On the bloodred night, the gentlest kid killed everyone else. Inside the house, where adults couldn’t see, the devil was trapped inside a box. Sometimes, the living one had to suffer the most. Think about it. Between life and death, which one would require more courage?
Taking on all the pain and misunderstanding, the gentlest kid became the craziest person. He kept on laughing, but even the children he killed knew that he hadn’t really been happy since that night.
No. 2 placed down the last piece of the puzzle and completed a picture that looked like Han Fei. However, the person was not Han Fei because the man had an authentic, gentle smile.
“Put away useless emotions like pity. We’re here to dye this world red.” Different from the other kids, No. 2 retained his brain. He managed to become a living Unmentionable. While the other kids hesitated, his hands had already reached the river of fate. “No. 3, follow me into the city.”
An inconspicuous kid walked out of the shadow. He was the kind who would fade into the background. When No. 4 saw him, he took a step back. No. 3 picked up No. 2. He pushed open the door and walked down the street of Hope City. The crowd was bustling, and neon light showed on every face. The shops lining the street broadcasted commercials. This was like Xin Lu in real life, the one where the tragedy hadn’t occurred. However, underneath the busy and vibrant surface, there was another side that no one knew.
At the end of the happiness and joy was another zone. No. 3 carried No. 2 past the main street and entered the small alley. This was the middle zone of Hope City. Unlike the other zone, there was no worry of being attacked by ghosts. However, the survivors here didn’t get to enjoy special privileges like those in the inner zone either. The houses around them started to change. The walls began to get dirty. More trash littered the roads. The smell of decay lingered in the air. Two different zones existed in the same city. Perhaps this was human nature.
A wooden door opened, and a thin elder was roughly thrown out. After he landed, he ignored the mud and bleeding wound as he crawled like a dog to grab the leg of another man. “Please don’t chase me away! I’ll find a way to get the money! Let me stay for one more night! If I return to the outer zone, I’ll die!” The elder cried. His expression twisted with horror.
“Get lost!” A leather shoe kicked him away, and the wooden door close. The elder knocked on the door and cried. His body was weak, and needle holes punctured his arms. A blackened bandage wound around his stomach. Once he moved, blood would leak out. Parts of his organ had been harvested. He wouldn’t live for long. “You can’t do this to me! I’ve already given everything to you! You have to save me!”
No. 3 and No. 2 passed by the elder. They ignored him, and he appeared not to see them. The deeper they went into the alley, the darker the situation became. Everyone lived in this city called Hope, but the thing that they experienced the most was darkness.
No. 3 and No. 2 waved away the flies and stopped before a shop on the street corner. The faded red light shone on the road. It lit up the shop sign. “Hope Pharma…”
This was a pharmacy, but there was no doctor or medication on sale. The products they offered were not common medicine either. No. 3 pressed the bell on the counter. About 10 seconds later, the black curtain parted. An oily face poked out. This was a middle-aged man with an eye patch. His body was imbalanced. His left shoulder was higher than his right shoulder. His stomach was uneven too. Some parts protruded, and other parts caved in. His internal organs had been moved around. When the man saw the two boys, his eyes lit up. When he saw that No. 2 had no legs, he became even more excited. “Welcome.” The man looked at No. 2 and No. 3 less like customers but more like merchandise.
“I sell three kinds of medicine here. The first can bring security, the second can help with contribution points, and the last is a special medicine that can bring hope.” The man looked down on the two boys. “What do you need?”
“Do you have any medicine so that one wouldn’t be bullied anymore?” No. 2 turned to look at the black curtain. He was there not to buy medicine but to look for someone.
“Yes! It’s more expensive.” The middle-aged man shuffled back through the curtain. He waved for the two kids to follow. After No. 2 and No. 3 entered the inner room, he silently closed the shop door and put on the sign that he was closed. The inside of the pharmacy was dirty. No. 2 and No. 3 followed the man out the backdoor and entered a windowless room. This room had many candles made with special wax. A mud figurine covered under a black cloth was placed in the middle of the room.
“When the tragedy came, many illnesses appeared in this world. Everyone was in fear. The lucky thing is you’re now at Hope City, and the big shots in the core zone have produced the medicine that can cure all kinds of diseases.” The man stood behind the candles. “But the medicine here is not cheap. You need to trade for them.” He took out several dirty cards from under the figurine’s feet. “If you sacrifice your soul to the unknown God, you can gain temporary protection; if you hand over your internal organs to the big shots in the city, you can gain money; If you sell yourself, you can gain power so you won’t be bullied again. These are the medicine I sell here.” Every card represented a medicine and a choice.
“Then we’ll sacrifice our souls.” No. 2 lifted the black cloth to reveal a faceless mud figurine.
“That is absolutely the right choice. I’ll go to make the preparation now.” The man looked at No. 2. He didn’t suspect anything because he assumed No. 2 had made the trade before.
He shook a bell, and the hidden door opened. A horrible stench wafted out, and the chain rattled. Soon, a child who had been modified many times walked out of the hidden chamber. He was holding a tray. His eyes had been dug away. Chains bound his legs. His body had been modified many times until he became a monster.
“Get moving!” The middle-aged man was harsh on the kid. He probably hit him very often. The boy shook from fear. He placed the tray on the table. Just as he tried to run back into the hidden room, No. 3 stepped on the chains that bound the boy’s legs. No. 3 looked at the boy’s face. Then he took out a notebook from his pocket. It recorded the names of more than a hundred children. More than 70 names had been erased.
“Found him.” No. 3 put the note away and smiled at No. 2.
“If you’re interested in the kid, you can bring him with you after you complete the sacrifice.” The man smiled wickedly. “Okay, start the sacrifice now. Extend your hand and follow my instructions.” The man took out a knife with dried blood from behind the figurine. The boy collapsed to the ground in fear.
“The False God’s past is reprehensible. No matter how many sad fates he collects, it won’t do anything to help him.” No. 2 looked at the man. The man appeared to be taken over by some power. His expression darkened, and then he stabbed himself in the chest!
He stabbed himself over and over. It was very strange.
“Who would have thought that God’s soul would be hidden inside a helpless child?” No. 3 knelt beside the boy. “What’s your name? When were your eyes taken away? Where is your family? What is the biggest regret you have in your life?”
When No. 3 asked the questions, the boy sunk into deeper fear.
