Chapter 13 Sophia’s Castle (11) (Revised)

Chapter 13: Sophia's Castle (Part Eleven) (Revised)

He opened his eyes to the same familiar place.

Shi Wu didn't even bother turning his head. He knew that stuffed rabbit, the one that had pounced on him last time, was surely sitting beside him again.

But he was growing increasingly agitated now.

Because at this moment, only the slightly shorter rabbit remained at the room's doorway, which also meant there was only one more round of hide-and-seek left.

Shi Wu's fingertips trembled slightly. He didn't know how to win this round. He had been hiding all along, yet no matter what, the rabbits always found him. Shi Wu was almost starting to suspect if some kind of tracking system had been secretly planted on him.

Moreover, he still didn't understand what the rabbit plushie meant by "not being found."

Was there a time limit to this game? No, probably not, because in the last round, he himself had no idea how long he had wandered around that mental hospital.

So, if there was no clear criterion for ending the game, weren't these rabbit plushies just toying with him? Because given enough time, no matter where he hid, he would eventually be found.

He was still lost in thought when the little rabbit at the doorway suddenly moved.

Unlike the previous two, it didn't turn its back and cover its eyes to start the next round. Instead, it actually turned around. Its expressionless cloth face stared at him, and then it walked towards Shi Wu and stopped across the table.

Shi Wu held his breath.

Then, bit by bit, he watched as the rabbit plushie in front of him, like a baby just learning to crawl, slowly climbed onto the table, then crawled toward Shi Wu on all fours.

It wore a pink-and-white dress. The style was too pristine and neat, as if brand new, just taken out of a gift box. The hem was adorned with delicate lace and ruffles, the kind little girls like.

Too clean. That wasn't right.

The front of the dress bore a print. At first glance, it was a group of cartoon rabbits chasing and playing.

But when Shi Wu narrowed his eyes for a closer look, his heart sank heavily.

On the left side of that cute dress, there was a rabbit wearing a white shirt, its face twisted in anger, fangs bared, chasing another rabbit wearing a white floral dress. The latter was running, its skirt fluttering, but Shi Wu suddenly realized the "floral" pattern on the dress wasn't flowers.

They were bloodstains.

The red spots were splattered across the dress like bursts of blood. The rabbit's face wasn't smiling; it was wailing and covered in blood.

And the right side of the pattern was even more bizarre.

A rabbit wearing a man's black tuxedo held a gleaming silver knife in its hand. Its face was covered by a full rabbit mask, with only two bottomless black holes where eyes should be.

It was chasing another rabbit wearing a dress.

That rabbit's face was twisted in terror, its eyes almost splitting to the roots of its ears, its mouth wide open but emitting no sound, as if screaming wildly and silently.

The entire pattern on the dress wasn't "play" at all.

It was a complete and utter massacre.

And the rabbit sitting on the table was wearing such a dress.

It drew closer.

Two fingers, covered in dust and some inexplicable dark red stains, slowly extended and pressed against Shi Wu's cheeks.

The plush texture was abnormally cold, like a corpse long dead.

Shi Wu instinctively wanted to dodge, but found he couldn't move anything but his eyeballs. It was as if his body had been filled with molten lead, unable to budge an inch.

The rabbit leaned in, its cloth face almost touching his. It didn't open its mouth, but that spine-chilling voice rang out:

"Big brother... you'll keep playing with me, won't you?"

That voice... he had heard it before. The little girl's voice from the stairwell.

Sophia?

He tried to make a sound, even just a breath. But he couldn't move. He could only watch helplessly as the other raised both hands and gently pressed them over his eyes.

"Let's continue playing hide-and-seek."

"Count to three."

"Two—"

"One—"

Darkness surged like a tide, completely swallowing him.

"Round three of the hide-and-seek competition begins!"

Shi Wu blinked. It was now the 600th second since he arrived in this room. Lying on the bed, he looked at the familiar ceiling before him. Bright sunlight streamed in through the window, and he could occasionally hear what seemed like birdsong.

The door to the room was open. Faintly, he could hear the sounds of servants or the butler chatting and slacking off outside.

Very pleasant and leisurely. It would have been, if not for the fact that Shi Wu was inside a dungeon. Especially since this room was the one he stayed in on the first night.

Shi Wu squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then walked out of the room anyway. The air in the corridor was no longer that terrifying, stagnant dead silence, but filled with the breath of life. From downstairs came the busy sounds of pots and pans from the kitchen, along with voices, mingled with laughter, the tapping of heels on the floor, and the crisp tinkling of glass as chandeliers swayed gently.

He turned the corner of the corridor and walked down the stairs. The sunlight in the downstairs hall was just right. The windows were open, the wind carrying petals inside, yet not a trace of fragrance could be smelled.

A maid in a neat uniform was bending over, wiping the steps. Seeing him descend, she paused, immediately put down the cloth in her hand, and said with a smile, "Good morning, Mr. Bo. Did you rest well last night?"

Shi Wu gave a slight nod, perfectly playing the part of an arrogant, distinguished guest. In reality, it was just that Shi Wu found his mouth could barely open anymore. If there were a mirror now, he would surely discover that his entire mouth was filled with a clump of sticky black yarn.

Shi Wu's gaze fell on the center of the hall. A group of people had just finished setting the dining table there. It was probably nearing noon, as a circle of appetizers and cold dishes had already been quickly arranged on it.

He glanced around and realized more than one person was looking at him. Almost all the "people," upon noticing his appearance, involuntarily put down their tasks and kept staring at him. There was even a chef who stopped stir-frying the dish in hand, poked his head out, and waved.

Then the butler also called out from that direction, "Young man, don't just stand there. Mrs. Sullivan is waiting for you on the third floor!"

Only after Shi Wu turned around did those hundreds of gazes finally drop. Immediately, the entire castle returned to its bustling, orderly environment. Every detail was utterly ordinary and refined, even refined to the point of... like a meticulously polished stage set.

What sent chills down Shi Wu's spine wasn't just that. It was also that everyone here knew his name.

Although when the maid called him just now, he was momentarily stunned. Oh right, Shi Wu thought, his current name was Bo Yansigou.

The corner of Shi Wu's mouth twitched. This name, originally chosen to annoy Bao Yan, actually eased his tension a little at this moment, though he still couldn't smile.

Shi Wu walked step by step upstairs, his hand resting on the banister, unsure if he was truly awake or still trapped in a dream.

This castle seemed to be stuck in a time from the past. The decor was relatively new. Even the stairs to the third floor and those to the second floor were together, not blocked by that wall.

And now, he slowly stepped across these stairs.

As soon as he entered the third floor, a servant stopped him, "Mr. Bo? This way, please."

Eventually, the maid led Shi Wu a short distance and stopped before the redwood carved door. Shi Wu hesitated instinctively for two seconds, then knocked.

"Come in," a familiar yet unfamiliar voice sounded from inside.

He pushed the door open and entered; the maid withdrew, closing the door behind him. Mrs. Sullivan sat bathed in sunlight, with a huge oil painting behind her depicting what seemed to be a family of three, looking happy and harmonious—if one ignored the man's downturned mouth.

"You're finally awake," she said softly, setting down her cup and gesturing for him to sit, a smile slowly spreading across her lips.

"Welcome to the real game, Mr. Bo."

Mrs. Sullivan rose slowly, and only then did Shi Wu realize she was actually taller than him. Her skirt elegantly brushed the floor, fluttering like a dove's wings in the sunlight. She turned and walked toward the large oil painting, her slender fingers gently stroking the child's face, her tone tender and nostalgic.

"You know, I've always liked clever guests like you," she said, slowly turning her head back, her lips curving at a strange angle.

"Such a pity."

Boom!!

The window shattered.

There was no spray of glass, no howling wind rushing in—only red remained. The world outside the window was as if plunged into a blood-red night.

Shi Wu sprang to his feet, his chair toppling over with a sharp, shrieking sound. His pupils contracted violently.

The entire room was rotting.

Luxurious, elegant European-style furniture was now covered in bluish-black mold. The carpet faded and cracked, and the air filled with a corpse-like stench. The chandelier swayed, clattering, its lights extinguishing one by one until only a single bulb in the corner flickered weakly.

And Mrs. Sullivan, standing before the painting, suddenly trembled, then began to shake violently.

As if something were struggling to break free from beneath her skin. Her hands, adorned with pearl bracelets, convulsed, her finger bones elongating, her joints bending backward with a series of crisp cracking sounds.

"Don't you... want to play with me anymore?"

That familiar childlike voice rang out again—not from her throat, but directly in Shi Wu's mind.

Shi Wu's legs reacted almost instantly, and he bolted!

Behind him came the sound of violent tearing. Shi Wu didn't look back, only hearing the sound of fabric ripping and the soft, rapid pattering of small feet against the floor.

A glance back—

Mrs. Sullivan was gone.

In her place stood the rabbit doll wearing a pink-and-white childlike dress.

Its cloth eyes were fixed on him, its mouth split into a pale, wide grin, dragging a strand of torn human wig in its hand.

The rabbit charged toward him.

But it wasn't fast.

Its legs seemed fine while walking, but when running, it limped, its entire body wobbling like a wind-up toy, its center of gravity completely unstable. It was a rabbit doll with legs of uneven length.

Damn, if he couldn't outrun this crippled rabbit, he'd take Bao Yan's surname. Shi Wu cursed inwardly and turned to run.

He dashed wildly through the second floor, winding through long corridors, scrambling over bookshelves, nearly crashing into antique cabinets several times, avoiding a crash only by his quick reflexes.

The rabbit couldn't catch up, hopping clumsily, looking utterly ridiculous.

Finally, at a corner, Shi Wu shook off the crazed rabbit, yanked open the side staircase door leading to the first floor, and sprinted down the steps.

But the moment he landed, he froze.

The first-floor hall was no longer the peaceful dining room bathed in morning light, nor were there fragrant tea snacks or friendly smiles.

The once "enthusiastic servants" now stood motionless around the hall, like statues.

They had all changed.

Rabbit dolls, each wearing different human clothes. Some held mops, some carried trays, some balanced silverware, as if truly performing their duties.

They wore "smiles" on their "faces," but their eyes glowed a bright red.

"Intruder."

A low voice sounded from the center of the room.

"Capture him."

The hall instantly filled with a dense "tap-tap" sound—not just the sound of doll feet hitting the floor, but also the sound of doll limbs climbing on the walls. Shi Wu even saw several rabbits wearing black maid aprons contorting their limbs to crawl rapidly along the walls, making "heh-heh" sounds as they scurried toward him. It was a violent assault on the eyes.

Shi Wu: What in the hell is this dark rabbit-spider hybrid?

On the other side, Bao Yan stared at the scene before him, where Shi Wu was no longer present.

The abandoned mental hospital setting remained, but it was empty, as if Shi Wu's disappearance had merely erased an insignificant pixel.

Bao Yan's brow furrowed.

Where did he go?

He took a few steps forward, approaching the blurred, color-blended boundary. It was then that he noticed the "wall" was becoming unstable, flickering wildly like an old, malfunctioning screen.

The original mental hospital scene began to rapidly alternate and overlap with another setting.

It was an exquisitely decorated, sunlit castle hall, but filled with bizarrely shaped rabbit dolls.

The two spaces were overlapping.

Bao Yan's gaze sharpened. He couldn't make out Shi Wu's exact location, but he could catch a glimpse of a fast-moving, blurry shadow within that lively yet eerie castle scene.

Then, a strong tremor came from beneath his feet. Although his own space remained a silent ruin, he could clearly "feel" the aftershocks of the battle from the other side.

He saw Shi Wu's shadow being cornered by a large group of rabbits in the hall, with almost no way out.

Bao Yan's eyes quickly scanned the ruined castle around him.

Here, too, there was a decaying pillar, perfectly corresponding in position to a pillar beside the group of rabbits in Shi Wu's world.

It seemed he could intervene directly!

Without hesitation, Bao Yan rushed forward and slammed his shoulder hard against the nearby, teetering stone pillar!

—Meanwhile, on Shi Wu's side.

He had just been cornered by several "rabbit-spiders" crawling down from the wall and was about to force his way through when a loud crash suddenly echoed in his ears!

"CRACK—!!!"

He instinctively looked up and saw a massive, perfectly intact stone pillar beside him snap in half without warning and collapse with a thunderous crash!

The heavy stone landed precisely in the cluster of rabbits next to him, instantly crushing the most troublesome "giant spiders" and a crowd of rabbit servants into pulp. Cotton and shredded fabric exploded everywhere.

Shi Wu recoiled in shock, staring at the chaotic scene before him. After a moment of stunned silence, he immediately understood.

There was a third person in this place.

This person could not only see him but was also helping?

So—

Shi Wu couldn’t help but grin, a sly glint flashing in his eyes.

He no longer hesitated or ran around like a headless chicken. He glanced at the enormous crystal chandelier hanging from the hall’s ceiling, then deliberately made a beeline for the spot directly beneath it, naturally drawing a large group of pursuing rabbits behind him.

In his own layer of the world, Bao Yan grasped Shi Wu’s intention almost instantly.

He saw Shi Wu’s figure stop precisely at a certain location and then look upward.

Bao Yan’s gaze followed, landing on the long-extinguished, cobweb-covered remains of the chandelier above his own head. Without a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed a hefty slab of stone at his feet and hurled it with all his might at the chandelier’s suspension point!

"SNAP—!"

In Shi Wu’s world, the ornate crystal chandelier plummeted with a deafening crash, slamming down into the rabbit horde with immense force and sending rabbits flying in all directions.

Between them, no words were needed.

A single glance, a single movement—formed an almost terrifying, top-tier synergy.

Who was this person? Once he got out, he absolutely had to become sworn brothers with him!