The night was pitch - black. Kalle, Darlene, and Lucas, carrying torches, slowly stepped into the cellar beneath the clock tower. The rotten wooden ladder creaked with every step, as if each footfall was pounding on their hearts, creating a sense of dullness and oppression.
The clock tower, a symbol of the village, towered into the sky. However, beneath it lurked shadows unknown to anyone.
The door of the cellar was rusty. Lucas pulled it open with all his might. The chains slid to the ground, emitting a harsh clanging sound. The passage behind the door was pitch - black. The light of the torches couldn't penetrate the deep darkness. It seemed as if the entire cellar was a huge - mouthed monster, waiting for them to step into a trap.
"Are you sure there'll be clues here?" Lucas asked in a low voice, a hint of unease in his tone.
Kalle nodded and slowly walked down the stone steps. "Ivan's disappearance and Huck's transformation both point to the secrets beneath the clock tower."
Darlene tightened her grip on the crossbow bolts and looked around warily. The moss on the walls gave off a damp smell. The air was filled with a musty odor, and there was also a faint, barely perceptible smell of blood.
——
At the end of the cellar was a tightly closed stone door. Ancient symbols were engraved on it. These symbols seemed to be some kind of taboo marks, skewed and distorted, as if they were alive and quivering slightly in the firelight.
"These symbols..." Darlene stroked the stone door, frowning. "I've seen them in the ancient books of the village. It's said that they're marks for sealing evil spirits in ancient times."
Lucas sneered. "It seems this village has never been as peaceful as it appears."
Kalle ignored their conversation. He slowly raised the torch, bringing the fire close to the stone door. In an instant, the symbols seemed to be ignited, glowing a dark red all over. In the center of the stone door, a groove shaped like a human eye slowly rotated, staring straight at Kalle.
Darlene's fingers suddenly tightened. "Is this... an eye?"
Lucas took a step back. "What the hell is this?"
Kalle stared at the "eye," a strange palpitation welling up in his heart. The eye on the stone door seemed to be alive, rotating slightly, as if observing the reactions of each of them.
Suddenly, the stone door emitted a low rumbling sound and slowly opened inward. Kalle stepped in first. Behind him, Darlene and Lucas exchanged a glance and followed closely.
——
Behind the stone door was a spacious underground space. Decaying candlesticks were dotted on the walls. The remaining wax tears had solidified on the ground, telling the story of the passage of time. In the center stood a broken stone statue. The face of the statue was blurred, but its eyes were carved vividly, as if they could pierce through people's hearts.
At the foot of the statue were several weathered skeletons. The head of each skeleton was facing the statue, with a pious posture, as if they were conducting some kind of sacrifice.
Darlene crouched down and examined the skeletons carefully. "Before they died, these people seemed to be praying."
Lucas frowned. "Praying for what? To this evil statue?"
Kalle didn't say anything. His gaze fell below the statue. A thin trail of blood spread out from the base of the statue, extending deep into the cellar and disappearing into the darkness.
"Keep moving in," Kalle said, his voice cold and firm.
——
They walked along the trail of blood. Their footsteps echoed in the silent cellar, as if they had intruded into some forbidden place.
Suddenly, Kalle stopped in his tracks, his eyes suddenly focused. "There's someone."
Under the illumination of the firelight, a blurred figure was reflected on the stone wall ahead. The figure was extremely emaciated, hunched over, standing at the end of the passage with its back
turned to them, motionless.
"Who's there?" Lucas shouted harshly.
The figure didn't respond. Instead, it slowly raised its head, revealing half of its rotting side - face. Its eyes were empty, and the corners of its mouth slowly split open, revealing a strange smile. "You... have come too..."
Kalle frowned. "Ivan?"
But the next second, the figure instantly distorted and became blurred, like a ghostly image. It disappeared at the end of the passage with the wind.
Darlene tightened her grip on the crossbow bolts, her voice trembling slightly. "Was that Ivan?"
Kalle's eyes were dark and inscrutable. "Or... his afterimage."
Lucas gritted his teeth. "This place is getting weirder and weirder. We'd better leave as soon as possible."
Kalle's gaze fell ahead. At the end of the trail of blood was a dilapidated coffin. The chains on the coffin were broken, and the lid was slightly open. Vaguely, aincomplete corpse could be seen inside. Its hands were folded on its chest, and its fingernails were already pitch - black.
"Kalle..." Darlene reminded in a low voice, a hint of fear in her voice. "Don't get close."
But Kalle seemed not to hear. He slowly walked towards the coffin, his gaze attracted by something inside. He reached out and pushed the lid completely open.
In an instant, the air seemed to freeze. The corpse in the coffin suddenly opened its eyes. Those eyes were identical to the ones on the stone statue, empty and deep, as if they could suck in people's souls.
The corpse slowly sat up, the corners of its mouth splitting open, revealing a row of white teeth. It murmured in a low voice, "I've been waiting for you..."
Lucas's face turned deathly pale in an instant. He drew his silver blade. "It's alive!"
Darlene raised her crossbow. But she wasstunned to find that the corpse was approaching at a strange speed. In the blink of an eye, it was standing right in front of them.
Outside the coffin, countless shadows slowly emerged in the cellar. Blurred figures walked out of the darkness. They all wore the same smile on their faces, as if the entire cellar was a strange dream.
Kalle tightly gripped his short blade and said in a low voice, "Fight. Those who stay here are doomed."