When the second twenty-four hours elapsed, the anticipated text message arrived once more. Anna was already asleep on the bed. Grace and Ling Yan picked up their mobile phones and clicked on the message.
This time, the text message was comprehensive:
[ Dear Visitors:
Do you feel reluctant to depart after the second day? Between death and life, have you discerned the beautiful light of human nature? Please cherish the present moment and those around you.
Additional tips about ghosts:
3: The first ghost possesses invisibility and infinite power. Do not expect to combat it in any way; that is unrealistic. The invisible ghost kills by snapping the victim's limbs and neck backward, followed by disembowelment and the consumption of some internal organs. The invisible ghost is not vulnerable to light but cannot touch humans in strong illumination. In other words, the invisible ghost can only kill people in dim light.
4: ( Will be unlocked at the end of the third day. )
I wish you all a happy journey. ]
"Hmph... the information directly pertains to a ghost. Consequently, the events of the next two days can be largely inferred," Grace remarked, gently stroking the handle of the dagger at her waist, an intrigued smile gracing her face.
"And it's information that is disadvantageous to the ghost. Even its weaknesses are explicitly disclosed to us—why do I feel this is even worse?"
"Do you really think so?" Ling Yan hadn't considered it so deeply. "But we simply need to ensure adequate lighting."
"Don't think so simplistically. Firstly, while it's stated that people can only be killed in dim light, what degree of illumination constitutes 'dim'? Secondly, when fuel is insufficient, it's manageable during the day, but we experience a power outage at night. How do we address this? Thirdly, how do you guarantee that other ghosts cannot kill people in that environment? A dim environment is more favorable to those creatures. Fourthly, and most importantly..." Grace paused deliberately.
"The first ghost's ability is invisibility—invisibility is classified as this ghost's ability, meaning our previous notion that ghosts can approach and kill people without a trace is incorrect. Only one ghost possesses the ability to kill invisibly."
Ling Yan was taken aback.
"That's right... If other ghosts cannot be invisible, where are they concealing themselves? Or, what ability do they rely on to hide? Do they transform into the objects we see? Or hide in the shadows? Or... when the thirty of us entered, was there already a ghost lurking among us?"
Grace offered a wry smile as she voiced this conjecture.
"Let me tell you one more thing. My dagger's function is to absorb the soul of the person it kills. If it's not a coincidence, what do you think its true purpose should be?"
"...To kill that ghost who infiltrated our midst in human form."
This was Anna's response.
A restful sleep had significantly improved her condition. Awakened in a daze by the hushed conversation between the two women, Anna had been listening silently.
Upon fully waking, she also picked up her mobile phone and scanned the text messages. It must be said that while she still grasped some ideas, it was still challenging for her to comprehend them all as clearly as Grace had immediately.
"Awake? How are you feeling?" Grace inquired worriedly.
"Very well... I feel my head is no longer heavy. Is everything alright?"
"I just received a text message. The ghost's killing quota has just been refreshed. What else could happen?" Grace poured her some water. "I'll soak your clothes in hot water and wash them after the blood dissolves. There will definitely be traces, but at least they won't be so uncomfortable to wear."
"Thank you, Sister Grace," Anna nodded gently.
Grace patted her hand through the quilt, turned to Ling Yan, and said, "We will go to read Elizabeth's memory at noon today. Ling Yan, I hope the matter of the bottle letter will not be made public, and don't read every deceased person's memory."
"Oh?"
"This is my advice. I suspect there are mysteries within these things that can save our lives. The number of uses for the bottled letter may not be unlimited. All resources must be utilized at critical junctures. Do you understand?"
Ling Yan also felt this was reasonable, so she agreed immediately. Grace felt a slight relief and stood up to wash Anna's clothes. Anna touched her head and closed her eyes gently. Her gradually clearing mind began to consider what she needed to pay attention to next.
Ling Yan folded her arms and sat on the other bed, relieving Grace to begin her watch.
Grace used most of the soap in the bathroom and barely managed to clean Anna's clothes. The stains were not particularly noticeable after soaking in water, but they would undoubtedly remain after drying.
Everyone possessed only one set of clothes, which presented an immediate problem. There were some old clothes in the bedroom on the third floor, but apart from some relatively sturdy leather items, the others nearly disintegrated at the slightest tear and were not as durable as the bathrobes.
"But with the information about the first ghost, it becomes easier to speculate about the remaining ghosts. Ghosts have a fixed method of killing, so from the current death toll, their hiding techniques can also be traced, though we cannot rule out too much..." Grace mused, analyzing the known situation.
"Elizabeth's death is a breakthrough, but whether it aligns with my thoughts needs confirmation. The invisible ghost is actually the weakest of the three, hence the detailed information provided about the first one. In this case, do ghosts also adhere to the rule of survival of the fittest? No—perhaps it's more serious; not only are we humans competing, but ghosts are also competing... Can they communicate with each other? Can they collaboratively devise a plan? Wait... Why at that time—"
A flash of insight illuminated Grace's mind, and at that moment, the corner of her eye caught a movement.
Almost instantly, Grace's hand had instinctively reached her waist, and she glanced up at her reflection in the mirror, but... there was nothing behind her.
What had moved was her own hand in the mirror.
"—This is the final piece of the puzzle!" Grace thought to herself, yet she couldn't utter a shout. The Grace in the mirror displayed a wicked smile and placed her hand over her mouth, effectively preventing the Grace outside the mirror from making any sound.
"The second ghost moves within the mirror. It doesn't exist in our world at all, so we cannot find it. As for the third ghost—"
Grace's brain had never processed information so rapidly. She swiftly drew the dagger and backed away. However, the ghost in the mirror remained standing before the glass. It reached out and grasped a blade next to the sink—an object that did not exist in reality—and aimed it at her neck, slashing hard!
"Gu."
An indistinct sound escaped Grace's throat, quickly overwhelmed by the blood gushing from her neck. The significant blood loss blurred her vision. The ghost in the mirror finally released its grip, grinned at Grace with the same blood flowing freely, opened its hands slightly, and the blade in its hand fell to the ground with a "ding."
It fell to the ground in reality.
"Damn it..." Grace's vision darkened, and her strength nearly depleted. The severe pain disrupted her thoughts. The only thing she could recall was the cold, hard object she still clutched tightly in her hand.
"...At least...in the end..."
Her body slumped backward.
"...I want to verify..."
She mustered the last vestige of her strength and waved her right hand.
"...Is this used to kill you!"
Crack! Crash!
The loud noise emanating from the bathroom jolted the two women in the bedroom from their beds. Anna and Ling Yan rushed into the bathroom in a few steps, arriving just in time to see Grace lying on the floor, covered in blood, and the mirror shattered into pieces by the dagger.
"Sister Grace!!!"
Anna cried out, her voice hoarse, and lunged forward to embrace Grace, but now Grace's eyes were wide open and vacant, and the red fluid representing life no longer sprayed out rapidly, gradually slowing to a trickle.
Ling Yan squatted down, placed the small glass bottle next to Grace, glanced at the broken mirror, and reached out to gently close Grace's eyes.
"My condolences."
"No... How could this be possible? The day has just begun, and we haven't done anything yet. Why would someone be killed now?" Anna glared at the mirror hatefully. "A mirror? Was it a mirror? Killing people with a mirror? No..."
The dagger that had fallen to the ground lay silently among the shards of glass.
"The ghost is in the mirror. This is what Sister Grace wanted to tell us last."
Anna's voice gradually steadied, revealing a hint of coldness.
"The mirror ghost kills by slitting the throat, so its weakness is obvious. It cannot kill people without a mirror, right?"
"Anna, you need to calm down," Ling Yan noticed Anna's distress and immediately tried to dissuade her.
"So that's what happened. I made a mistake... After being so cowardly yesterday, I made such a mistake again... I'm sorry, Sister Grace," Anna slowly lowered her head, gently laid Grace's body flat, and then walked over to pick up the dagger.
"You're a little unhinged, Anna; it's not your fault," Ling Yan frowned, raised her hand, and placed it on Anna's shoulder. "I'm watching you now; don't go anywhere."
"I'm fine, Sister Ling Yan, don't worry. Sister Grace will not have died in vain, and I will not make mistakes again, but there are some things that I need to confirm..."
"Not now. I want to see you calm down. If you go around looking for ghosts and fighting desperately now, you're just asking for death."
Anna looked up at Ling Yan, then nodded lightly. "I won't do such a foolish thing; being stupid once or twice is enough."
"Then, I'll call someone now... you go change your clothes," Ling Yan looked at Anna's bathrobe, which was stained with blood again, and added.
"Okay," Anna said very compliantly.
Ling Yan was still uneasy. After calling out twice at the door, she immediately returned to the room and found that Anna had changed into another bathrobe and was sitting obediently on the bed, so she breathed a sigh of relief.