The Secret of the Dusk Society

"Beijing Grand Theater..."

Wasn't that the theater where he had worked?

Chen Ling remembered the day he had been killed by a falling chandelier and transported to another world. There had supposedly been an earthquake that day... So had he really returned?

At the same time, a group of pedestrians stopped and pointed at the screen.

"Crimson Meteor?"

"Come to think of it, I think I saw it this morning too... It shot past in a flash."

"Sigh, why didn't it hit Earth? Hurry up and let the world end. I really don't want to go to work..."

"What's with this extremely localized earthquake? I didn't feel anything this morning. Could it really have targeted just those few buildings?"

"The news said it was caused by changes in the magnetic poles... Whatever, it didn't shake where I was."

"..."

As the news bulletin ended, the screen on the building switched back to advertisements. After lingering briefly, everyone turned and left.

Only Chen Ling remained where he was, deep in thought.

Crimson Meteor...

Could his transportation to another world have something to do with that meteor too?

A bus drove past Chen Ling, pulling him out of his tangled thoughts. Seeing the red "Route 33" sign on its side, he seemed to remember something and immediately rushed toward it.

A blur streaked across the sidewalk. He hurried onto the bus just before its doors closed.

"Young man, you've got some moves." The elderly driver rubbed his eyes. "I didn't even see how you got over here... You train in sprinting or something?"

Only then did Chen Ling come to his senses. He looked down at his hands, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.

[Slaughter Waltz]... Had it come back with him??

"Young man, scan the code."

As the driver started the bus, he gestured with his chin toward the payment scanner. "Two yuan."

"I..." Chen Ling searched all his pockets. "I don't have any money on me."

"Scan to pay. What do you need cash for?"

"...I don't have a phone either."

The moment he said it, Chen Ling felt like a savage who had just walked out of prehistoric times...

"Oh, don't make things difficult for the kid. I happened to get two yuan in change when I bought groceries earlier, so I'll pay for him." From the front row, a curly-haired middle-aged woman took two coins from her pocket and dropped them into the fare box with a clink.

"...Thank you, ma'am."

Chen Ling thanked her politely.

"Young man, you're an opera performer, aren't you? I like watching opera too. Hey, what role do you usually sing?"

Only after hearing that did Chen Ling realize he was still wearing that bright red opera costume, making him especially conspicuous on the bus.

"I-I just sing casually," Chen Ling answered awkwardly.

All the seats on the bus were occupied, so he grabbed a handrail and swayed lightly with the moving vehicle, chatting with the woman now and then.

As one station after another passed outside the windows, Chen Ling's heart gradually rose into his throat. He glanced at the name of the next stop and slowly moved toward the rear exit. The moment the bus came to a stop, he dashed off.

Across from the station was a residential complex.

Chen Ling took off his conspicuous opera costume and walked straight into the complex. Familiar with the way, he passed through the paths and arrived before a mid-rise apartment building.

When he saw that the building was safe and sound, Chen Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief... This was his home.

What he had feared most was that the earthquake's range had reached this place, leaving his parents with the same fate as him... Fortunately, they were safe.

Chen Ling entered the building, only to find white mourning drapes hanging everywhere. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately took the elevator to the ninth floor.

The moment the elevator doors opened, the sound of crying reached his ears.

"Caiyun... Stop crying. If you keep crying like this, what will happen to your health..."

"That's right. If A-Ling were still alive and saw you like this, how heartbroken would he be?"

"A-Ling was such a good child, but fate really is... Sigh."

Chen Ling stood blankly in the elevator. Through the half-open door, he saw many figures gathered around a middle-aged woman, consoling her with sorrowful expressions.

Chen Ling knew them. They were his relatives in Beijing, all his aunts and uncles, gathered here. The woman in the middle was his mother.

The middle-aged woman clutched a black-and-white photograph in her arms, already crying her eyes out.

The person in the photograph... was Chen Ling.

Two relatives stood in a corner, speaking softly.

"Where's Chen Ling's father?"

"Still at the hospital, discussing A-Ling's funeral arrangements with them... They said Caiyun should come back first to sort through his belongings."

"Did she see A-Ling's... body?"

"She did." The relative nodded. "Poor child... His head had been smashed open. They said a chandelier hit him."

"At the hospital, Caiyun held A-Ling's hand and cried for over an hour. In the end, his father had to pull her away..."

"Sigh... Heaven really has no eyes."

"Come on, let's go comfort Caiyun. No matter what, we need to arrange A-Ling's funeral first..."

"Yeah..."

Chen Ling stood in the elevator, watching it all like a statue.

He wanted to step out of the elevator, but he had no idea how he could explain himself to his relatives and mother... His mind was in chaos.

Just then, the elevator doors automatically began to close.

As the metal doors slowly shut, Chen Ling's front door was pushed open. The relatives supported Caiyun as they walked outside.

Thud—

The elevator doors closed. Perhaps someone downstairs had pressed the button, because the car began to descend slowly...

"...Mom." Only then did Chen Ling, his lips pale, rasp out that word.

Looking at his reflection in the metal elevator doors, he saw once more in his mind the image of his mother kneeling on the floor and weeping. His heart felt as though it were being cut apart...

He took a deep breath, as if making up his mind, and frantically pressed the button for the ninth floor.

He wanted to see his mother.

Yet the elevator continued descending.

At the same time, familiar dark green text appeared in the void:

[Time limit for No. 129439 has expired]

[Read interrupted]

Boom—

The elevator car plummeted downward at high speed!

"Mom!!!"

Amid the falling snow, Chen Ling abruptly sat up from the ground.

He panted heavily, his pupils involuntarily widening. He looked around and realized that he was still at Mass Grave.

"Damn it... What the hell is going on??" Chen Ling cursed as he came back to his senses.

Just now, he had nearly believed that he had truly gone back... Yet when he opened his eyes, he was still in this godforsaken place!

Chen Ling's gaze fell on the USB drive in the snow.

["Through it, perhaps you can understand us a little better..."]

What exactly was the organization Chu Muyun belonged to?

Why did they have a USB drive?

Could they even send him back to his previous life?

Chen Ling's hands, bracing against the ground, clenched tightly.

He took a deep breath, grabbed the USB drive, turned around, and ran down the mountain...

Xiaofang Grocery Store.

Beside the counter, the woman lazily stretched and looked at the dimming dusk outside.

"He might not come."

"No, he will." Chu Muyun sat in a chair, reading a book attentively as he answered with certainty.

"Why are you so sure? Over the years, plenty of people have refused the Dusk Society's invitation, haven't they?"

"The Red King said he would come. Then he will come."

The moment Chu Muyun finished speaking, someone forcefully pushed open the grocery store's door!

Chen Ling stood in the snow outside, his chest heaving violently as though he had sprinted here from somewhere.

"We need to have a proper talk." He raised the USB drive and spoke each word slowly.