Die, Replay, Repeat

"Come on!"

With those words, Fang Xiu led the way to the emergency exit. His energy was almost drained, but he bounced back quickly.

Now that he was okay, there wasn't any reason to wait.

Fang Xiu walked cautiously, super alert to everything around him, always watching to be ready for any surprises. He walked past a sign, and nothing unusual happened.

He kept moving. The exit was nearer and nearer. Zhao Hao and the group were right behind him, and they didn't face any problems either.

But the calmer things were, the more Fang Xiu felt something was off. What made the "doctor" run away? Is this path really safe?

At last, they stood before the exit. And still, all was calm.

But the real threat was waiting behind that door.

CREAK!

Fang Xiu shoved the door open.

Darkness.

Pure, inky blackness, just like outer space.

"Xiu, is this the right way? Are we safe?" Zhao Hao asked.

"If there's a risk, we keep going," Fang Xiu answered, bravely walking into the dark. It felt like he was being wrapped in a thick, black blanket. It was so dark, he couldn't see his own hand.

And inside, it was pitch-black. Even spookier, it was dead silent. There wasn't a single sound to be heard.

Where are the footsteps or voices of Zhao Hao and the rest? Fang Xiu couldn't even tell if they were behind him.

He tried shouting, but no sound left his lips.

When he looked back, the door was gone. Everywhere he looked, he could only see darkness. He tried feeling around for his friends but found nothing.

His only option? Keep walking.

One minute, two minutes, ten minutes... The darkness was everywhere, like an endless tunnel.

Most people would've freaked out, but not Fang Xiu. His soul felt darker than this endless void.

Just when Fang Xiu felt he'd be stuck there forever, a sudden light burst in front. It grew quickly, pushing the darkness away. Everything became clear all at once.

Fang Xiu was taken aback. He was outside. Yes, he'd exited the creepy hospital.

The dark faded, and he was in the middle of a lit-up street. There were bright lamps and pretty gardens on each side.

It was the same road leading to Willow Hill that he remembered.

He turned to see Zhao Hao and the rest, their faces in shock, with Willow Hill close by.

_'Did they actually escape?'_ Fang Xiu thought.

"Awesome, Xiu! We're out of the Specter Zone!" Zhao Hao cheered.

The others looked just as thrilled, relief painted on their faces after such a close call.

"Let's bolt from this creepy place!"

No one wanted to stick around. They started running without a second thought.

"Xiu, we need to move," Zhao Hao said. "What if those Specters came chasing after us?"

But Fang Xiu seemed miles away, eyes locked on Willow Hill. A frown crept across his face.

_'Where's the mental hospital?'_

Inside, they couldn't view the whole building. But now, outside, there was no sign of it. Just Willow Hill standing there.

_'How did we escape so easily? The doctor saw that sign and just bolted. And we didn't face a hint of danger on our way? Is the doctor trapped in the hospital and panicked when we found the exit?' _

These mysteries swirled in Fang Xiu's mind, and while Zhao Hao nudged him to move, something else hit Fang Xiu.

_'The Specters have disappeared.'_

_'All the ghostly figures that used to haunt the streets, even the terrifying ones in the sky, were gone!'_

His mind was a whirlwind. He could handle the unexpected escape and the vanishing hospital … but the missing Specters? He wanted them gone but on his own terms.

He wanted payback. They can't just up and vanish! They need to pay!

In his agitation, Fang Xiu sprinted toward his house. Zhao Hao struggled to keep up.

With every step, Fang Xiu's mutters grew louder, "No, no, no! You can't be gone! Not all of you! Especially not my wife! She needs to be home waiting for me!"

He waved down a taxi, jumped in, and barked his address. In no time, the car screeched to a stop in front of Fang Xiu's home.

"Wait! You haven't paid—"

But Fang Xiu was already a blur as he sped off. The driver's eyes widened, having never seen someone move so fast.

"That man's not right," the driver muttered, remembering Fang Xiu's jittery demeanor and repetitive whispers about his wife. Maybe his wife left him or something.

"Poor guy," he mused before heading off.

As Fang Xiu sprinted, the absence of Specters only heightened his distress.

SLAM!

He barreled into his house, desperation in his voice. "Honey! Are you here? Show yourself!"

He searched everywhere, his heart racing. Every corner, every nook, every crevice.

Empty, empty, all empty!

"Honey, I know you're here! Come out!" Fang Xiu shouted with bloodshot eyes.

But his "beautiful" and "gentle" wife never appeared again.

"No!!!"

Fang Xiu had completely snapped. He screamed and howled as if his entire being had shattered.

"You can't disappear! Everyone in the world can disappear, but not you, never you! How am I supposed to live without you?"

"Honey, you killed me eighteen times! If you're gone, how am I supposed to live with the hatred?"