In the Dark

That night, Qin Jin and the other three stayed at the holiday home.

Catherine was awakened by a feeling of thirst; her consciousness had not fully returned, and she felt as if her throat was a desert.

She got up groggily, the moonlight streaming through the thin gauze curtains and spreading a silvery sheen on the floor. Almost instinctively, she grabbed the cocked gun from the headboard, yawned, and went downstairs.

She walked barefoot and silently down the stairs, the wooden staircase creaking softly in the quiet night.

She went to the kitchen by moonlight, and the cool touch of the countertop made her a little more awake.

She put down the gun, picked up a glass, turned on the tap, and the water gushed into the glass, sounding particularly jarring in the silence.

The cool water slid down her throat, relieving the burning sensation, and Catherine let out a long sigh of relief.

Just as she was about to turn and go back to her room, she seemed to catch a glimpse of the side door leading to the lawn at the back of the living room out of the corner of her eye—

It was vaguely, as if, seemingly something had moved!

She suddenly turned her head to look!

The door! It was open!

The side door that she clearly remembered locking herself before going to bed was now wide open!

Outside the door was endless darkness. In the center of that open doorway, about twenty meters away, stood a black shadow, its shape and size...like a person!

A dark figure stood silently in the middle of the doorway, making no move, just standing there quietly!

A tingling sensation instantly swept through Catherine's body from her head, carrying a chilling chill that sent shivers down her spine. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it was pressing against her throat, and her mind went blank—

But! Catherine's body reacted before her mind could process it!

Her fingers almost spasmed as she pressed the switch on the wall.

Snapped!

The dazzling warm light instantly filled the entire kitchen and dining room, the sudden light dispelling the darkness and illuminating a corner of the living room as well.

The door was indeed open, and the night wind was blowing in, causing the curtains to flutter.

But... it was empty, there was nothing there, and no shadows.

That patch of darkness just now seemed like a phantom she was in between sleep and wakefulness, or a nightmare she was having while she was drowsy...

Catherine's heart pounded, her back felt cold. She stared intently at the open door, then glanced at the empty meadow outside—

Is it a hallucination?

This is fucking...too real!

She suppressed the fear in her heart, took a few deep breaths, walked over, and with an almost neurotic vigilance, quickly closed and locked that damned door again!

The metal latch clicked shut, its sound particularly loud in the silence.

She breathed a sigh of relief, walked towards the kitchen island while glancing back, picked up a glass of water and gulped it down.

As her heartbeat began to calm down, she drank while looking at the tightly closed side door across the street. Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind.

What if...it's not an illusion?

This idea sent chills down her spine!

Catherine abruptly raised her hand and snapped the kitchen and dining room lights off again.

The light disappeared, darkness returned, and the faint moonlight slanted in from the window, casting blurry patches of light on the floor.

Catherine's pupils also dilated rapidly in the darkness, struggling to adapt to the change in light...

Then, she saw it!

This time, even closer!

It was less than fifteen meters away from her!

The dark figure remained in human form, no longer standing at the doorway, but... had already entered the room!

It stood silently in the living room, as if it had never left!

"Bang--!"

Having prepared herself somewhat, Catherine's fear was much less than before, and her reactions were quicker.

She raised her gun almost instantly, aimed, and pulled the trigger in one fluid motion, her reaction as fast as instinct.

The gun muzzle spat out flashes of light in the darkness, and the deafening gunshot ripped through the silence of the mountains. Bullets whistled as they hurtled toward the dark mass!

The lights were randomly turned back on.

Under the glaring lights, the corridor was empty!

Only on the wooden wall next to the side door, wood chips were flying everywhere, revealing a fresh bullet hole!

"Catherine!!"

"What happened?!"

In less than three seconds, Qin Jin and Constanze rushed down like cheetahs, and Alessa also appeared at the top of the stairs holding a plush toy. The little bear cub was still fast asleep in the room.

Catherine's face was deathly pale, her finger trembling as she pointed toward the side door, stammering incoherently:

"Shadow...Shadow! The door's open! There's something...I fired, but missed..."

Although she had already experienced supernatural cases, when this happened to her, Catherine still felt an uncontrollable sense of horror and panic, even though it lasted only a short time.

Qin Jin and Constanze rushed over, their eyes scanning the ground, their nostrils simultaneously catching a cold, damp scent...

Catherine took two deep breaths and quickly recounted what had just happened:

"I went downstairs to get a drink of water, and there was a dark shadow by the side door. I turned on the light and it disappeared... I turned off the light, and it reappeared in the living room. I immediately fired my gun..."

"Turn off the lights!" Qin Jin made a quick decision.

Darkness descended once more. Constanze took two steps back, revealing a Holy Cross brass knuckle duster in his hand. Alessa also drew her Gru Super Red Eagle, and Catherine's hand was also steadily raised.

Darkness descended once more.

This time, everyone's eyes were fixed on the side door with a hole in it.

In complete darkness, vision loses most of its function, but some more primal sense is amplified.

but!

There was nothing there! Including the living room, the porch, and even outside the door, the dark figure that Catherine had just seen had completely vanished without a trace.

Qin Jin walked into the darkness of the living room and began to reach out and touch around, searching. He then took off his coat, grabbed it, and waved it around, but still found nothing.

Qin Jin then stopped and looked at Catherine, then at Constantine:

"Jack! If this is an evil spirit or a demon, wouldn't it stay hidden because there are so many people around?"

"Possibly, but more likely," Constantine said with a slight wry smile.

"This thing decides its actions based on the aura of fear, just like now..." He helplessly spread his hands:

"Tell me, what fear do the four of us have now?"

Qin Jin nodded. Constanze was right, but where could they find fear now?

"Should I stay here alone?" Catherine bit her lip and suddenly spoke:

"You all go up, I'll stay behind and see if it comes out... Uh, I might be a little scared being alone?"

That's the truth!

But what if Catherine is left alone, besides what else could she do?

Qin Jin's gaze swept over Alessa, who nodded and slowly walked down the stairs:

"I can stay with you."

Qin Jin and Constanze returned upstairs, leaving Catherine alone in the dark kitchen.

When her gaze swept over Aresa's small figure, standing quietly and motionless beside the curtains, the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily.

Although she knew it was Alessa, in her perception, it seemed even colder and stiffer than the shadowy figure from before, and even the aura of fear emanating from it was more intense.

Catherine took a deep breath, turned around, and poured herself another glass of water...