Midnight on August 6.
Night had settled heavily over the corner room on the second floor of the Xia-Ke residence.
Darkness veiled the bed. A girl with a teardrop mole lay there, her unadorned face hidden in the shadows while the air conditioner hummed.
After a moment, her eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes.
Kuroki Hitomi rested her hands on her stomach, staring blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Usually, when she woke up at home, she could hear the ocean and smell the sea salt in the air.
But tonight was different. The world was dead silent. When the night breeze blew past, the maple tree outside the old building rustled, and the cicadas in its branches began to chirp again.
In the height of summer, the heat stifling the room was thick and muggy.
Despite the air conditioner, she was drenched in sweat, her red panda tank top clinging wetly to her skin.
She wasn't sure if she was hearing things, but she thought she could make out intermittent footsteps from the corridor upstairs.
If she remembered correctly, Xia Ningzhi had told her yesterday that the third floor only held the bedrooms of Xia Wenna and Ke Mingwei.
And since Ke Mingwei hadn't come home tonight, those footsteps could only belong to one person.
That alien isn't asleep yet? What is she doing? Kuroki Hitomi felt a jolt of alarm.
After a moment's hesitation, she glanced at the icon in the upper right corner of her vision. She opened the player Chat Panel and sent a message.
[Kuroki Hitomi: Are you awake?]
[Ke Mingqing: I'm awake. I haven't slept at all, just resting my eyes.]
Seeing the message, Kuroki Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief.
[Kuroki Hitomi: That's good. I need to use the bathroom.]
[Ke Mingqing: I'm not your parent. You don't need to report your bathroom trips to me... Or at least, that's what I'd normally say. But my house is different. Going to the bathroom here could genuinely get you killed. Be careful, and let me know immediately if anything seems off.]
[Kuroki Hitomi: Okay.]
After sending the message, Kuroki Hitomi hugged her knees and spaced out for a bit. The clock on the wall ticked steadily, but it couldn't drown out the sound of Xia Wenna's footsteps.
She suddenly felt like she was back in her childhood.
Back then, she and Ke Mingqing were still at the orphanage. One day in class, he had passed her a note, asking her to sneak out of the dorms at midnight to go play in the computer room with him.
That night, she had hidden nervously under her covers, listening to the nurses' footsteps and chatter. She felt exactly the same now as she did then.
It wasn't until the nurses' voices completely faded and the dorm grew as quiet as a graveyard that she had dared to put on her slippers and get out of bed.
The girl had crept out of the dorm as cautiously as a cat. The night wind had been strong, blowing her hair high into the air.
The entire orphanage was pitch-black, but the usually ignored computer room was brightly lit.
With her hands behind her back, she had held her breath and slipped through the back door, stepping closer and closer to the boy who was entirely absorbed in his game.
The boy was sitting in a swivel chair in front of the monitor. He raised an eyebrow and turned around, clearly startled when he saw her. His mouth hung wide open, and it took him a long time to recover his wits.
In her memory, this was what he had said: "Whoa... I didn't think you'd actually come. I always figured you for an introverted nerd, but you've got way more guts than I thought."
He scratched his cheek. "I'm pretty happy about it, though. It's nice having someone to keep me company."
Recalling her childhood, the corners of Kuroki Hitomi's lips curled up slightly, and her heart felt much less panicked.
A while later, once the footsteps from Xia Wenna on the upper floor finally stopped, she slowly climbed out of bed.
The girl turned the doorknob, pushed the door open, and poked her head through the gap, scanning the dark corridor.
The area was completely deserted. A jack-o'-lantern left over from last Halloween cast a warm, orange glow over her face.
Kuroki Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief and tiptoed out of the room.
She shuffled into the bathroom, turned on the light, and locked the door. Then she pulled down her skirt, sat on the toilet, and turned to look at the tightly shut window.
The dappled shadows of the trees reflected on the glass, swaying gently.
It looked exactly like a devil waving at her.
Kuroki Hitomi looked away and took a soft breath. She thought she could hear a hoarse whisper drifting down from the top floor, or maybe it was just the wind rustling the leaves.
She couldn't tell, but her heart started pounding again.
After a long time, Kuroki Hitomi suddenly realized someone was indeed speaking. They were using a language she couldn't understand... yet she somehow grasped its meaning:
"We need a sample, ??? ran away... Can every ??? pry into our identities as ??? aliens? This is crucial..."
Kuroki Hitomi's shoulders hunched slightly.
She opened the Chat Panel. Just as she was gathering her thoughts, a new message suddenly refreshed on the screen.
[Ke Mingqing: Don't make a sound from now on.]
The red text glowed on the panel, making Kuroki Hitomi's heart seize.
The wind howled outside the window. The midnight world felt like a giant beast that could wake at any moment, its very breath terrifying to hear.
She mentally pieced together words in the input box, replying to him.
[Kuroki Hitomi: What's wrong?]
[Ke Mingqing: Someone is outside the bathroom. They're probably waiting for you to come out. Don't panic, just wait in there.]
Kuroki Hitomi froze slightly. She suddenly remembered the footsteps she had heard from upstairs a moment ago, then quickly typed a message into the input box.
[Kuroki Hitomi: Is it your mother?]
[Ke Mingqing: No. Before I went to bed, I used the Tracking Sunglasses to lock onto my second sister's position, so she'll appear on my map for two full hours.]
[Ke Mingqing: Just now, the glasses showed her location move. I'm guessing she's guarding the bathroom, waiting for you. But she hasn't made a single sound, not even a footstep, which means she's planning to attack you.]
Staring at the words on the panel, Kuroki Hitomi's breathing grew slightly heavier. Her sweat-drenched tank top clung tightly to her back.
She turned her head to look at the bathroom door. Through the frosted glass, she could see the pitch-black corridor outside. With absolute silence out there, it was hard to believe someone was actually hiding just beyond the door.
At that exact moment, out in the corridor.
Xia Lingxue stood beside the bathroom, her arms crossed and a Brain Imaging Helmet dangling from her hand. She leaned her back against the wall.
She had wanted to pop a lollipop into her mouth, but thought better of it and tucked the wrapped candy back into her jacket pocket.
Xia Lingxue listened intently to the noises coming from inside the bathroom. If Kuroki Hitomi tried to climb out the window to escape, it would prove the girl had a guilty conscience, and Xia Lingxue would bust down the door instantly.
Inside the bathroom.
Kuroki Hitomi silently stared at the door. Her heart raced and her face was pale, as if she were hallucinating.
She thought she saw the shadows blanketing the corridor seep through the crack under the door, flooding every inch of the floor until her own body was submerged in it, as if she had plunged into the ocean.
But it was only a hallucination...
Kuroki Hitomi quickly shook her head. Lowering her gaze, she gently bit her wrist to ground herself.
She knew she was just an ordinary person; it was natural to be terrified in a situation like this. Screaming out loud wouldn't even be weird.
But to keep up with Ke Mingqing, she had done so much prep work and poured in so much effort... If she blew her cover now, it would all be for nothing.
Calm down.
I have to stay calm...
Teeth marks marred her wrist, and the sharp sting of pain cleared her head significantly.
She needed to at least stay composed at the critical moment, otherwise how could she help him? With that thought, Kuroki Hitomi pressed a hand against her chest, lowering her head to take steady breaths and let her oxygen-starved, panicked brain settle.
She sent a message on the Chat Panel.
[Kuroki Hitomi: Then what should I do?]
[Ke Mingqing: I'm going to spawn a Theater Puppet in the bathroom. Use the flush to cover the sound of its arrival. Make sure you don't get startled, got it?]
[Kuroki Hitomi: Got it.]
[Ke Mingqing: Three...]
[Ke Mingqing: Two...]
[Ke Mingqing: One.]
The instant the final number appeared on the panel, Kuroki Hitomi steeled herself and looked up—but saw no one else in the bathroom.
A second later, she seemed to realize something and slowly, nervously turned her head.
A stark-white puppet had suddenly appeared inside the bathtub. It crouched there quietly, raising its head under the cold white light, and soundlessly twisted its neck to look.
The puppet's grotesque face stared straight at the girl. It had hollow eyes and a mouth split almost to its ears. The moment she met its gaze, Kuroki Hitomi nearly screamed, but she clamped a hand over her mouth to hold it back.
The reason Ke Mingqing had the puppet spawn in the bathtub was, of course, to keep Xia Lingxue from spotting it. Faint outlines could be seen through the frosted bathroom door—if the puppet had appeared right in front of Kuroki Hitomi, Xia Lingxue would definitely have noticed.
Furthermore, Kuroki Hitomi hadn't pulled her skirt back up yet, and he was worried about embarrassing her.
Ke Mingqing knew full well that his puppet was far scarier than Xia Lingxue. Having something like that abruptly materialize in a bathroom was probably on par with staying up all night marathoning The Ring and The Grudge.
But he trusted Kuroki Hitomi could handle it.
Kuroki Hitomi quickly regained her senses. Dragging her eyes away from the puppet, she pulled up the skirt pooled around her legs.
She didn't rush to hit the flush, though. That would signal to Xia Lingxue that she was about to leave the bathroom, and if she delayed walking out afterward, it would only arouse suspicion.
A moment later, a new message popped up on the panel. The girl lifted her dark eyes, soaking in every word.
[Ke Mingqing: Next, I'll have the Theater Puppet disguise itself as you and walk out of the bathroom.]
[Ke Mingqing: After that, my sister will most likely snatch the puppet and slap the Brain Imaging Helmet onto its head. This will completely clear you of any suspicion.]
[Kuroki Hitomi: Understood.]
[Ke Mingqing: Like I said, don't get startled. No matter what happens, you absolutely cannot make a sound, got it?]
[Kuroki Hitomi: Yeah.]
After sending the message, Kuroki Hitomi glanced sideways at the Theater Puppet crouching in the tub. The puppet's appearance slowly shifted, altering its height and build, its skin tone, every facial feature, and even the volume of its hair.
Black hair sprouted, covering its forehead. Its body thinned out, its skin turning pale and flawless, its features becoming delicate and refined. Its dark eyes grew as calm as a cat's.
Kuroki Hitomi's pupils constricted slightly. She had never seen anything so horrifying in her life.
After a long moment, she saw a stark-naked double of herself crouching in the tub, staring down at its feet. Its gaze was hollow, completely still, looking for all the world like a corpse.
Kuroki Hitomi remained silent for a long time before she managed to look away from the naked double of herself and send a message to Ke Mingqing.
[Kuroki Hitomi: Do I need to take off my clothes and give them to it?]
[Ke Mingqing: No need. I have an item called Mirror Clothing that can copy the clothes you're wearing... How should I put it? You're my girlfriend, after all. I wouldn't make you do something so embarrassing.]
Kuroki Hitomi read the message. When she turned back, the puppet in the bathtub was already wearing a Winnie the Pooh tank top and a short sleep skirt—exactly identical to her own outfit, without a single visible flaw.
Her fingers had stopped trembling, and her breathing gradually evened out.
Kuroki Hitomi typed a question on the panel.
[Kuroki Hitomi: Then what do I do? Hide in the bathtub? Won't your sister easily spot me? She just has to poke her head in to see me.]
[Ke Mingqing: Of course not, what are you thinking? I'm going to use the Red String of Fate to pull you back here right now. Don't panic, take it one step at a time.]
Kuroki Hitomi paused.
Looking down, she suddenly noticed a thin red thread tied around her pinky. It trailed to the floor, slipped under the crack of the door, and stretched straight out of the bathroom.
[Ke Mingqing: Oh right, I can't just yank you over directly. If I do, my second sister will see your silhouette vanish from the toilet through the glass door, and she'll instantly see through the trick.]
[Kuroki Hitomi: Phantom Shift?]
[Ke Mingqing: Exactly. I'll have the puppet cast Phantom Shift on you.]
[Kuroki Hitomi: I'm ready.]
The next instant, the puppet crouching in the tub triggered the E-rank skill Phantom Shift, swapping places with Kuroki Hitomi on the toilet.
The puppet mirrored her previous posture perfectly, sitting silently on the toilet lid, while Kuroki Hitomi hid inside the bathtub, poking her head out to quietly monitor the situation.
[Kuroki Hitomi: Alright, do it now.]
Upon receiving her message, Ke Mingqing unhesitatingly activated the power of the Red String of Fate.
[Pop-up: Red String of Fate Ability 3—The player may instantly pull the bound target to their side at any time via the Red String of Fate.]
As the cold system notification chimed, the thin string on both their pinkies snapped taut, and a powerful tug pulled at her.
In the blink of an eye, Kuroki Hitomi's figure vanished from the bathtub and appeared inside Ke Mingqing's bedroom.
She lay on Ke Mingqing's bed, curled up in a ball, while Ke Mingqing pulled the covers over her.
The boy and the girl hid their heads beneath the covers, facing each other. Staring at her quietly, Ke Mingqing raised an index finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture.
A sliver of bright moonlight spilled through the French windows, illuminating his clear, pale face.
A faint light glowed under the sheets. Staring at his face so close to hers, Kuroki Hitomi blanked out for a moment before finally reacting. A blush slowly crept from her ears all the way across her cheeks.
She gently pressed a hand to her chest. Even when she had been trapped in the bathroom, her heart hadn't beat this wildly.
Ke Mingqing didn't speak; he just typed a line of text on the Chat Panel.
[Ke Mingqing: Don't make a sound.]
Kuroki Hitomi glanced up at his face, then looked at the words on the panel.
[Kuroki Hitomi: Okay.]
[Kuroki Hitomi: If we both survive this in half a year, I have something I want to tell you.]
[Ke Mingqing: You can't say it now?]
[Kuroki Hitomi: It's a secret.]
At midnight on August 6, 2026, hidden beneath the covers in the bedroom, the boy and girl looked at the Chat Panel floating between them. They communicated through it, yet it felt as if they were just silently gazing into each other's eyes.
They looked like two young cubs chased into a cramped corner by the world, licking each other's fur and huddling together for warmth.
...
...
Meanwhile, the corridor outside the room remained dead silent, save for the occasional rustle from inside the bathroom.
Xia Lingxue hugged her arms, quietly standing guard outside the door.
When Big Brother went to test Kuroki Hitomi this afternoon, was it really just a coincidence that Ah Qing stopped him...?
At that thought, she raised her head slightly and shot a glance at Ke Mingqing's bedroom.
She had already made a prediction: if Ke Mingqing coincidentally walked out of his room right now and stopped her, she would know this afternoon hadn't been an accident. He was doing it on purpose.
However, Ke Mingqing never opened his door.
His bedroom stayed tightly shut, quiet and still, with only the occasional faint snore drifting out.
Xia Lingxue fell silent for a moment before slowly looking away from the door.
After a while, a flush echoed from inside the bathroom, followed by the squeak of a faucet turning on. Someone was washing their hands at the sink.
Right after that, the bathroom door opened.
The Theater Puppet disguised as Kuroki Hitomi pushed the door open and stepped out.
The exact second it crossed the threshold, Xia Lingxue moved with blinding speed. She conjured a sheet of soft frost, freezing the puppet's body solid while simultaneously covering its eyes.
Right now, the puppet could see nothing but pure white. Its mouth was sealed, completely silencing any sound it might make.
It wouldn't feel uncomfortable, though. Being trapped inside felt a lot like squeezing into one of those capsule hotel rooms you'd see abroad, only made of delightfully cool ice.
Xia Lingxue had held back as much as possible. A quick karate chop to the back of the neck would have been way more straightforward, but she was worried about leaving a bruise on Kuroki Hitomi's skin.
Xia Lingxue hoisted the Brain Imaging Helmet and unhurriedly lowered it onto the Theater Puppet's head.
The Brain Imaging Helmet was an item developed by a Roundtable Heroes member, Dr. Toy. It had a built-in hypnotic effect, erasing the wearer's memories of the few seconds just before it was put on.
Because of that, Xia Lingxue didn't have to worry about Kuroki Hitomi remembering any of this come morning.
The Theater Puppet quickly slumped into unconsciousness, tilting sideways into Xia Lingxue's arms.
Xia Lingxue scooped "Kuroki Hitomi" up in a gentle princess carry, carried her down the pitch-black corridor toward the last room, and stepped inside.
Turning to lock the door, she laid Kuroki Hitomi's body gently on the bed and sat by the edge, waiting for the test results.
Before long, the test results slowly popped up on the Brain Imaging Helmet's display screen: [Pop-up: Brain imaging scans show no player-related characteristics. Target has passed the player test.]
Watching the screen, Xia Lingxue fell silent for a moment. "I suspected you for nothing. I'm sorry... Sleep well."
She spoke softly, slowly pulling the Brain Imaging Helmet off Kuroki Hitomi's head. She smoothed out the girl's clothes, brushed aside her hair, and then turned to leave the room.
The night passed in silence.
However, Ke Mingqing never expected that while he had helped Kuroki Hitomi slip past Xia Lingxue, he hadn't managed to hide her from someone else in the house.
The one person he never thought would make a move.