Horror Game Designer

Chapter 65: The Best Start At This Moment

In the perpetual cycle of despair, a glimmer of hope emerged, resembling a crack forcibly created in the unyielding lock of destiny. This was the work of Gao Ming, who had endured an uncountable number of deaths to reach this point.

Gao Ming clasped the hand of a lifeless body lying before him. On its palm was a black mark, ominous and curse-like in appearance. Unlike before, memories flooded back to him, this time remaining intact in his mind. Sensing the urgency of the moment, Gao Ming quickly readied himself to depart from this grim scene.

As he made his way out, the sound of footsteps echoed abruptly behind him. Gao Ming’s body stiffened, a visceral reaction as though he was trapped in the grip of a ferocious predator. A familiar voice reached his ears, one he recognized with a mix of fear and recognition.

“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time,” the voice declared ominously. “You boarded a car you shouldn’t have, and came to a place you shouldn’t have.”

It was the voice of that man – the same man whose voice haunted Gao Ming. His pupils constricted in a mix of recognition and dread. He remembered this voice as belonging to the person who had ended his life multiple times when he had entered the tunnel earlier.

“You’ve become intertwined with something I cannot separate you from now,” the voice continued, its tone laced with a sinister calm. “You were meant to die, but I’m here to offer you a chance at survival.”

Gao Ming felt an overwhelming pressure as if an invisible force was pinning him to the ground, rendering him powerless against the presence of this ominous voice. He didn’t dare raise his head, fearing that any change in his behavior might reveal how he differed from his past iterations.

“The script of everyone’s life is pre-written from birth, and fate governs all,” the voice intoned. “Nature’s cycle is perpetual, each thing in its ordained place.”

“But now, chaos reigns. Ghosts wander freely, abnormalities occur with increasing frequency, and the malice in human hearts threatens to engulf the city. The games you designed, inspired by real cases and urban legends, may soon manifest into reality, born from the depths of your decaying memories. You have a choice: lead people through your games to diminish the resentment, or sacrifice them to strengthen the legends. Each choice carries its own cost and reward.”

“This chaos is a gift of fate to you. Grasp it tightly. Prevent the uncontrolled legends from surfacing.”

As the voice finished speaking, the oppressive pressure began to recede, and a hand gently pressed down on Gao Ming’s head.

“From now on, your name is Gao Ming,” the voice declared.

Gao Ming was startled. The voice had just informed him of his own name. But deep down, he knew every word from this unknowable figure was a deception.

“Everyone’s script is set from birth, fate dictates everything,” he pondered silently. “Maybe this is how the world has always worked, but does its constancy make it right?”

Raindrops trickled down from the tunnel ceiling, mingling with his thoughts. The dark silhouettes of corpses lay scattered around him. Rising from the ground, Gao Ming grasped his chest, a symbol of his resolve.

He remembered all his past deaths vividly. Contrary to the games he had created, what truly emerged from his decaying memories was the harsh reality he had lived through, a reality he now had to confront and understand.

He ran through the tunnel, stumbling and falling repeatedly. Gao Ming’s injuries accumulated with each fall, but he paid them no mind. In his heart, he felt like a bird breaking free from its cage, beating its wings with all the strength it could muster, driven by a deep desire to rectify all his past regrets.

As he approached the tunnel’s end, a dim light began to emerge, slicing through the darkness. Gao Ming raised his eyes towards it and recognized a familiar figure.

With long hair cascading over her shoulders, Xuan Wen stood there, clad in a black raincoat, holding a flashlight that she pointed in his direction. Her slow approach felt almost ceremonial. The light bathed Gao Ming in its glow, and as Xuan Wen emerged from the shadows, they both paused, sensing a profound yet inexplicable familiarity as if their souls had met many times before.

“It seems like I appeared because of you, and you came because of me,” Gao Ming thought, reflecting on the surreal nature of their encounter. “Even if our ending is predetermined, let’s face it together with a smile. This is our fleeting love story.”

“I found you,” Xuan Wen finally said.

Despite this being their first physical meeting, Xuan Wen felt an unexplained trust towards Gao Ming. The nature of love and trust is often mysterious, and she found herself puzzled by these feelings. Love usually has a reason, and trust is not given unconditionally. Yet here she was, unable to comprehend this strange emotional connection.

“You’re hurt. Let me help you out of here,” Xuan Wen said, her voice carrying a cold, frightening edge. Her intentions weren’t to facilitate a reunion but to eliminate a potential threat to her will, to destroy what she perceived as her only vulnerability.

Gao Ming offered no resistance, passively lying on Xuan Wen’s back. This brief moment of physical contact seemed to be the first and perhaps the last they would share.

The tunnel was long, but it had its end. The sound of rain hitting the ground outside became more distinct as they neared the exit. Xuan Wen, with Gao Ming on her back, stepped into the night, where the tunnel met the open sky. In the shadows, she reached under her raincoat and withdrew a knife.

Her instinct was to ruthlessly eliminate any influence over her, to allow no weaknesses. But as she stood there, knife in hand, she found herself unable to act on her impulse.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Gao Ming said, now sitting on the ground and staring into the stormy night. “You think you’re just a figment of my imagination, a creation of mine. But that’s not true. You didn’t appear because I designed you. You’ve always been real, shaped by your own experiences.”

“That’s impossible. How can I have feelings for someone I’ve never met?” Xuan Wen countered, her voice tinged with confusion and disbelief as she approached him with the knife. “I am a creature of the shadows, fundamentally different from you.”

“Do you remember seeing a black-and-white photo when you first opened your eyes? Maybe a wedding photo of us?” Gao Ming asked, not retreating even as the knife’s tip pressed against his chest. “I’ve spent a long time trying to understand it. A memorial photo? Why? It’s because you have died more than once in my past. That might be why the photo exists in this shadow world.”

“Died once?” Xuan Wen murmured, her voice a mix of incredulity and shock.

“I don’t fully understand why that photo appears in your world, but I’m determined to uncover the truth,” Gao Ming declared firmly.

After a moment of intense internal conflict, Xuan Wen lowered the knife. “I can help you escape this place, take you back home. But I need you to promise me one thing.”

“One promise?” Gao Ming quizzed, his mind racing back to previous departures from the tunnel. Each time, he recalled making a promise to Xuan Wen, but the specifics always eluded his memory.

Xuan Wen’s expression was complex, reflecting an inner turmoil. “I’ve developed an uncontrollable affection for you, and maintaining a clear mind’s becoming increasingly difficult. I find myself inexplicably drawn to your presence, always aware of where you are. Yet, believe me, this isn’t something I want.” She handed her raincoat to Gao Ming, her eyes conveying a mix of frustration and resignation. “This distorted form of love is growing stronger with each passing moment. So, I need you to make a promise to me: no matter what I do, you must never let yourself develop feelings for me. Don’t fall in love with me, and don’t ever try to manipulate me using these emotions!”

“Is that really what you want me to promise?” Gao Ming asked, trying to grasp the depth of her request.

“If you agree, put on the raincoat, and I’ll take you home. If not…” Xuan Wen’s voice trailed off. Her past experiences, ones that no one else knew, had shaped her desire not to have her destiny entangled with anyone else.

As they spoke, a gust of stormy wind whistled into the tunnel, carrying with it the chilling echoes of the night and a sense of returning to past memories.

Gao Ming nodded solemnly. “I promise you. But you should know, my brain is damaged. I often lose my memory.” His voice was tinged with a hint of sadness, acknowledging his own limitations.

“Then I’ll remind you,” Xuan Wen said with a hint of resolve, lifting Gao Ming in her arms.

“Thank you,” Gao Ming expressed his gratitude, his voice soft.

“You’re welcome,” Xuan Wen replied, her tone neutral.

“Thank you, Xuan Wen.” Gao Ming’s second thanks held a different weight, filled with gratitude towards the Xuan Wen who had made a significant choice back at the Sishui Apartment.

“It doesn’t matter,” Xuan Wen responded, her voice carrying a hint of emotional detachment.

Gao Ming repeated, “Thank you…”

Xuan Wen’s patience seemed to wane slightly as she interjected, “Are you done yet???” Though slightly exasperated, her words couldn’t fully mask the complex emotions brewing beneath her stoic exterior.