364 A Man in Red

 

Walking out from the bedroom with the death portrait, Han Fei still had some questions but he believed those questions would be answered when he met with the child’s real parents. Han Fei believed Lai Sheng’s parents were still inside Room 4064. Han Fei returned to the living room and saw his reflections in the many mirrors. He walked towards the mother’s bedroom.

“Please don’t wake mommy.” The boy jogged towards Han Fei and stopped his path again. This boy was young but extremely stubborn. That stubbornness might be buried within him since he was young, if he was not given correct guidance and protection, the seed might grow into something scary.

“Actually I came to your home to look for something I have lost. Don’t worry, I absolutely mean no harm, I promise to not wake up your mother.” Han Fei knelt down and said in a persuasive voice. “I will only push the door a gap to look. If the person I’m looking for is not here, I will leave immediately.” The boy didn’t budge and Han Fei’s smile picked up a trace of sadness. His acting was perfect, it was not overly saccharine but it was not fake either, it was just enough for the boy to sense the pain behind the smile, “You’ve been waiting for your father and I’ve been waiting for my child. You should be able to understand the pain of that waiting, right?”

Hearing Han Fei’s words, the boy’s outstretched arms slowly lowered, “Your child has gone somewhere faraway as well?” Taking in a soft breath, Han Fei still had a gentle smile on his face but anyone would be able to see the tortured soul behind that smile.

“As you said, tonight is the Night of Resurrection. My child is back too but I realize he has gone missing.” Han Fei was an adult but an adult’s helplessness would be able to touch a child’s heart even more.

The boy’s lips stretched into a thin line and in the end, he stepped away. “You have to promise me not to make any noise to wake up mommy. She has prepared a whole year for this day. If daddy fails to come home because of us, she will be very sad and angry.” The boy had something that was extremely rare at Ziggurat, kindness.

As if he was still worried about Han Fei, the boy sneaked to his mother’s bedroom door. He grabbed the door handle and eased it open with the lightest touch. Han Fei’s heart rose to his throat too. He was finally going to meet the real owner of Room 4064. He hoped that the increased 10 points in friendliness would come in useful. Lai Sheng and Han Fei stared transfixed at the door handle. Just as the door was about to open, knocking suddenly came from the living room door!

The sound frightened Han Fei. The boy quickly let go. His pale face colored with excitement, he cheered softly, “Is that daddy?!”

He abandoned the bedroom door, and pulled Han Fei back to the living room. The knocking wasn’t that loud, it echoed clearly mainly because the room was too silent.

A few seconds later, Han Fei noticed something unique about the rhythm of the knocking. The person first knocked using their fingers and then slammed with their palms. There was a squishing sound when they slammed against the door like their hands were wet with something. “Does that sound like your father knocking?”

“No, father rarely knocks, he often walks in directly, exclaiming he’s home.”

“Then this might not be your father. The ritual might have summoned something else.”

“Someone like you?”

“No, I’m not here due to the ritual, I already work at this building.” Han Fei had the boy hide behind him as he approached the living room door. “If we allow the person to keep on knocking, they’ll attract the attention of other tenants.” Han Fei leaned against the door and looked out through the peephole. There was a man who stood outside. He kept his head lowered and he wore all red!

‘A Soul Chaser?’ Han Fei had seen many strange people in red clothes when he played the Ziggurat game, he even took the same elevator booth with them.

“Let me see.” The boy requested with anticipation. Han Fei hugged the boy up to reach the peephole. Lai Sheng looked for a long time and the anticipation on his face turned into fear, “That’s not daddy!”

“Are you sure? His head is lowered, so we can’t really see his face.”

“I’m sure.” The boy nodded firmly.

“Then we shouldn’t open the door for him. We should hide in the living room for now.” Han Fei suggested when the knocking suddenly stopped.

“Has the man left?”

“Let me see.” The knocking had stopped but instead it was replaced by a softer yet more sinister sound. Han Fei looked through the peephole. The man in red had indeed disappeared, but Han Fei could see another clear set of footprints in the ash on the ground. The bowl of white rice had been messed with. The rice was dyed red like it had been mixed with blood or red paint.

“He seems to have left.” Han Fei sighed in relief. He was very averse to Soul Chasers. These people appeared to have been drained of all their humanity, they were completely dominated by the Ziggurat. Turning around, Han Fei was about to lead the boy back to the living room when he saw the boy was looking above him with his neck tilted up at an impossible angle.

‘Why is he looking up? The soul ladder!’ Han Fei instantly knew the problem. He looked above him and a man covered in blood was crawling through the window above the door. He was stuck to the ceiling like a giant lizard!

The face covered with Death Curse glared at Han Fei and Lai Sheng. His jaws unhinged and a bloody tongue lashed towards Lai Sheng’s neck!

“Go to your mom’s bedroom!” Han Fei pushed the boy away and cut at the tongue with Rest in Peace! The shining blade slashed through the man’s tongue easily. The whole process lasted not longer than the blink of an eye. The cut off tongue wiggled on the ground like an eel. The red clothed man’s face slowly turned around to look at Han Fei. He didn’t expect his tongue would be so easily disposed of by a blade. The wound that was made by Rest in Peace couldn’t be healed by the Death Curse either. While the red-clothed man was startled, Han Fei picked up the boy and ran to the living room.

“Go tell your mommy, the ritual has summoned something else! A ghost has entered your home!”

The boy was hoping to see his father but instead of his father, he saw a red-clothed monster. The boy rushed to his mother’s bedroom but no matter how hard he twisted the door handle, the door refused to open.

To buy more time for the boy, Han Fei stood between the boy and the red-clothed man. The ghost tattoo on his body radiated with yin energy and a giant cat monster with 9 lives surfaced on his back.