173: 173. Ghost wall?

Julie's heart rate suddenly accelerated, and an inexplicable chill crawled up her spine. She forced herself to calm down and raised her voice again, "Is anyone there? Hello... where is everyone?"

Her voice echoed solitarily in the empty corridor, then was swallowed by a deeper silence.

There was still no response, and even the sound of machinery operating inside the laboratory had completely vanished, as if instantly wiped away by an invisible hand.

This extreme quiet was unsettling; even Julie, who had undergone special training, felt a shiver down her spine.

Refusing to give up, she quickened her pace and came to a window on one side of the corridor, looking out anxiously. This glance nearly froze all the blood in her body instantly!

Outside the window, it wasn't the familiar campus scene, nor blue skies and white clouds, nor the lights of night, but... a pure, boundless, pitch-black darkness!

The darkness was so thick it couldn't be dispersed. If one word could describe it, it would be... nothingness.

There was no light, no objects, and even the building itself seemed like an isolated island suspended in this absolute darkness.

"What in the world is going on... No... impossible..."

Julie's pupils contracted, her voice trembling uncontrollably, as she retreated fearfully.

She had never seen such a bizarre situation. A deep fear stemming from the unknown seized her, and she began to scream uncontrollably: "Help! Someone help me! Oh... my God! Is anyone there?... Why has everyone disappeared?... Someone, quick!!!!"

She rushed to the nearest laboratory door, pounding forcefully on the hard metal panel, making dull "thump, thump" sounds, but the door didn't budge, and there was no response from inside.

Looking through the glass, she still only saw blurry equipment. She ran to another door, with the same result.

The entire floor seemed to have become an abandoned steel maze, isolated from reality.

Fear drove her, and she frantically rushed to the elevator, pressing the buttons rapidly, but there was no response.

"No!!!!"

Julie dared not delay, running to the stairwell and tearing down the steps, with only one thought in her mind.

She had to escape this hellhole!

Something was very wrong!! Everything was very wrong!!

However, when she breathlessly ran down one floor and abruptly pushed open the fire door of the stairwell, the sight before her instantly froze her.

It was still that familiar, dimly lit corridor!

The laboratory poster on the wall, the location of the fire extinguisher, even the placement and style of the potted plants in the corridor... everything was exactly the same as when she had just left!

"No... no... impossible!"

Her face was ashen, and she turned around in disbelief, running back up, her steps completely frantic, her high heels echoing unsettlingly in the silence.

But when she pushed open the fire door on the upper floor again, despair washed over her like ice water.

It was still here!

It was still that damned, looping corridor!

Julie stood there in a daze, murmuring, "Is this what they call... a 'ghost wall'?!"

As a spy with a deep understanding of Xia Kingdom culture, she immediately thought of this term from an ancient Eastern mystical legend.

Now it had become her personal, most real nightmare!

"No, those are all superstitions, all fake... Lord... save me, please save me..." She leaned against the cold wall, kneeling on the ground, her body trembling slightly from fear and exhaustion.

Just then, a soft "click" sounded, as if a switch had been flipped.

A light at the end of the corridor went out, and darkness surged forward a section.

Julie suddenly looked up, her teeth chattering, her heart pounding wildly, almost leaping out of her chest!

"Thump..."

Another light went out, and the darkness drew closer.

"Thump... thump..."

One by one, the lights went out faster and faster, rapidly engulfing her position from both ends of the corridor, as if capable of annihilating all life.

"Stop! Please stop! Don't come any closer! Oh God..."

Julie screamed in collapse, clutching her head with both hands, sliding down the wall to the floor, huddling in a corner, trembling.

Finally, only one light directly above her remained, emitting a pale and faint glow.

She tightly closed her eyes, covering her ears with her hands, not daring to look or listen, only praying frantically in her heart.

Praying that this last light wouldn't go out, praying that all this damned horror would end quickly... In this extreme fear, a warm hand suddenly appeared and rested on her trembling shoulder.

At the same time, a familiar, slightly bewildered young male voice, speaking in clear English, sounded in her ear:

"Miss Julie? What are you doing here?"

"Ah ah ah ah!!!!"

Julie's body trembled violently, as if struck by an electric current, letting out a heart-wrenching, deafening scream!!

She abruptly opened her eyes, almost scrambling backward with hands and feet until her back hit the wall heavily.

When she finally looked up, still shaken, what met her eyes was the face of the young student named Lu Feng, showing some concern and more bewilderment.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Lu Feng asked, his brow slightly furrowed.

The noisy chatter, footsteps, the faint hum of laboratory instruments... the sounds of the familiar world rushed back into her ears.

Julie was stunned. Her tear-streaked eyes darted around; all the lights were bright, the corridor was clear, and in the distance, she could even see other visitors. Everything had returned to normal!

Only she herself was huddled miserably in the corner like a madwoman.

"I... I just... just..."

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found herself unable to explain that terrifying experience, and... also unable to explain her motives.

The feeling was so real, yet so absurd.

She shook her head vigorously, forcing out a smile that looked worse than a cry, and stood up, leaning against the wall, brushing dust from her clothes, trying to cover up her discomposure, "I... I think I saw something... It must have been my imagination."

She looked around again with lingering fear, the bone-deep sense of dread not yet completely faded, her eyes filled with surprise and lingering panic.

Was everything just now really just an illusion?

...