Harrison.
This was the surname of the Dylan family, a noble lineage with a history spanning over three hundred years.
The man’s diary recorded many things. He was originally a member of high society who had served the Harrison family for generations.
Twenty years ago, he was supposed to be executed by hanging for offending a higher up, but Dylan’s father saved him, giving him a chance to live.
He was sent to this small island to prepare for the Harrison family’s once-a-decade sacrificial ritual.
According to the diary, every ten years, a tall, blonde, blue-eyed man wearing a silver mask covering half his face would come to the island.
The mask bore the Harrison family crest—a silver serpent coiled around a red rose. This man was the next heir of the Harrison family.
In this generation, the only person qualified to wear this mask was Dylan Harrison—the one who had somehow brought them to this island using unknown, mysterious means.
Shen Lin, with his strikingly similar blonde hair, blue eyes, and tall stature, was able to disguise himself as Dylan and extract information from the man.
Shen Lin raised his hand slightly, and the man obediently lifted his head, though his eyes remained downcast, as if Shen Lin’s face were too sacred to look upon directly.
The man, with his head bowed, said cautiously, “My lord, where is your mask? Forgive my impertinence, but the mask is a symbol of your identity. Of course, I don’t doubt who you are, but, as you know, on this island, you must not remove the mask carelessly.”
“He’s suspicious of you,” KP reminded. “What will you do?”
“I’ll make a Persuasion check,” Shen Lin said naturally.
KP said, “Your Persuasion isn’t high. Would you like to try your specialty—Charm?”
Shen Lin’s eyelashes fluttered slightly: “…………No, thank you.”
“Alright,” KP sighed regretfully, glancing at Shen Lin’s naturally handsome face. He gestured for Shen Lin to make the Persuasion check.
25/15.
KP: “…………” How did he pass that!?
Shen Lin’s gaze shifted from the successful roll. After a moment of thought, he said to the man, “I don’t think you’d want to know what happened these past two days. Even for me, it was a terrible experience.”
His eyes were deep, his expression serious. The man, well aware of the island’s strangeness, was immediately intimidated by Shen Lin’s demeanor. He stammered and bowed in apology, “I’m sorry, my lord. Please forgive me. I asked something I shouldn’t have.”
“I forgive you, but I don’t think there will be a next time.”
“Y-Yes, my lord.”
The man seemed even more flustered than before. Recalling the contents of the diary, Shen Lin spoke softly after a moment of silence, “I am honored to have your service, Cain Jones. After this ritual, the name you abandoned will be returned to you. You can return to civilization, stand under the sun, and reunite with your—” He paused, then smiled, “daughter.”
The man’s grotesque face momentarily showed a mix of sorrow and joy. He wiped away the tears welling in his reddened eyes and struck his right chest twice with a clenched fist. “I swear eternal loyalty to the Harrison family, but…” He lowered his eyes sadly and said hoarsely, “I’ve become a monster. I’d scare little Alice. No, she wouldn’t recognize me.”
Shen Lin’s clear blue eyes shone with a faint light: “But she will always love you.”
The man was stunned. He knelt on one knee before Shen Lin, bowing low, and said with heartfelt gratitude, “Thank you, my lord.”
KP said expressionlessly, “Please stop radiating your charm. The NPC’s favorability is already maxed out.”
“Now then,” Shen Lin, satisfied with the results of his attempt, maintained the composure of a ruler, “report on the current situation here.”
From Cain’s diary, it was clear that this once-gentlemanly man had been sent to this mysterious island twenty years ago and had been stranded here ever since. Over the years, he had endured many hardships, which had transformed his appearance. He had completely lost his gentlemanly demeanor and become a terrifying monster.
He had been guarding something for the Harrison family and preparing for a ritual, though he didn’t know the specifics. He only knew it was something beyond human comprehension, something that delved into the outer reaches of the universe, the depths of the ocean, or the earth’s core.
Whenever he tried to record details about the ritual in his diary, he would hear a deep, abyssal warning in his mind, causing him to tremble and preventing him from writing anything down. He could only keep these things in his heart, leaving behind keywords like “ritual,” “fear,” “mission,” and “home” in the thin diary, giving Shen Lin a glimpse of the unusual nature of the situation.
From the diary, Shen Lin deduced that Dylan had gathered the six of them on the cruise ship and, through some unknown means, brought them to this isolated island to perform an unknown ritual.
This kind of evil, black magic-like activity wasn’t something Shen Lin was hearing about for the first time. In his memory (as set by KP), ten years ago, the Great Iris Incident in the royal court had caused widespread panic.
Rumors said that Princess Louise suddenly killed all her maids, cut off their breasts, and arranged them as offerings to a stone spider statue with eight tentacles. Midway through the ritual, the princess began laughing and dancing wildly before leaping from the top of the clock tower, falling to her death in a flowerbed surrounded by irises. The twisted vines, like tentacles, tightly wrapped around her body, their tips piercing her skin and burrowing into her bones, as if performing a gruesome feast.
Even in death, she remained elegant, wearing a luxurious pink tiered cake dress, its hem spreading out among the purple irises. Her beautiful face bore a sweet smile, as if she had simply fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Inside the clock tower where the ritual took place, she had drawn a hexagram with the blood of young girls, accompanied by a line of text: The stars have reached their appointed positions. It shall return to the world.
Before this, the princess had received the finest aristocratic education. In that era, there was no woman more elegant, intellectual, or beautiful than her.
Yet, the bizarre incident occurred without warning, infiltrating every corner. No one could say where the dark forces lurking in the shadows had wandered or whose soul they had corrupted.
Thus, even a prestigious family like the Haino could have become a vassal to some mysterious power, devoutly serving their deity.
Those who peer into the unknown and the abyss will eventually be ensnared by shadows.
For now, the clues were insufficient, and Shen Lin could only draw a rough conclusion. He needed more information from Cain.
Cain said respectfully, “The decennial ritual is approaching. I’ve prepared most of the materials needed. Only one ingredient is missing, which can only be obtained on the night of the red moon1. The next red moon is in a week. Once that night arrives, the ritual can proceed smoothly.”
“I want to inspect it,” Shen Lin said sternly.
Cain hesitated, then said, “My lord, you’ll have to wait until nightfall.”
Shen Lin didn’t respond, frowning slightly in dissatisfaction.
Cain immediately panicked and said, “Please forgive my rudeness. Only at night, when Moonfall Village appears, can I present the prepared materials to you—ah!”
At that moment, Cain’s voice was abruptly cut off. He let out a low, pained groan, and his skin began to swell like a balloon, turning from grayish-blue to purplish-blue. His veins bulged rapidly under his skin.
Shen Lin’s eyes widened in shock as he watched the scene unfold.
—His skin was about to burst!
Yan Xiuyi reacted swiftly, grabbing a blanket from the bed and draping it over his back. He shielded Shen Lin, turning his back to Cain and holding Shen Lin tightly in his arms.
A muffled splat echoed in their ears, though it was unclear due to someone covering their ears. Out of the corner of his eye, Shen Lin saw blood splatter on the walls. He mechanically turned his head, but before his gaze could settle, a large, dry hand covered his eyes.
“Don’t look,” Yan Xiuyi said in a deep, calm voice. He glanced sideways at the man, whose veins had all burst, and frowned.
“Everyone, make a Sanity check. Success loses 1 point, failure loses 1-3 points,” KP’s voice rang out.
Everyone rolled the dice. Yan Xiuyi and Nana failed.
KP said, “Roll a three-sided die to determine how many Sanity points you lose.”
Sanity points, like stamina, were a variable value representing the player’s current mental state. If Sanity dropped below a certain threshold or if a player lost 5 or more points at once, they would lose their sanity and go mad.
The two rolled the dice. Yan Xiuyi lost 3 points, and Nana lost 1 point.
After the check, the world returned to normal. Shen Lin stepped out of Yan Xiuyi’s embrace and looked at the dismembered body on the ground with a complicated expression.
KP: “As horror movie enthusiasts, Orion, Brian, and Freud quickly processed the terrifying scene before them.
Shawn, who had spent years studying medicine and dealing with internal organs, was only momentarily shocked before recovering.
Felton, though tall and strong, was emotionally fragile and hid in Orion’s arms, frightened by the scene.”
Yan Xiuyi, holding Shen Lin in his arms: “?”
Shen Lin, being held by Yan Xiuyi: “…”
KP chuckled mischievously and said, “This is a normal reaction for someone with a secret crush. A little trick in love.”
Yan Xiuyi said calmly, “Now everyone knows I have a crush on him.”
KP: “Oops.”
Brian’s eyes widened: “No wonder I felt the atmosphere between you two was different.”
“It’s for the setting,” Shen Lin explained.
“Yes, for the setting,” KP continued with a smile. “And our only lady, Nana, couldn’t handle the sight of blood splattering everywhere and let out a sharp scream.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Nana screamed. She collapsed onto the bed, her hand brushing against some indescribable filth splattered from the explosion.
Freud: “What just happened? You were talking fine a moment ago. Why did he suddenly explode?”
“I don’t know,” Shen Lin said, recalling their conversation. “He mentioned something
—Moonfall Village.”
Author’s Note:
Original line:
The stars have reached their appointed positions. The Old Ones shall return to the world.
- 红月之夜 (Red Moon Night): A common trope in horror and supernatural stories, symbolizing ominous or transformative events. ↩︎
Leave a Reply