I quietly watched the sunlight at the mouth of the well. Outside, chaos was erupting—clearly, the people in the city had not forgotten what happened all those years ago.
I had never seen any officials in the city, yet everything was well maintained. Now I understood why—the officials no longer dared to come here.
For many, everything that happened in this small mountain city was nothing short of tragic.
When night fell and I stepped outside, the streets were in complete disarray, yet not a single person could be seen. I stared in disbelief at everything around me.
Everyone seemed to be hiding indoors, while the streets filled with more and more ghosts. Following the trail of Yin Energy, I arrived at the plaza in the city center—Cynthia Chung was there. It seemed things were repeating as they had back then; no one could leave this city, and anyone who tried was dragged back by the ghosts.
The Yin Energy around the city was incredibly dense. It had been overcast all day, but I still couldn't find a way out.
More and more ghosts gathered. Cynthia Chung, her body shrouded in darkness, sat atop the tall pole in the center of the plaza, watching the ghosts converge.
"All right, I've gathered you here tonight to announce something. Tonight, you may eat as much as you wish. Drag those people out and unleash everything inside you. Ghosts are meant to be evil—they're meant to eat people."
Cheers erupted, and ghosts of all kinds scattered in every direction. Not a trace of moonlight could be seen on this night; screams echoed throughout the city. I watched Cynthia Chung laugh wildly as people were dragged from their homes, their bodies torn open—men, women, the old, and the young alike.
Screams rose and fell across the city. I quietly watched it all—everything here was unbearably cruel, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
What's wrong? Aren't you going to eat?
Suddenly, Cynthia Chung noticed me and swooped down.
Eat people. As long as you do what I say, you'll gain great power. Only with great power can you survive—this is what it means to be a ghost.
Enough. Coexist.
I stared coldly at Cynthia Chung. Her expression flickered, then she burst out laughing and glanced back at me.
One day, you won't be able to stand it anymore.
I quietly looked around, the wailing never stopping. The coldness in killing Cynthia Chung was the same coldness Maurice Tong and Elder Quinn showed as humans. Even after death, though they could have helped her, they only tried to persuade her to forget.
The screams lasted until dawn. The entire city was thick with the stench of blood, severed limbs everywhere, and ghosts gnawing on them.
Thick clouds filled the sky, blocking out every trace of light.
I felt nothing—just a powerless figure in white, quietly walking the streets. At last, I remembered where I was. I looked toward the mountain outside the city; that was where I was born.