The two walked back a short distance, bringing another stretch into view.
In the darkness to the left of the second-floor entrance, where the footprints led, several people had appeared, along with things that had no business being there.
A refrigerator.
A television.
An air conditioner.
A sofa.
A dining table.
Furniture and appliances that belonged in a family living room had appeared out of thin air in the open space.
And at the dining table.
A family of five, old and young, sat gathered around it.
Their faces were indistinct, but their builds suggested two elderly people, an adult man and woman, and a little girl around ten years old.
They appeared to be celebrating the little girl's birthday.
There was a birthday cake on the table with candles stuck into it, and a few words written on top.
But the candles were unlit.
The words were illegible, too.
In the darkness.
The group clapped cheerfully, swaying their heads to a rhythm, seemingly singing a birthday song. Yet there was neither singing nor laughter.
The whole scene resembled a ridiculous silent mime.
"Fuck."
"We've run into an evil spirit."
Xu Yanxing's hair stood on end, and he couldn't help tightening his grip on his machete several times.
He couldn't sense it.
He couldn't sense any supernatural fluctuations in that area.
To his Supernatural Perception, that spot was completely empty. Yet his eyes could clearly see people there.
That profound sense of wrongness.
Filled him with an unease unlike anything he had ever felt.
"We both saw it, so it's not a hallucination. This is a supernatural phenomenon, but there's no supernatural aura."
"That can only mean one thing."
"It's more terrifying than we can imagine."
"That's why we can't sense it."
Yao Hu's expression was dark and equally grim.