Kaleidoscope of Death

CHAPTER 2: IRON DOORS AND KEYS

Once dawn came, the horrors of last night dissipated.

Lin Qiushi was walking down the corridor of the second floor to go to downstairs when he heard some hushed whispers and scuffling noises coming from the third floor. It appeared that several people were having a conversation. He didn't intend to go and take a look, but no sooner, he heard the anguished wailing of a woman. This sorrowful cry was full of grief and heartbreak, as if this woman had encountered something terribly tragic.

Lin Qiushi hesitated for a moment before turning around to follow the staircase to the third floor in order to check out what happened upstairs.

This building was entirely constructed out wood. The planks on the staircase were somewhat aged; they would suddenly creak and groan the moment one stepped on them. There were also some places that would tremble slightly, as if these boards could hardly support the weight of the human body.

Lin Qiushi arrived at the third floor and saw quite a few people standing in the corridor. However, what specifically caught his attention was the potent stench of blood in the air.

This sanguinary odor was so strong that it stung people's noses. A feeling that was all but reassuring grew inside Lin Qiushi. He gently took a couple of steps forward, cautiously walking over to stand behind their backs.

"I knew it." Xiong Qi, the large man who had greeted Lin Qiushi yesterday, spoke in a low, grave voice; he was in the middle of discussing something with the others. "Sure enough, something went wrong yesterday..."

Xiao Ke also joined in on the conversation; she added, "I also felt it, but I thought it'd be..." At this point, she turned around and glanced at Lin Qiushi who stood near her back. "Forget it."

Lin Qiushi thought, what do you mean by this? Who'd you think it'd be? Don't tell me you thought it would be Ruan Baijie and me? He raised his eyes and looked at the door behind Xiao Ke.

The door was ajar, and there were splatters of blood on the floor. Because the weather was freezing, the blood had already congealed; however, one could still see that a massive amount of blood had been split.

"What happened?" Lin Qiushi asked.

"Death happened." Xiong Qi's voice was extremely dull.

Lin Qiushi: "...Death?" If it were yesterday, he probably would've felt incredulous after hearing these people casually mention such a thing with a flat, insipid tone, as if the matter had nothing to do with them. But after experiencing yesterday's events, he clearly realized that common sense couldn't be used to explain the world he was in right now.

"Yeah," grunted Xiong Qi.

Lin Qiushi shifted around, changing his angle, and cast another glimpse at the door. At this one glance, he involuntarily sucked in a cool, startled breath. Coagulated blood caked the entire room. Two corpses were messily strewn across the floor. The degree of goriness and mutilation was beyond grotesque, to the point that one completely couldn't recognize the original bodies. Rather than saying they were human beings, it was more accurate to say they were merely two chucks of skinless meat. Blood trickled along the room, flowing all the way down to the floors outside. From the walls to the floorboards, there was hardly a single place on this third floor that was clean.

Although Lin Qiushi was mentally prepared, he was still revolted by the scene. He covered his mouth tightly and whirled around. Xiao Ke was surprisingly very understanding, and she indicated, "There's a toilet in the next room."

Without delay, Lin Qiushi rushed to the toilet and began vomiting his guts out.

While waiting for him to finish vomiting, Xiao Ke remarked, "I didn't expect you to throw up."