Yuan Luoyi came home, flung her backpack away, and sat on the edge of her bed, taking deep breaths to calm herself.
She was about to activate the Time Travel function soon. Last time, she encountered her brother Yuan Ao in the middle of murdering someone. Who knew what would happen this time?
She might even run into other insane brothers. She had to be prepared for the worst...
With this thought, Yuan Luoyi became even more anxious. She fluffed up her blanket and pillow, hoping to sleep more comfortably, and perhaps avoid any terrifying encounters.
All preparations were made. Yuan Luoyi said, "System, initiate Time Travel."
The familiar dizziness and vertigo came over her. She closed her eyes and lost consciousness.
In the darkness, she smelled an overwhelming stench of blood. She reached out and felt around until she found a light switch.
"Click!"
The overhead light illuminated the area, revealing the location of this Time Travel.
Walls plastered with photos, tables cluttered with medicine bottles, and cabinets full of knives.
Ah... it was her brother's Underground murder cabin.
More crosses marked the photos on the walls, clearly indicating that in Yuan Luoyi's absence, Yuan Ao had killed many more people. The reek of blood in this room was far stronger than before.
She picked up a medicine bottle from the table and shook it, the pills rattling loudly inside.
It seemed he still had plenty of medication left. Had her brother stopped taking his medication?
Did that mean he was completely deranged now?
Yuan Luoyi grew anxious. She had failed to keep her promise last time.
Her sudden disappearance must have angered him greatly. Even a short absence could send him into an uncontrolled rage. This time...
Yuan Luoyi dared not imagine what would happen. Thankfully, the room was silent, her brother wasn't present. Perhaps she wouldn't run into him this time.
She explored the room alone, opening the fridge to find it fully stocked with fruits, vegetables, and even snacks.
Opening other cabinets revealed knives of all sorts - small, large, boning, cone-shaped... too many to count, in every style imaginable.
Yuan Luoyi dared not touch them. The blades gleamed menacingly, clearly razor-sharp and terrifying, all used on human victims.
Pushing open door after door, aside from the kitchen and bathroom, the other rooms had only a chair, a table, and bloodstains on the floor.
Suddenly, a figure flashed by, startling Yuan Luoyi into retreating. Someone else was in the room!
Before she could choose an escape route, she was captured.
Her assailant was a tall, unkempt man with bloodshot eyes and wounds all over his body, his wrists bearing bloody marks from restraints.
He gripped Yuan Luoyi tightly and shook her violently, shouting, "Tell me how you got in here!"
Yuan Luoyi struggled desperately, "I don't know!"
The man's face was one from the photos!
The man recognized Yuan Luoyi's face too and stared at her in shock. "Yuan Luoyi?!"
He shuddered in fear, turning pale. After a moment, he calmed down somewhat. "Wait, you're just a child..."
He shook his head repeatedly. "No, she's dead. I saw her die. You just look like her. That madman must have gotten a child from somewhere. He's completely insane!"
Yuan Luoyi broke free, putting some distance between them.
The man adjusted his expression, twisting his face into a pained smile. "Little lady, don't be afraid. I'm Cheng Cheng, a victim like you. That lunatic kidnapped me and tortured me for a day. He's gone out now, and I managed to gnaw through the ropes and escape. I just happened to run into you."
"I'm not a bad person. That madman is. If you listen to me, you'll be home soon."
Yuan Luoyi summoned her courage to gather clues. "Why did he kidnap you?"
Cheng Cheng ground his teeth in anger. "Who knows what that lunatic is thinking! He's killing anyone even remotely connected to his sister's death! I'm just an ordinary reporter. I only reported some related news, and he wants to kill me!"
He looked at Yuan Luoyi. "You really do resemble her a lot. You must be the perfect substitute for him. He must have treated you well, not a scratch on you, unlike the rest of us..."
He laughed bitterly. Yuan Ao was an expert at torture. Even though Cheng Cheng had escaped, he was ruined.
Reaching a hand out to Yuan Luoyi, Cheng Cheng said, "Come here, uncle will take you to the exit."
Yuan Luoyi shrank back in fear.
Cheng Cheng was instantly enraged, shouting, "Don't be so disobedient! You shouldn't be afraid of me, you should be afraid of that lunatic! He could kill you at any moment!"
"That madman can no longer distinguish reality from delusion. He'll randomly start stabbing and muttering to himself."
"You think just because you look like his sister, you'll be fine? One minute he thinks you're his sister, the next he thinks you're someone else!"
"Hurry up and come with me. We need to find the exit before he returns!"
Yuan Luoyi had no choice but to approach him slowly, not because he had convinced her, but because he was holding a knife menacingly.
If he wanted to, he could easily force Yuan Luoyi to go with him given their difference in physical strength.
For now, the safest choice was to follow him.
The two reached the door.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Cheng Cheng kicked the iron door furiously.
"Open up! What is this thing? No matter what I do, I can't get it open!"
Cheng Cheng crouched down, trying to pry the lock open with his knife.
Yuan Luoyi noticed this was a new door, sturdier than the previous one which only had a single lock. This door was pure steel with three locks.
Looking closely, the entire room had been reinforced, with steel plates nailed everywhere. It would be nearly impossible to escape from the inside.
Cheng Cheng deflated, howling, "Ah! What do I do? If he comes back, I'm definitely dead!"
After wallowing in despair for a while, he suddenly stood up and gripped Yuan Luoyi's shoulders. "That's right, little girl! You still haven't told me how you got in here. I didn't hear you come through the door!"
Yuan Luoyi swallowed nervously and lied, "I didn't come in from outside. I was hiding under the table this whole time and only just came out."
Cheng Cheng pressed her, "Then did you see what it's like outside?"
Yuan Luoyi replied, "It's an underground garage."
Cheng Cheng sank into hopelessness. "An underground garage! So even if we get out, it won't help!"
Suddenly, the sound of a car approaching could be heard from outside. Cheng Cheng turned pale with terror, grabbed Yuan Luoyi, and ran back inside, whispering frantically, "That lunatic is back! Let's hide, and ambush and kill him when we get the chance!"
Yuan Luoyi used all her strength to break free and ran back to the door.
Cheng Cheng roared furiously, "Such a disobedient fool!"
"Click!"
The first lock on the steel door opened.
Cheng Cheng's face contorted with fear. He had intended to grab Yuan Luoyi and hide, but now he dared not take a single step forward, the brutal tortures forever etched into his mind.
After gnawing through the ropes, the first thing he did was consume a large quantity of painkillers, which was extremely dangerous, but without them he would have passed out from the agony.
"Click!"
The second lock opened, and Cheng Cheng abandoned Yuan Luoyi to flee on his own.
Yuan Luoyi didn't move. How could she ambush her own brother with someone else?
Even if her brother had completely lost his mind, he was still her brother. Last time, she had failed to keep her promise, and while he might be angry, she believed her brother would never harm her.
"Click!"
The third lock opened, and the door slowly creaked open, a cool, damp, musty breeze wafting in.
