When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 176: Mirror Room

Chapter 176: Mirror Room

In the dream, Jin Jiuchi felt like he had returned to the previous evening when the cruise ship was still docked on the port. Hundreds of NPCs surrounded him, either hugging or bidding farewell to each other, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

However, amidst the crowd, the little girl stood alone, crying.

Dressed in a pastel blue summer dress with her hair tied in twin ponytails, she appeared to be around Shen Nianzu’s age when he disguised himself as a child. Although Jin Jiuchi could not discern her features clearly, he could see her tears falling pitter patter to the ground like a stream of never-ending raindrops.

Her silhouette looked particularly melancholic and lonesome in the midst of the heart-warming atmosphere, so much that Jin Jiuchi could not resist sneaking a few glances at her.

His heart began to itch and he heard himself saying to Shen Nianzu, "Nian’er, there’s a child over there crying. Should we do something?"

However, Shen Nianzu was engrossed in his conversation with Gu Luoxin and did not pay attention to him. Sulking, Jin Jiuchi measured the distance between them and the little girl, only to realize that it was only less than ten meters away. His two teammates would be able to find him as soon as they raised their heads and with that in mind, Jin Jiuchi informed them, "I’m going over there for a bit, okay?"

He trotted to the little girl and asked curiously, "Why are you crying? Did you get separated from your parents?" That was the most feasible scenario he could come up with.

The little girl raised her head, revealing a pair of light colored eyes. It was akin to the color of overcast sky, light gray with a touch of blue within. The tears made her eyes look all the more lustrous. Under the dazzling sunset glow, it took Jin Jiuchi a while to realize that the girl’s hair was also in the similar shade of her eyes. In response to Jin Jiuchi’s question, she shook her head sadly, "No..."

"No?" Jin Jiuchi tilted his head. "Then why are you crying?"

"I just..." Tears continued to stream down her young and delicate face. "I’ve lost something important to me. Very, very important."

"Oh no!" Jin Jiuchi exclaimed with knitted brows. "What is it?"

But the little girl only shook her head again and again. Jin Jiuchi thought that she was unwilling to say, thus he patted his chest and reassured her, "Don’t worry, I have a keen nose. I might be able to help you find it!"

Looking at him in the eye, she spoke with a gaze reminiscent of the swirling clouds filled with grief and loss, which swiftly transformed into the droplets of water down her eyes. "Big brother will help me find it? But..." her voice dropped to a whisper. "I can’t remember. I can’t remember what I lost..."

Jin Jiuchi was taken aback, not expecting such an answer. He scratched his head in confusion. Strange, if she could not remember, then how did she know that she lost something? Alas, before he could voice his question, Shen Nianzu’s voice suddenly called out to him from a distance, "Da Shen! Da Shen!"

His imaginary ears perked up and he swiveled around to see Shen Nianzu rushing about in search of him. At that time, he failed to notice that with their original distance, Shen Nianzu should have been able to find him at once, but the man ended up running around the port with a flustered look on his face.

Seeing that, Jin Jiuchi was no longer interested in the little girl and waved her goodbye, "Well, I hope you find what you’re looking for! See—"

The word ’you’ had not escaped his lips yet when the little girl caught hold of the hem of his shirt, stopping him in his tracks. With teary eyes, she asked, "Big brother, don’t you understand? This feeling of loss and emptiness, as if a part of you has been taken away?"

Jin Jiuchi opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. His eyes were wide in shock, as his mind automatically drifted back to that one occasion when he finally met his brother, his counterpart, half of his soul... only to leave him behind in the void. His mind exploded in white, and under the little girl’s mournful stare, he felt like he could understand what she was feeling. The loss, the emptiness and—

"Da Shen!"

Shen Nianzu’s voice jolted him back to reality and he quickly told her, "I have to go back. Why don’t you come with me? Nian’er must be able to solve your problem!"

That’s right, if it was Shen Nianzu, he would definitely be able to help her! Nian’er was just amazing this way! Hence, Jin Jiuchi happily took the little girl with him to find the jade doll.

His gaze was fixed on Shen Nianzu’s back, and he called out, "Nian’er, I’m here!"

One moment, he was still standing amidst the bustling port, then the next moment, everything around him suddenly disintegrated into pieces. He snapped his eyes open with a gasp, the last vestiges of the dream still lingering behind his eyelids so vividly that he became a little disoriented when he was faced with the desolate and dim hallway in front of him.

The lightbulb flickered intermittently, and the ground beneath his feet was swaying gently due to the buoyancy. The sound of crashing waves echoed beside his ears. All around him, it was so silent that all Jin Jiuchi could hear was his own breathing and heartbeat.

Wait a moment, why was he here? Shouldn’t he be running towards Shen Nianzu right now?

It took a while for the memories to flood back, and all at once, Jin Jiuchi immediately sobered up as if someone had poured icy water on his head.

He remembered now. Everything he saw before was only a dream. Earlier, they had planned to nap and wake up before 10 pm to charge their energy, so where was he now?! What was he doing here?!

He looked around in bafflement and saw that the number of the rooms around him started from 2, meaning that he was currently on the second floor!

Damn it, from the fifth floor to the second... was he sleepwalking?!

Jin Jiuchi was not one who liked to use his brain to analyze his current situation. As soon as he confirmed that nobody was around, he immediately moved his feet and rushed down the hallway, calling out, "Nian’er! Xinxin! Noir! Where are you guys?!" His voice echoed far beyond only to bounce back to him, creating an eerie loop as if hundreds of Jin Jiuchi were talking at the same time. "Nian’er!"

Along the way, he tried to open the doors around him, only to discover that they were locked. Jin Jiuchi dared not use force to break them down for fear that the crew would fine him for damaging the ship’s property – hell, he was dirt poor and could not afford to pay! – and thus he could only continue running.

It stood to reason that with the speed Jin Jiuchi was going, he should have been able to reach the staircase soon. Only then would he be able to return to the fifth floor where his room was.

Alas, he kept running and running, turning from one corner to another, but the hallway in front of him was endless. It was like he was trapped in an intricate and complex maze with no exit, and all he could do was go around in place. If it was any other player, they would have collapsed under the psychological pressure. Thankfully, Jin Jiuchi’s mental fortitude was excellent. That’s why, aside from a little exhaustion, he mainly felt frustrated because he could not find his jade doll.

Jin Jiuchi had no idea how long he had been running, and he stopped when he began to lose his breath. Panting, he lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat on his chin before letting it drop. He murmured under his breath, "Should I break down the wall and jump down to the sea?"

This way, it would be easier for him to escape, wouldn’t it?

It was unknown whether his words had triggered something, but all of a sudden, he heard the unmistakable sound of door opening. He whipped his head around in surprise and saw that one of the doors behind him was ajar.

Curiosity piqued, Jin Jiuchi recounted his steps and peeked into the room. "Hello, is anyone there?" Despite the pitch black room, his excellent sight allowed him to see that the walls were covered in full-length mirrors. Astonished, Jin Jiuchi pushed the door open and stepped in. "Wow..."

Aside from the four-sided mirror, the whole room was bare with no furniture inside. There was not even a bathroom. "What is this room?" Jin Jiuchi wondered to himself. He had never known that such a room existed on the ship before.

When Jin Jiuchi moved, his reflection on the mirror also moved in unison. Amidst the darkness, it was like countless shadows were twisted and tangled together. Jin Jiuchi thought that it was fun and thus he started to jump here and there, twisting his limbs left and right, watching as his reflection did the same. He was quietly having the time of his life, until his peripheral vision caught sight of a certain Jin Jiuchi in the mirror.

His eyes were not silver, but pitch black in color.

Startled, Jin Jiuchi froze in place. "B–Brother?" He whispered, unable to believe his eyes.

Recalling what he had just done earlier, Jin Jiuchi felt like he had lost face. It was okay if he attempted it when he was all by himself, but now he was busted by someone else— his own brother at that! Even though he looked like this, he still had his own pride and dignity to preserve! He cleared his throat and thickened his skin, striking a casual yet cool pose as if the one dancing in front of the mirror earlier was not him. "Since when have you been here?"

The man grinned at him. "Since the time you opened the door?"

Jin Jiuchi: "..." Damn.