Duān Làng's heart pounded with terror. He slapped his cheeks to stay awake.
"But seriously… that prankster ghost got killed by one of my farts? That thing must've been weak as hell."
"So basically, something invisible's haunting this staircase. I stepped into its territory, and now it wants me dead."
Ghostly looping corridors.
He finally figured out what had been happening in the stairwell—it was some kind of supernatural trap.
It all felt like a dream. One moment he was sleeping, the next he was thrown into this madness, and now he desperately needed more information.
Alone in the pitch-black corridor, knowing for sure there was a ghost around, Duān Làng was absolutely terrified. What if it snuck up from behind? Where would it come from? The front? Behind him? Or maybe straight out of the wall?
The fear and constant overthinking scrambled his mind. He was losing control.
He pulled out his phone.
He'd only been asleep for four hours, yet he already had several missed calls and messages—most of them from his parents. He checked the texts first.
Dad: Something's going on outside. Answer your phone, quick.
Dad: Son, whatever you do, stay inside.
Dad: Are you still alive? Please answer me.
Duān Làng's hands trembled as he read the messages. He quickly called his father back.
The phone was answered almost instantly.
"Son! You're okay?" his father said, clearly on edge.
Duān Làng didn't tell him about being trapped in a haunted stairwell—he didn't want to worry them. "I'm fine. I was just sleeping. Are you guys okay?"
His mother grabbed the phone, her voice shaking and laced with tears. "Don't go outside, baby. Please, whatever you do, don't leave the house!"
They both seemed relieved that he was still alive.
"We're hiding at home now," his father said. "It's bad out there. People are dying. A lot of people."
"What exactly is happening?"
"We don't know," his dad replied quietly.
His mom's voice cracked. "We can't reach your sister. What should we do?"
His brain went blank. The thought of not being able to contact his sister made his heart sink.
"I'll go find her," he blurted out.
Too impulsive. How could he find anyone when he couldn't even leave this cursed staircase?
"Don't!" his dad whispered sharply. "It's too dangerous."
Knock, knock.
Someone started banging on his parents' door. The call abruptly ended.
"They're in trouble!" Duān Làng's face went pale. He punched the wall, his knuckles bleeding, eyes burning with panic.
"Let me out, dammit!"
Losing all rational thought, he sprinted down the stairs.
But no matter how far he ran, there was no first floor—just the same never-ending staircase looping back again and again.
He looked up.
Still the sixth floor.
His mind spiraled into chaos. Out of desperation, he turned and ran upstairs.
Yet again, the stairwell looped back.
Still the sixth floor.
This was the top of the building—any further up would be the rooftop. And still, no matter what he did, he couldn't escape the sixth floor.
He collapsed onto the stairs, gasping for air, exhausted and furious.
Clutching his phone, he prayed for another call from his parents.
"When Dad heard the knock, he hung up immediately. He must've had no choice. They must've received a horror quest too."
He didn't dare call them again.
Waiting was agony. Finally, his phone rang. He picked it up instantly.
"It's gone," his dad whispered.
Duān Làng spoke quickly, "Did you guys get a system notification too?"
His father hesitated. "Yes. Your mom and I were told someone would be outside our door. We have to stay inside and make no noise for one week. If we do that, we survive."
So it was true.
"Dad, you have to follow the system's instructions to the letter. It's the only way to stay alive."
He was living proof of that.
There was another knock on his parents' door. Duān Làng held his breath. On the other end of the line, everything went silent.
Eventually, the knocking stopped.
"I'm hanging up," his father said quietly.
"Okay."
They said nothing else. The call ended.
Duān Làng fell into deep thought.
His parents were relatively safe. They just had to make it through a week.
But his own situation was far worse—trapped in a ghost loop, no food, no way out. How long could he last?
He opened his contacts and called his sister.
Her name was Liǔ Xià. They weren't related by blood. After his mother passed away, his father married her mother when Duān Làng was only three and Liǔ Xià six. But even though they weren't siblings by birth, they were as close as real family.
She worked as a counselor at a university in Ān City. Smart, reliable, and full of promise.
"The number you have dialed is turned off."
Duān Làng's heart sank deeper.
Things weren't looking good for Liǔ Xià either.
For a long moment, he sat in silence—until his eyes sharpened with resolve. He would never give up on his family. He had to find them and figure out what the hell was going on.
"I can't get out now. No point rushing. I'll handle this step by step."
He checked his messages again. There were texts from Lín Zhí, his closest friend.
They'd grown up together. Flirted with girls together. Played video games, slacked off, moved to the city to work… everything.
14:13 —
Lín Zhí: Something's happening!! After the eclipse, everything went to shit. People are going nuts—some are chopping others up, some are crashing their cars like it's freakin' GTA 5.
14:15 —
I was on my way home from work. Damn director locked me in. If I die, I'm dragging that jerk to hell with me!
14:16 —
Don't come looking for me. It's chaos out there. I saw someone cut in half by a car, but the top half just ran off like a damn zombie. It's insane.
14:25 —
You still alive?
14:41 —
I can't make it back. Something's after me. If you're reading this, pray I survive. And if you're alive—don't go outside. Think about all the horror games we've played. Survive, bro.
14:55 —
DON'T CALL ME. There's a ghost in my phone!! Don't trust anything I send from now on!!
That last message made Duān Làng's scalp tingle.
He had been about to call Lín Zhí for help—but not anymore.
From the messages, it was clear: after the eclipse, the whole world changed.
"There was a news report about a full lunar eclipse earlier… It must've happened while I was sleeping. I missed the whole thing."
"And yet somehow, I'm the only one who's okay?"
No. One unlucky ghost died from his fart.
Duān Làng analyzed the situation.
"Someone—or something—set this whole thing in motion. Aliens? Some secret tech? Whatever it is, this 'Horror System' is definitely like a game. And it's trying to force us to play."
"And if this is a game… the devs wouldn't make it unbeatable."
"There has to be a way out."