I watched anxiously. Sure enough, after recovering, the Desire Fiend began circling the great pit and headed straight for us. Old Ray started running too, moving at incredible speed.
But after a few minutes, the distance between the Desire Fiend and us began to shrink.
When we made it back to the other side of the forest, the Desire Fiend was already right behind us. Suddenly, Mr. Blackmask appeared ahead, waving at us before sprinting in our direction.
My eyelids trembled uncontrollably. I was exhausted.
"Get some sleep, Qingyuan. It's fine. If you can rest, do it now. When daylight comes, you'll have to get up again, and there won't be another chance to sleep."
As he spoke, a thunderous crash erupted behind us. I turned to look—this time, Mr. Blackmask had smashed both legs of the Desire Fiend. Old Ray and I found ourselves on the opposite side of the Desire Fiend again.
Old Ray carried me, and after circling the great pit three times, the Desire Fiend unexpectedly stopped. I stared at it in surprise. It glared at us with predatory eyes, pacing back and forth, its steps hesitant.
"Now you can sleep in peace, Qingyuan."
I didn't refuse Old Ray's kindness. I closed my eyes and gradually fell asleep.
"What are you chasing after, Zhang Qingyuan?"
A voice rang out. I looked around in surprise, gazing at myself and at this world split between white and black. In the darkness, a pair of golden eyes shone, accompanied by a solemn sound.
"What exactly is going on?"
"Humans and ghosts—they are opposites, yet both are essential. Do you think this is right? Should it exist?"
That voice asked again. I didn't know how to answer. The golden eyes drew closer, arriving at the place where black and white intertwined. I saw clearly—a figure entirely shrouded in darkness, with black mist swirling around him.
"Is it you? The part of me that's a ghost, inside my body?"
The golden-eyed figure nodded.
"Answer me, Ethan Zhang—is all this existence reasonable?"
I looked at him seriously, then nodded, and shook my head.
"Is that so? Reasonable, yet unreasonable. When people die, they linger in the living world and become ghosts. Ghosts filled with resentment and malice harm the living, and people, in turn, learn ways to fight back. For centuries, humans and ghosts have always been at odds. And you, Ethan Zhang, take a good look."
The golden-eyed figure spoke. I looked down and saw I was standing right at the border between black and white.
"Black is black, white is white—isn't that right?"
I shook my head.
"I am who I am. What does it matter if I'm black or white? It's all just people becoming ghosts, ghosts becoming people. I believe that one day, humans and ghosts will find a way to coexist. After all, I have many friends—human and ghost alike. They're all my friends."
"Is that so? That's your answer. Heh, I'm looking forward to what comes next."
Suddenly, with a violent jolt, I opened my eyes. Old Ray was sprinting.
"Ethan, something's wrong."
I let out a cry. Suddenly, I realized the huge pit in front of me had shrunk. I rubbed my eyes—it wasn't an illusion. The crater, which had been at least a kilometer wide, now looked only a few hundred meters across.
The Desire Fiend was already closing in. Old Ray was panting, his feet pounding the ground as he ran.
"The Desire Fiend is catching up to us," Old Ray said, as clouds of dust rose behind us and the rumbling grew louder. The Desire Fiend was right on our heels.
"Head for the woods. We've made it through a third already—dawn is coming soon."