The sisters finally made it to the ground floor. The good thing about running into that terrifyingly handsome guy was that they hadn’t encountered any more monsters along the way—it seemed he’d drawn them all away.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUHKlI6GCK
They managed to leave the building safely, and as they stepped into the courtyard, Xia Yue looked up at the teaching building behind them. She realized its architecture looked almost identical to the school on the cover of Marelin High.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTu8liRtzmr
She started to wonder: could this actually be the long-abandoned Marelin High?10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KPVAZkcFP
The courtyard resembled an ancient garden. In the center was a murky fish pond, spanned by a bridge that led to a pavilion in the middle. The water was so dark and bottomless that the whole scene felt even creepier.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzD5U7N90Q
By the pond stood another figure. This time, Xia Yue was cautious and didn’t approach. From the back, it looked like a girl, vaguely familiar. While Xia Yue was considering sneaking a look at her face, Lil’ Yu was already calling out, “Xin Chen Liu.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6ZARbqz4n
The girl turned around, startled at the sound of someone approaching. “Ah! Xia Yu, Xia Yue!”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPrynTN34K
Xin Chen Liu ran over, overjoyed. “I finally found you two!”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMlU07vQXq
“No, we found you,” Lil’ Yu corrected calmly.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSbtpEvnf2
Xia Yue silently admired her sister’s sharp eyes—how could she recognize someone she’d just met from a shadowy silhouette?10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGimuOkkgd
Xin Chen Liu explained that she’d also fallen into this abandoned school building. Her textbook had turned into a lantern, and the directory was useless; all she could do was head down floor by floor until she reached the courtyard. She was lucky—not a single monster had appeared.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfh4MR292jj
“I walked around the whole courtyard but still couldn’t find an exit,” Xin Chen Liu sighed.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoloedmMYe
“If everything here is made of paper, what if we set it on fire?” Lil’ Yu mused.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4TyUZMKHJ
“…We’d better make sure we get out before we burn ourselves alive,” Xia Yue replied, sweating.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtoKrPqeOj
“Paper?” Xin Chen Liu was puzzled.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklaVeiXQEf
Xia Yue hesitated, debating whether to admit Lil’ Yu was a ‘muggle’, but Lil’ Yu answered for herself: “I can’t see the school you’re describing. To me, this place looks like a maze built from piles of yellowed paper.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiebL3eHd3F
“I see.” Xin Chen Liu thought for a moment, then broke into an excited grin. “That could be our way out!”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSzCE4RfiW
Xia Yue was surprised. Not only did Xin Chen Liu not question how Lil’ Yu had gotten in, she even saw it as a good thing. They were lucky to have met a genuinely nice person.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2x8fnthpV
“Let’s start a fire then! Anyone got a lighter?” Xin Chen Liu rolled up her sleeves, all fired up.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DOY6UaPN2
“Wait—are you serious?!” Xia Yue suddenly wanted to take back everything nice she’d just thought. These two were a disaster together: one tossing out wild ideas, the other eager to try them.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHNjV4mE5o
But none of them had a lighter. Lil’ Yu and Xin Chen Liu were disappointed, while Xia Yue felt a little relieved.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNPmhRv5JR
“Wait, our textbooks turned into lanterns. Is there a flame inside, or just a lightbulb?” Xin Chen Liu asked, shifting her attention to the lantern.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jvb1otc3Z
Xia Yue tried to open it, but the lampshade was stuck tight—no luck.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZu0mviHuw
Click! A small flame appeared at the tip of a fountain pen.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAyucdbW42
From behind the campus tree, an adult emerged. Dressed in a white shirt with an open collar and fitted black trousers, they had long black hair blowing elegantly in the breeze, pale skin with dark circles under the eyes, and a striking, almost melancholy beauty.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG38gqM4aPF
Their movements were lazy yet elegant. Lighting a cigarette, they took a drag. With a slender, androgynous frame, Xia Yue had initially thought it was a cool guy, but as soon as the person spoke, she realized it was actually a tall, handsome woman.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQcLVfxjzN
“Did someone mention needing fire?” The beautiful, world-weary woman glanced at the three girls and casually handed the fountain pen-shaped lighter to the nearest one.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUkt65fgW0
“Thank you!” Xin Chen Liu accepted the lighter without a second thought.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWv1JILUT0
Xia Yue’s internal alarm blared. After that weirdo who could summon monsters, now here was another who’d lend a lighter at the mere mention of arson. Was this some kind of terrorist hideout?10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpZOzWKaRw
“Who are you?” Lil’ Yu asked bluntly.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyahLyrXvP
“You must be the new kids, right? Welcome. I’m Wang Xinjie, faculty advisor of the Urban Legends Club.” She gave a lazy smile. “How did you end up here? Marelin’s directory shouldn’t point to this place.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvZmvKYkGC
“We drew two arrows at once.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHOXpGkRgd
“Oh my, looks like someone found a loophole. Good thing it only triggered a reset and didn’t split the students in two. I’ll have to fix that later.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVL499q2ZYc
Xia Yue’s scalp tingled. Split into two? That sounded deadly…10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4AQ5Jd6na
Wang Xinjie smiled. “So, why are you setting fires?”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFEDotJoeX
“We couldn’t find a way out, so we thought we’d try burning the place. It feels like we’re trapped in a story world,” Xin Chen Liu answered honestly.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3brETYTWt
Xia Yue suddenly wished she could pretend not to know Xin Chen Liu. Whether this person was a real teacher or not, admitting to arson sounded like a terrible idea.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroyZYBHKAy
“You’re not wrong—it is a story world. But this isn’t a place for kids to play. There are no safety measures here; it’s dangerous,” Wang Xinjie didn’t seem at all concerned about their plan, just calmly advised them to be careful.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIUMaxGt7l
“So is this place abandoned? I saw all those monsters covered in ‘unfinished’ descriptions.” Xia Yue thought again of the thread-doll that had made her cry earlier. “Do we have to finish those descriptions to leave?”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0cU7ixH93
She didn’t really understand what ‘unfinished’ meant. If she completed them, would the thread-doll… turn into a giant one?10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQk7tWtvXbB
“You’re overthinking it, kid. This place isn’t open to students, but Storycrafters can come and go as they like. You’re just stuck because you haven’t learned Story-Command yet,” Wang Xinjie said, exhaling smoke.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeA7UUAyuCE
“How do we use Story-Command to leave?”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnMMtILxnk
“There are local Story-Command rules in effect here. That’s why your Marelin book was overwritten as a lantern. If you reactivate Marelin’s Story-Command, you can return.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTp3WGFvq7g
The three girls looked at Wang Xinjie, question marks practically running wild above their heads.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRO49a8EEa
Wang Xinjie wore the tired expression of someone who couldn’t be bothered to explain. She waved her hand. “Let me finish my smoke, then I’ll send you back. Don’t tell anyone else about this place, and don’t come here again, okay?”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYmgh9aRNN
“Okay…”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMR4KSWu22
“Could you go smoke a little farther away? It smells awful,” Lil’ Yu finally protested.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwK92Mcs09
“Sure, sure.” Wang Xinjie wandered away, cigarette in hand.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQiw970Kah
Xin Chen Liu gathered some twigs and lit a small campfire—hardly arson; it felt more like a camp-out.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiWvBMbOR9
“Can you see the fire burning the paper now?” she asked Lil’ Yu.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PmGFpJOIS
“I don’t see flames, but the paper’s turning to ash,” Lil’ Yu replied.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKu7hOwEpmf
Whoosh!
Something seemed to descend from above. Wang Xinjie instantly snapped her cigarette in half and tossed it aside.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDKWprqZSN
Like a rocket landing, turbulent air whipped up all around, flickering with ghostly blue fire. A woman with wild, skyward hair hovered in midair, about half an arm’s length off the ground, her pen glowing with supernatural energy. When she put the pen away, the eerie light faded, and she landed lightly with a thud.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLTkXPTkqX
She was also an adult woman, with a sharp, commanding face and short, neat hair, dressed in a crisp black suit. Though she wasn’t tall, she stood straight as a sword.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFtS1hzTr0
Her eyes were razor-sharp; a single glance was enough to make you want to kneel and confess—especially if you felt guilty, or were about to cause trouble.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVlA1fpHgv
“So, this is where you’re hiding to cool off?” The woman’s tone was gentle, but there was an unmistakable edge to it.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYaM657J5F
“Just taking a break before heading back,” Wang Xinjie replied, looking nonchalant—except for the subtle way she nudged her discarded cigarette even farther away.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEy6pHJc8g
The girls watched, feeling like they were witnessing a delinquent caught smoking by the head of discipline.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsG9JK19l2l
Lin Meixin glanced at the three spectators, then advanced on Wang Xinjie. “Not only are you slacking off, you’re smoking in front of students. Do you have any sense of responsibility, Principal Wang?”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8JfFuNb4j
Xia Yue was stunned. She’d suspected Wang Xinjie’s identity, but principal?!10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGIbXiq8RW
Maybe because this was a hidden school within a book, beyond the reach of the Ministry of Education, and with only half an hour passing in the real world, there weren’t many complaints from parents—so the principal could be like this?10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukrRSfnsjp
Xia Yue felt like she’d stumbled onto the real reason.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmHCEHVf0Q
“Relax, Director Lin. It’s because smoking is banned inside that I came out here. Who knew the freshmen would wander in?” Wang Xinjie protested.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RMezZcchp
“And you didn’t expect your lighter to end up with them either, did you?” Lin Meixin said expressionlessly.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8FhnFfjfW
“Students should be encouraged to experiment…” Wang Xinjie muttered.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNy24CaM9Ze
With a perfectly flat expression, Lin Meixin kicked Wang Xinjie’s shin—hard—forcing her to crouch and clutch her leg.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3eau6ecBK
“How did you all end up here?” Lin Meixin turned to the students.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FyVjanblQ
It was the same question as before, but now it carried an intense pressure that made Xia Yue freeze, not daring to breathe.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEoLpSn3Mr
Lil’ Yu was unfazed. “Does it say in the rules you can’t draw two arrows at once?”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgncH5Rb6N
Xin Chen Liu whispered, “It’s not written anywhere.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicl90B7q0O
“Then what did we do wrong? Isn’t this a design problem?” Lil’ Yu pressed.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNu6T5ur0Hm
Lin Meixin’s lips quirked in a barely-there smile, making it impossible to tell if she was genuinely amused. “Yes, that is a design problem.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOTYgniUKQ
Wang Xinjie just looked defeated. “I’ve already restricted the directory. You used to be able to write anything—now it’s just arrows. But students still try to draw two at once…”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxxexhmP3X
Lin Meixin simply stared at her.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymc1CwTz2u
“Well, dealing with unpredictable creatures means you have to plan for every possibility. Let me check, what version are we on now? Haha…”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziD83wfwDn
For some reason, Xia Yue found the principal’s smile a little terrifying and edged back, feeling a wave of inexplicable guilt. She’d suspected the principal was some kind of addict, but now it seemed more like chronic sleep deprivation.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kSWE39g0r
“You act like you’re the only one making fixes,” Lin Meixin scoffed. “Anyone who likes slacking, sneaking smokes, and only working last-minute has no right to complain.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUcZLjK1Lf
Wang Xinjie huddled down again, hugging her shin as if it could keep her warm. Suddenly, she looked around as if sensing something in the darkness. Lin Meixin’s expression darkened, and she glanced into the shadows as well.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzlAbYUCR6
“What? What’s wrong?” Xin Chen Liu asked nervously.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwgwlz6KcZ
“It’s nothing,” Wang Xinjie replied, dusting herself off and turning to stare into the pitch-black fish pond.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9cud5MMj6
Xia Yue silently groaned—why did adults never explain anything clearly? Didn’t they realize that only made things scarier?10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWyCv00Mea
She braced herself to ask a question.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJP1YmqyUIT
Lin Meixin looked serious. “Send the students back first.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6UBRtUMY3
Xia Yue immediately swallowed her complaint. “Thank you, teacher.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xoVzwCwxt
Just then, a soft voice asked from behind them, “What time is it now?”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1IF86eAGp
A girl in a white school uniform stood silently behind them, her face pale in the moonlight—ethereal, but hauntingly strange.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzS2Ejku4rW
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