(This is a story about the global resurgence of the supernatural, not a framework for a school horror game, just initially set in a school.)
"Brother, wake up..."
"The college entrance exam is almost here, how can you still sleep?"
In the classroom of Class Ten, Grade Three at Jiangyan No. 2 High School, a graceful and beautiful young girl stood with her hands on her hips next to Su Yuan's desk, trying to awaken his last bit of conscience.
The girl looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, with fair skin, a delicate face, and long, silky hair draping over her shoulders, exuding a youthful and lively aura.
It was currently evening self-study time, and the girl stood in the aisle between desks, speaking loudly as if no one else was around.
She was completely out of place with the surrounding environment.
Despite his younger sister's persuasion, Su Yuan lay motionless on the desk, like a corpse.
A school uniform covered his head, blocking out the classroom light, with a faint scent of a girl's fragrance lingering at his nose.
"Brother, for every minute you sleep now, you'll have to screw in ten more bolts in the factory later...
The foreman will bully you, making you work overtime on the assembly line until dawn every day...
And maybe even if you get a girlfriend, she'll despise your lack of ability and run off with some bald, beer-bellied uncle with a pet..."
Her voice was soft but pierced straight to the heart.
Su Yuan sighed lightly, reluctantly lifting his head and tossing the school uniform back to the girl at the desk behind him.
Song Xiaoxia, who was engrossed in a novel, was suddenly hit by the uniform and looked a bit bewildered at first.
Then, pouting in dissatisfaction, she picked up the uniform and cautiously sniffed it, her expression a bit worried, "You didn't drool in your sleep, did you?"
Su Yuan wiped the corner of his mouth, somewhat unsure, "I don't know, can't you tell?"
Bang bang!
Song Xiaoxia clenched her fist and gave his back two hard punches.
Su Yuan nonchalantly scratched his back and nudged his deskmate Ye Haoyu's leg with his knee, "Hey, big guy, what time is it?"
"Nine ten." Ye Haoyu sat up straight, eyes focused on the textbook in front of him, "Half an hour until class ends."
Su Yuan glanced at the English textbook propped up on his desk.
This one can read? Su Yuan suddenly leaned over, "What are you playing?"
"Who... who's playing?"
"Who... who's playing?" Ye Haoyu was startled, hurriedly grabbing the book and turning sideways, righteously saying, "You think everyone is like you? I'm studying, the college entrance exam is coming, drop by drop, I'll conquer it, my fate is mine, not heaven's!"
"Well said!" His younger sister stood by, clapping enthusiastically, her lively eyes looking at Su Yuan,"So, brother, doesn't it sound deafening and enlightening?"
"Indeed..." Su Yuan nodded lightly.
The air suddenly went quiet for a few seconds...
"Alright." Ye Haoyu simply spread out the book, doing nothing and playing on his phone, "I was trying to fool myself, didn't expect you to see through it!"
He wasn't embarrassed at all, leaning over, "Hey, old Su, I just reached diamond rank, let's duo queue when we get back to the dorm, we'll definitely dominate!"
"Yeah right, you?" The tall, thin boy in front, Lin Yuan, turned around, first mocking Ye Haoyu.
Then, with a "snap," he slapped a piece of composition paper in front of Su Yuan, "Little Su, let's play a game of Gomoku."
"Brother, don't mind these two fools, go study, study! I don't want to watch you screw bolts in an electronics factory, I want to go to college!" His younger sister stomped her foot anxiously beside him.
***
Class Ten, Grade Three, was the only class at Jiangyan No. 2 High School without teacher supervision during evening self-study.
The class had art students aspiring to be the next Van Gogh, music students dreaming of the stage and spotlight, and sports students who loved to immerse themselves.
But these talents only earned them labels of "beyond help" and "not doing proper work" from parents and teachers.
While some were diligently writing, others were wantonly squandering their youth.
On an early summer night, the starry sky was bright.
The classroom's whispers and chatter were drowned out by the cicadas' cries and the rustling of leaves in the wind outside, everything was quiet and beautiful.
With nothing better to do, Su Yuan started a game of Gomoku with Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan chuckled, "I just learned a new move called the 'underwear formation' on TikTok yesterday, you can't beat me."
Su Yuan ignored him, propping one hand on the desk and covering his ear.
Since evening self-study began, his sister Su Yua had been nagging in his ear, tormenting his eardrums and nerves.
The key was he couldn't respond to her, or he'd be considered crazy again.
And his sister was still making her last efforts to pull Su Yuan back,
"Brother, look at these slogans, they're salvation for students like you!
Passionate and undefeated in the college entrance exam, full of fighting spirit, it's me!
Traveling eighty thousand miles, fearing no wind from any direction! Let's seize every second, never retreat, and go all out to win the college entrance exam!
Death... huh?!"
As if she suddenly saw something unbelievable, his sister's previously cheerful voice halted.
Su Yuan's ear suddenly quieted, and he looked up, unaccustomed...
His sister was staring blankly at the blackboard, her whole demeanor dazed, her face eerily pale.
"What's wrong with you?" Su Yuan was startled by her strange appearance.
"Me? I'm fine!" Lin Yuan thought he was being spoken to, wiping the sweat from his forehead, "Let me think deeply, I'll beat you within three moves."
"Stop thinking, you're already sweating."
His sister still stared motionlessly at the blackboard, and after casually retorting Lin Yuan, Su Yuan followed her gaze to the blackboard.
When he saw the content on the blackboard, Su Yuan was stunned.
In the center of the blackboard, there was a line of bright red, eye-catching words.
These words didn't seem to be written with chalk, but rather smeared with red paint, or perhaps stained with bright red blood.
[Death is not the end]
"What is this?"
Looking at this inexplicable line of words.
Su Yuan's first reaction was that it was another prank.
After all, in Class Ten, Grade Three, pranks like scribbling on the blackboard... were commonplace.
But if it were a prank, it would usually say "xxx is my son" or "I'm xxx's dad."
So what did this line mean?
"Brother..." His sister turned her head, a strange smile appearing on her fair, delicate oval face, "You're in big trouble..."
The classroom lights flickered a few times, then the whole room dimmed.
Ye Haoyu, who was engrossed in his game, looked up excitedly, "What's happening? Is the power going out?"
"Stop talking nonsense, look at the blackboard!"
By now, Su Yuan could no longer remain calm.
Because the bloody writing on the blackboard had disappeared, only to be replaced by a new line of bloody writing:
[Now beginning random game selection]
Several word cards slowly appeared on the blackboard.
They read:
[Quiz Challenge]
[Team Collaboration]
[Team Competition]
[Casual Strategy]
[Fun Adventure]
[Treasure Hunt in a Locked Room]
[Doomsday Survival]
These cards lined up on the blackboard, flashing red one by one, then disappeared.
"What is this... did they install a slot machine on the blackboard?" Ye Haoyu frowned.
Hearing this, Lin Yuan couldn't bother with the game anymore and immediately turned around,
"Where, where's the slot machine?"
Their faces revealed a clear foolishness.
The other students in the class also noticed the anomaly on the blackboard and began discussing it intensely.
"Whoa, what is this, high tech?"
"This tuition was worth it, even the blackboard is smart now?"
"You know, it does look a bit like a slot machine."
"Can we play Genshin Impact on the blackboard now?"
"Don't make a fuss, it's just a projector, this must be Mr. Zhang's doing." A slightly chubby boy with glasses adjusted his frames confidently.
Mr. Zhang was the class advisor for Class Ten, Grade Three, known for his humor and easygoing nature, often joking with students.
If he wanted to play a prank on everyone, it would make sense...
But... Su Yuan thought of the initial line on the blackboard, and his sister's strange reaction...
Things might not be that simple.
The flashing red light on the blackboard finally stopped at [Quiz Challenge].
[Game Type: Quiz Challenge]
[Participants: Su Yuan, Mao Houwang]
A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled.
[Participants have five minutes to prepare, failure to participate will be considered a game failure]
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan