“By the way, be careful of that student in your class named Jason Carter. I ran into him before—he’s very strange, not normal at all... He doesn’t really seem human, but I can’t be sure. You’d better stay away from him. I’ve already made a record about him, and someone will investigate in the future. Also, don’t believe any of that nonsense he says about the future. There’s no way anyone can come back from the future to the present; the institute has done experiments like that.”

　　In the midst of his painful struggle, Eric Clark shouted again.

　　“What?”

　　Brian Cooper turned his head in surprise to glance back.

　　“Ah~!”

　　As soon as he turned, he heard a miserable scream. He saw Eric Clark’s belly being forcibly torn open, and a bluish-black infant’s arm stretched out. Then the torn opening grew wider and wider... the head of the ghost infant inside poked out, curiously looking around like a newborn child.

　　But in those pitch-black eyes, there was only a sense of eerie evil.

　　Run!

　　Brian Cooper was startled and immediately turned to run.

　　“Waaah...”

　　Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, that chilling, ghostly wail echoed through the corridor behind him, as if announcing its arrival to the world.

　　The ghost infant slowly crawled out of Eric Clark’s body, and his once-swollen belly deflated rapidly like a punctured balloon.

　　No blood flowed out, not even any visible organs—just some flesh that had already turned black.

　　Just as he’d said before, his insides had long since been eaten away by the ghost infant.

　　“Dad, Mom, I—I’m sorry...”

　　Eric Clark’s eyes gradually lost their luster, becoming dull and lifeless. His head lolled to the side, all vitality gone, but his eyes still stared straight at the ghost infant as it slowly crawled in the direction Brian Cooper had fled.

　　Fourth floor, third floor...

　　“Great, I didn’t get lost.”

　　At this moment, Brian Cooper hurried down the stairs, a bit of relief welling up inside him.

　　Because he realized that the darkness no longer shrouded the stairwell. Though it was dim, everything was visible, and there was no more of that endless looping from before.

　　No darkness, no getting lost—if everything stayed normal, it would only take a few minutes to leave the school.

　　When he reached the second floor, he saw Michael Bolton, Grace Parker, and several other classmates pacing the corridor in terror. They held their phones, flashlights on, walking from one end of the hallway to the other, then turning around and going back.

　　They’d been going back and forth like this for quite a while.

　　It was as if they were bewitched, never able to find a way out.

　　“No, that’s not right. It’s not that the ghost domain disappeared, or that the darkness retreated—it’s that I can see through it all now...” Brian Cooper’s expression changed slightly as he looked at the red eye on the back of his hand.

　　Could this be the ability of a ghost wielder?

　　If so, then this eye... is also a ghost.

　　He remembered what Eric Clark had said earlier: the ghost infant in his belly was only the size of a fingernail at first, but later grew so large.

　　If that’s true, what will this ghost eye become in the end?

　　Will it also turn into a fierce ghost and devour him?

　　Thinking of Eric Clark’s fate, a chill ran down Brian Cooper’s spine, and he shuddered, looking at the eye on the back of his hand with nothing but fear.

　　The joy of seeing through the ghost domain vanished in an instant.

　　“Even if I’m going to be killed by this eye, that’s a problem for later. Right now, the most important thing is to get out of here.”

　　Brian Cooper gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to overthink, then strode toward Michael Bolton and the others.

　　But in Michael Bolton and the others’ eyes, everything around them was only darkness.

　　The light from their phones could only illuminate a meter ahead—any farther, and they couldn’t see a thing.

　　“Michael Bolton, we’ve been walking for half an hour and still can’t get out. Are we going to be trapped here forever?” Grace Parker from their class said nervously.

　　“That Eric Clark said this is a ghost domain. Do you guys know what a ghost domain is? Could there really be ghosts? Was what happened in the classroom earlier a supernatural event? If there really are ghosts, maybe we’ll never get out,” another student said cautiously.

　　Michael Bolton said seriously, “Don’t worry, there’s no way we’ll be stuck here forever. That’s absolutely impossible. Trust me, in a few days we’ll just starve to death here—it won’t take a lifetime.”

　　“......”

　　You’re still making sarcastic remarks at a time like this.

　　Suddenly.

　　“Step, step, step~!” A series of footsteps came from the darkness.

　　“Who—who’s there?”

　　Michael Bolton instantly tensed up, and the others were on edge, trembling with fear.

　　“Don’t be nervous, it’s me, Brian Cooper.”

　　Brian Cooper’s voice came from the darkness.

　　“Stop! Don’t—don’t come any closer. You say you’re Brian Cooper, but can you prove it? What if you’re a ghost in disguise?” Michael Bolton said.

　　Brian Cooper replied, “Michael Bolton, is this really the time for you to be so long-winded? It’s dangerous here. I can get you all out. If you follow me, you won’t get lost.”