now appearing? When was the first time you saw that person?"

"When I went to that grove to investigate Nami's death, I couldn't see her clearly. I only saw a blurry outline. The fog was very thick that evening, and whenever I tried to enter the grove to look for the mysterious red brick house, she would appear with a hideous face. It was definitely not the Nami I knew, even though she looked exactly like Nami."

PART 5.

"I saw another version of myself in the real world, a 'me' that wanted to kill me. The first time I saw it, I couldn't believe my eyes, couldn't believe what I was seeing was real, until she grinned menacingly as she walked towards me and grabbed my neck! Is there really anything more terrifying in the world? Watching 'myself' take my life right before my eyes!"

I kept repeating those words from Meng Li's suicide note in my mind, and the image of "Ikeda Nami" in the woods appeared before my eyes. Everything was so unbelievable; I felt like I had been taken to another world, a borderline between life and death, a terrifying world shrouded in dark clouds.

I can't believe this is real. If I hadn't personally experienced the clock tower incident that Maeda Reiko called a "warning," I would have thought the woman sitting in front of me was crazy.

"In her suicide note, Meng Li mentioned a woman like herself, saying that this woman killed her," I said. "And you also noticed that this woman looked melancholy. I don't understand, why would the woman who killed Meng Li—since she had already fulfilled her wish to live in Meng Li's place—be melancholy?"

"Those are all Nami's speculations. I can't be sure if the woman we saw in the woods was the other 'me' mentioned in Meng Li's suicide note."

"Then you can't be sure that Mengna is...?"

"I have a feeling that Mengna didn't come here just to study," Maeda Reiko said. "She might also be here to investigate the truth behind her sister's disappearance. However, once someone tries to investigate this incident, terrifying things will happen on campus; it's as if there's always a pair of eyes watching everything here." She smiled at me, "Your dormmates often go towards the forbidden area, and that pair of eyes is watching you too."

"I find it strange, how did you know so much about our actions?"

"There's nothing strange about it. I didn't notice any of this at first, but when I saw that figure that looked so much like Nami Ikeda again, I knew someone was checking the restricted area, because she always comes out to warn people whenever someone does that. Sure enough, you were peeking around at the entrance to the restricted area. You know, less than a week after you started school, I ran into that figure again by the wall of the restricted area."

The Fourth Campus: Mind Reading (4)

"I have another question: Does the spirit world really exist? After a person dies, does the soul truly exist?"

Reiko Maeda smiled. "The soul is a kind of energy, and this energy can transmit information and communicate with it; this is called 'spiritual communication.' However, it's not convenient to tell you about this right now, and you don't need to be curious; I'll tell you sooner or later. Also, there's a legend that not many people know, a legend that circulates on campus, a legend that has gradually faded from people's memories as alumni graduate."

"The rumors circulating on campus? Are they related to our incident?"

Reiko Maeda shook her head. "I don't know if there's a connection either. Meng Li's disappearance and Nami Ikeda's death both happened shortly after that legend."

"What kind of legend is that?"

"A female ghost."

"A female ghost? Could it be Nami Ikeda again?"

"No, it was the female ghost that Ikeda Nami saw before she died. I hadn't entered school yet at the time. I only heard that Nami and another girl had liked the same boy, and Nami won, so the girl committed suicide. That's why Nami started the séance club. She couldn't stand being harassed by the ghost all the time, and she wanted to destroy it! After that, people died one after another in that forest. The reason for this remains unsolved to this day. There's no evidence to prove it's related to murder. The police closed all the cases as suicides, citing mental instability as the reason, because the deceased all looked terrified."

She took a sip of her coffee and continued, "I went to the scene of the incident. It was very messy, and there seemed to be signs of a struggle, which contradicts the police's conclusion of suicide."

"If that's the case, why is it still ruled a suicide?"

"I thought so too, but the police autopsy report stated that the injuries were caused by the deceased, meaning that the deceased was fighting with himself."

"Fighting against oneself? Killing oneself? I've never heard of committing suicide this way before."

"Theoretically, it's not impossible. If the deceased suffered from paranoia, this could indeed happen. Imagine imagining yourself as two different people, fighting with the other. You should know that schizophrenic patients sometimes talk to themselves. Nami was suspected of having schizophrenia and received treatment. Another possibility is that she inhaled a hallucinogenic anesthetic, leading to terrifying hallucinations. Strangely, no drug residue was found in her body later."

As she finished speaking, the candle on the table burned out, a wisp of smoke rising. I looked around and realized it was just the two of us left. She glanced at her watch and said to me, "It's getting late. Wait for my call in the dorm the night after tomorrow. There are many things we can't say here; we're being watched all the time. Tomorrow, go and find out about that campus legend, and the day after, give me your thoughts on it."

PART 6.

After breaking up with Reiko Maeda, I went straight back to my dorm. My roommates were already asleep. After washing up, I went to bed as well.

Lying in bed, I tossed and turned, somewhat regretting getting involved in the investigation. I couldn't deny that I was starting to get scared, but what's done is done, and I had no choice but to keep going.

I mentally went over everything that Reiko Maeda had said today, but I still had no clue. The whole incident was shrouded in mystery.

The Fourth Campus: A Terrifying Experience in the Corridor (1)

PART 1.

I slept fitfully all night and woke up early the next morning. Rain was falling outside, and my head was throbbing. I hadn't slept well last night; the series of bizarre events that had happened recently, as well as the séance log, kept flashing through my mind. I didn't have classes in the morning, so I quickly washed up and rushed to the student union office to search for information about the terrifying "legend" that Maeda Reiko had mentioned yesterday.

The office was empty. I opened the cabinet where the student associations department kept its documents and found the work log from two years ago among a thick stack of folders. I carefully flipped through each page and only found this one valuable report:

Meng Li's disappearance remains unsolved, and the Séance Society seems to be continuing its investigation. This unrecognized group is under the attention of the hospital, but so far, there is still no evidence of its activities, making it impossible to take action. With the recent mysterious death of Ikeda Nami, the investigation into this organization has become even more difficult. Currently, aside from knowing that Ikeda Nami was a key figure in the organization, virtually nothing is known about it. Yesterday, another person died in that forest; the deceased is likely a member of the Séance Society, therefore, we request information about the deceased to facilitate further investigation.

The report was poorly written, with many corrections, clearly a draft. I tried to find the final version, but to no avail, which only made my thoughts more confused.

The college's club affairs department is investigating séances, and I'm eager to know the reason behind it. So, I called Reiko Maeda, but she was in class.

I paced back and forth in my office, racking my brains, trying to make sense of things. Just then, Hu Xiaoli pushed open the door and walked in. She was the captain of the dance team in the student club department, a year ahead of me, and a student majoring in dentistry. She was quite pretty and very easygoing.

"Hey, Minister, what national affairs are you pondering with that furrowed brow?" Hu Xiaoli joked.

"No way!" I laughed. "Just spacing out."

Hu Xiaoli put down her bag. "Our dance troupe needs to hold a rehearsal to prepare for the National Day performance. Could you help me find a training venue?"

"Of course you can. But why don't you just talk to the secretary of the Youth League Committee?"

"You have to submit a report to the Party Secretary, so I just came to you. Everyone knows you can write this kind of thing with ease."

"Oh, you want me to write your application report?"

"Just consider it a favor. Once the venue is approved, we'll treat you to dinner."

"Let's skip the meal, but could you do me a favor?" I thought of the older students in the dance team and wanted to learn about the legend through Hu Xiaoli.

"What can I do to help? As long as it's within my power, no problem." Hu Xiaoli was always so straightforward.

I thought for a moment, then said seriously, "However, you must keep this a secret and not tell any third party."

"Hey, what's all the mystery about?"

"I'll tell you if you promise to keep it a secret."

Hu Xiaoli blinked and nodded, "Okay, go ahead and tell me, I promise I'll keep it a secret."