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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8MlK9Fr9Q
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMq22iORSyS
She started to wonder: could this actually be the long-abandoned Marelin High?11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmo0UjGDjM0
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOce1lpRjS
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.”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qbtt5zdms
The girl turned around, startled at the sound of someone approaching. “Ah! Xia Yu, Xia Yue!”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9n1pmfOfOV
Xin Chen Liu ran over, overjoyed. “I finally found you two!”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBExLsMScuy
“No, we found you,” Lil’ Yu corrected calmly.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6FL0Wxa2w
Xia Yue silently admired her sister’s sharp eyes—how could she recognize someone she’d just met from a shadowy silhouette?11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWgl7dBOC5
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmhKkNDuSy
“I walked around the whole courtyard but still couldn’t find an exit,” Xin Chen Liu sighed.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyHyRwHsWy
“If everything here is made of paper, what if we set it on fire?” Lil’ Yu mused.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTASLiwoPNg
“…We’d better make sure we get out before we burn ourselves alive,” Xia Yue replied, sweating.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR90UodZheN
“Paper?” Xin Chen Liu was puzzled.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpidjUKt4c
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.”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDelcwutfR6
“I see.” Xin Chen Liu thought for a moment, then broke into an excited grin. “That could be our way out!”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVinTjlDQ5K
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRucY6sMKK
“Let’s start a fire then! Anyone got a lighter?” Xin Chen Liu rolled up her sleeves, all fired up.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQfonraDGr
“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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXoJgEuyP8
But none of them had a lighter. Lil’ Yu and Xin Chen Liu were disappointed, while Xia Yue felt a little relieved.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCHpg1MXNP
“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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡia5XS0gEUW
Xia Yue tried to open it, but the lampshade was stuck tight—no luck.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQazoRoxl01
Click! A small flame appeared at the tip of a fountain pen.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyNq8vLys7
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIzmrlhKMc
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRIIRvq5Ef
“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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTgN9et4dg
“Thank you!” Xin Chen Liu accepted the lighter without a second thought.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMO9zN6W6r
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?11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDUic8h4nE
“Who are you?” Lil’ Yu asked bluntly.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0W0cvuG6sD
“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.”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtROEHRWLaV
“We drew two arrows at once.”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOg10Wyl4Js
“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.”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNK6bLZhrx
Xia Yue’s scalp tingled. Split into two? That sounded deadly…11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0salcmsau6
Wang Xinjie smiled. “So, why are you setting fires?”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhM8Iedfrx
“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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphQmGjS7Kz
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIkb3jgGAW
“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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEp1BRg2t2
“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?”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3GGPlK5um
She didn’t really understand what ‘unfinished’ meant. If she completed them, would the thread-doll… turn into a giant one?11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jvwaaOgOP
“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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBTG3fnEGl
“How do we use Story-Command to leave?”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eUTFKV0vN
“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.”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50om3DsOA8
The three girls looked at Wang Xinjie, question marks practically running wild above their heads.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44l15da4jg
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?”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD61U06H3on
“Okay…”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7fxz1sSFL
“Could you go smoke a little farther away? It smells awful,” Lil’ Yu finally protested.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3LXyQZolh
“Sure, sure.” Wang Xinjie wandered away, cigarette in hand.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcdrbkYDzC
Xin Chen Liu gathered some twigs and lit a small campfire—hardly arson; it felt more like a camp-out.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcyILGaXz3
“Can you see the fire burning the paper now?” she asked Lil’ Yu.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigA54cnmRX
“I don’t see flames, but the paper’s turning to ash,” Lil’ Yu replied.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1X7X5KMvPZ
Whoosh!
Something seemed to descend from above. Wang Xinjie instantly snapped her cigarette in half and tossed it aside.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23vfAPIwHe
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Hj0XQlSHK
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7O8oUL16TD
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasBBLyN8nZ
“So, this is where you’re hiding to cool off?” The woman’s tone was gentle, but there was an unmistakable edge to it.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6R66Ifob8
“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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbezBJb7Kzv
The girls watched, feeling like they were witnessing a delinquent caught smoking by the head of discipline.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdjxk1N57w
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?”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwPJ1z4V6T
Xia Yue was stunned. She’d suspected Wang Xinjie’s identity, but principal?!11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0wdj4uZxW
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?11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVMgxPZDDb
Xia Yue felt like she’d stumbled onto the real reason.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgD0SiI9J4i
“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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiQ5lI2VFf
“And you didn’t expect your lighter to end up with them either, did you?” Lin Meixin said expressionlessly.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhxKNbJV5V
“Students should be encouraged to experiment…” Wang Xinjie muttered.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJFNOVlKYa
With a perfectly flat expression, Lin Meixin kicked Wang Xinjie’s shin—hard—forcing her to crouch and clutch her leg.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8zBsZ89tq
“How did you all end up here?” Lin Meixin turned to the students.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirCAdqRwmX
It was the same question as before, but now it carried an intense pressure that made Xia Yue freeze, not daring to breathe.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYSGErsxE7
Lil’ Yu was unfazed. “Does it say in the rules you can’t draw two arrows at once?”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PsRDRXZtH
Xin Chen Liu whispered, “It’s not written anywhere.”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKT29k9hwY0
“Then what did we do wrong? Isn’t this a design problem?” Lil’ Yu pressed.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNBCvCVCJw
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.”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLWfPBNjlb
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…”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieDyTrQXJ3
Lin Meixin simply stared at her.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNntGSuDvo7
“Well, dealing with unpredictable creatures means you have to plan for every possibility. Let me check, what version are we on now? Haha…”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpCFyvVdFh
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvpYH8GyAx
“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.”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfk8sBcduUF
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.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6tQyQR8TD
“What? What’s wrong?” Xin Chen Liu asked nervously.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHFrjbqAPe
“It’s nothing,” Wang Xinjie replied, dusting herself off and turning to stare into the pitch-black fish pond.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6OKVQUyfy
Xia Yue silently groaned—why did adults never explain anything clearly? Didn’t they realize that only made things scarier?11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVR0U9kjgXY
She braced herself to ask a question.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBi5WPFOLgv
Lin Meixin looked serious. “Send the students back first.”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3p9YDbkGKU
Xia Yue immediately swallowed her complaint. “Thank you, teacher.”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPurVr5igan
Just then, a soft voice asked from behind them, “What time is it now?”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5okcE2p6VZ
A girl in a white school uniform stood silently behind them, her face pale in the moonlight—ethereal, but hauntingly strange.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnCSCOKRjv
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