Chapter 9 Why did she die

After saying that, Billy placed the notebook and the key he had given Rover earlier on the table.

"This is your destiny, Rover," Billy said. "We need you... you need us."

"So..." Rover furrowed his brows and asked, "What happened yesterday... Was it all real? Those were all Devils?"

Billy shrugged. "Devils, Scourges, Disasters... You can call them whatever you want."

"What if I refuse?" Rover asked further.

"Rover, you have two pieces of good news and two pieces of bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" Billy didn't answer immediately, instead asking Rover a question in return.

Rover frowned as he looked at Billy with suspicion and confusion.

After a moment of silence, Rover spoke, "I succeeded in staying there until morning, so... where's my $5,000?"

Ding!

Just as Rover finished speaking, a message notification sound from his mobile phone rang.

He frowned, feeling strange. He clearly remembered that his phone had been turned off yesterday or broken and unable to start. Why was it making a sound now?

Rover took out his phone and saw that it was working normally, which was odd.

Besides that, a message was displayed on the phone screen, saying that $5,000 had been added to his account.

Looking at this message, Rover smiled with satisfaction.

"Well... if you want to join, then..."

Billy didn't finish his sentence before Rover immediately stood up, raised his middle finger towards him, and muttered, "F*ck you!"

Rover then left the room, and before leaving, he didn't forget to express his anger by slamming the door with all his might.

BAM!

Seeing that, Billy wasn't angry. He shrugged, continuing to enjoy his meal.

"It seems... he doesn't want to join us." Suddenly, a voice echoed from the darkness.

Billy wasn't surprised, nor was he afraid. He swallowed the piece of meat in his mouth, then said, "Don't worry; he'll be back."

"Why?" That strange voice echoed again.

"Because... his time... is running out."

...

After receiving the money, Rover immediately left.

He immediately went outside, caught a taxi, and then returned home.

He wasn't crazy; even if the salary was $50,000 a month, he didn't want to get involved in that terrifying trouble.

Recalling last night's events, his encounter with devils, and that three people had died. The fact that he was still alive was incredibly fortunate.

Even if this job was a noble one, he didn't want to do it.

Rover wasn't a hero or Superman; he wouldn't risk his life to protect people he didn't know.

He certainly wouldn't confront those terrifying beings for a high salary.

He just wanted to be an ordinary person.

He was cowardly; he was selfish... That's why he could only be an ordinary person.

Whoever wanted to be a hero could take the job, but he didn't want to have any relationship with Billy.

'$5,000, this amount is enough for me to spend for 2 to 3 months.' Rover thought to himself, 'In the coming time, I'll find some kind of job.'

Rover sat in the car; perhaps because he was too tired, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

...

BAM!

BAM!

"Heh?!" Rover startled awake, opening his eyes wide. He realised he was standing in a place similar to his previous dream.

No, this time was completely different from the last time.

He was standing in a hallway; above him was a small light bulb illuminating an area of only two meters around him.

Rover recognised where this was.

This was the hallway leading to his rented room.

Because of its special structure, the building where he lived was U-shaped.

Therefore, all the hallways in the building only had rooms on one side, while the other side allowed a view of two adjacent buildings and a large courtyard below.

However, Rover couldn't see anything at this moment because everything around him was pitch black. Like someone adrift on the ocean in the middle of the night.

BAM!

Suddenly, the lights in the hallway where he was standing turned on.

The doors of the rooms along his hallway, which were tightly closed, were now slightly ajar.

Hands covered in fresh blood reached out, grasping the doors. Every room was the same; every room had blood-soaked hands as if trying to pull the doors open but unable to do so.

Krit! Krit! Krit! Krit! .....

The sound of fingernails scratching against the doors rang continuously; those hands, unable to open the doors, scratched at them as if trying to tear them apart.

Suddenly, at the main staircase of the building, a dark figure slowly ascended.

Rover couldn't clearly see what the dark figure was, but he knew it was a woman with hair so long that it obscured her entire face and body. It was even long enough to trail freely on the floor like vines.

A chilling sensation enveloped Rover's entire body. He began to breathe with difficulty, the surrounding space thickening as if he were standing in a pool of mud.

Once again, the feeling of not being able to move came over him.

It seemed as if some supernatural force was controlling his body.

The woman got closer and closer to him. As she moved into the hallway where he was standing, the blood-stained hands in the other rooms seemed frightened and immediately retreated inside.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

The sound of closing doors echoed as all the doors of the rooms in the hallway were closed.

The closer the woman got to him, the faster his heartbeat, so fast that it felt like it was about to jump out of his chest.

Rover was so scared that he forgot to breathe; he knew... Something terrible was about to happen, but he couldn't close his eyes.

The woman moved in front of him, then vanished.

Rover sighed in relief.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

All the lights suddenly went out, and the space around him was plunged back into darkness.

Suddenly, his body turned around.

BAM!

A light in the distance turned on, allowing him to clearly see a room at the end of the hallway.

Rover knew that room; he had seen that room countless times and walked this hallway countless times.

Yes, that was his rented room.

The woman stood in front of his door, staring at it as if she wanted to open it.

'No!' Rover screamed in his mind because he couldn't move his mouth: 'Don't go in! Damn it! That's my room... you can't go in!'

Cok!

Cok!

Cok!

The woman suddenly banged her head against the door. Although she didn't use much force, the sound made when her forehead collided with the door sent shivers down Rover's spine.

That sound felt like it was hitting his eardrums, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Suddenly, the woman stopped and turned to look at him.

"??!!!" Rover was terrified, seeing that amidst the hair obscuring her face were her blood-red eyes staring at him.

Eyes filled with hatred as if wanting to tear him into a hundred pieces, chew his bones, and drink his blood.

Rover was terrified, his body cold as if he were in an ice cellar.

He wanted to scream; he wanted to run away, but... his body remained still, unable to move.

Then... hair... so much hair. Like countless vines tightly wrapped around his body.

"Ack! Ack!" Rover couldn't breathe because the hair had begun to tighten around his neck.

At this moment, he was like a drowning man, struggling to swim to the surface.

However... it was all pointless.

His mind and vision gradually faded into darkness.

...

"Oy!"

"Heh?!" Rover startled awake at the sound of a man's voice.

"Why are you yelling?" The taxi driver said irritably. "I've been calling you for a while now. We've arrived; the total is $45."

"Ah!" Rover realised he was still in the taxi. The taxi was now parked in front of the entrance to the apartment complex where he rented a room.

'Was I just dreaming?' Rover thought to himself. However, his heart was still beating continuously like a drum. Sweat poured down his face and soaked his shirt, even though the air conditioner was on in the car and the temperature was quite low.

Rover breathed heavily; he looked towards the entrance gate of the apartment complex. He felt so scared in his heart that he did not dare to get out of the car.

"Oy! Do you want to get out or not? I still have other passengers to pick up." The driver said, somewhat impatiently.

Rover took a deep breath, a decision forming in his mind, a decision that he was certain would change his entire life.

He clenched his fists until they were white while gritting his teeth. He really didn't want to confront those terrifying things.

However... twice... he had dreamed that dream twice.

The woman in that dream... he knew that woman. He had even liked her once.

That was his first love... Laylah.

"Oy!" The taxi driver shouted.

Rover finally made his decision. He took out a $200 bill, gave it to the driver, and immediately said, "Go back to the previous place."

Seeing the $200 bill, the driver's eyes lit up, and he said joyfully, "Hahahaha... Do you want me to drive slow or fast?"

"Fast... as fast as possible." Rover sighed.

"Good! Buckle up!" The driver grinned excitedly, then executed a drift like a professional racer.

Rover just held his forehead; he felt extremely confused.

Why was it her?

Did he and she know each other?

Why did she... come to him?

Although he called her his first love, that had happened a long time ago, maybe 10 years ago.

Back then, he was still in university, and she was in the same major as him. However, it was only his one-sided affection.

After all, she was the shining star of the university, whether it was academic achievements, talent, or beauty... she was one of the top.

And he was just an ordinary person; he didn't even have parents, like a toad dreaming of a swan's love.

Therefore, he had never told anyone that he liked her; he buried that feeling deep in his heart, never to be spoken.

After graduating from university, he hadn't even heard any news about her.

But... Why did she die?

After dying, why did she come to him?

Many questions arose in his mind, and he couldn't find the answers.

However, Rover knew someone who could help him explain these questions, and that was... Billy.

            
            

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