The neon light seeping in from outside faintly illuminated an ancestral worship table.
At this moment, the candles had long been extinguished, and the stacked plates of fruit and cold rice were scattered in a mess.
Only a black-and-white portrait of the deceased remained in the center of the table.
But on the glass frame, there were noticeably a few drops of red Blood Bead.
A dark figure was crouched on the floor, seemingly consuming the offerings, swallowing the food.
And the objects of consumption were, astonishingly, two corporal bodies blurred with blood.
The chilling air in the room seemed to be continuously condensing, making the stench of blood so thick that it was nauseating.
He Jin was holding a clothes rod, his eyes filled with tension as he looked at the closed door.
It was as if he could see the horrifying scene unfolding in the living room outside through the door.
After hearing that his elder brother had met with an accident, he had taken a train from his hometown to East Capital.
Normally, he would help look after his seriously injured sister-in-law and his niece, who was not yet ten years old, at the hospital.
Tonight was the seventh day since the passing, the night of the soul’s return.
Although his elder brother’s body couldn’t be found, he still brought his niece home to properly pay tribute to his brother and to send him off on his final journey.
For this, he had specifically invited two monks to chant the scriptures through the night, praying for the deceased’s soul.
He had never imagined that he would encounter something so terrifying.
His brother had come back.
But what he brought with him, was a nightmare of a slaughter.
What returned wasn’t his brother at all, but a monster that bore some resemblance to his brother.
He couldn’t believe that his always kind and gentle brother could turn into such a horrifying sight.
At this moment, He Jin dared not go out, nor did he dare to make a sound.
Afraid of attracting the attention of that monster, breaking in and killing him and his niece too.
A timid voice sounded.
He Jin looked down at his niece, who was gripping tightly to his sleeve with a face just as frightened, and he immediately shushed her.
Then he continued to raise the clothes rod and knocked on the ceiling repeatedly.
This was a method of seeking help he had learned while working as a miner back in his hometown.
The lights in the neighboring apartments and the one below hadn’t been turned on, as it seemed they had gone back to their hometown for the New Year.
So, he could only pin his hopes on there still being residents upstairs.
Hopefully, someone would notice and help call the police.
Just as he was carefully trying to send out a distress signal.
Suddenly, a loud "bang" broke the deathly stillness of the cold night.
It seemed... the sound came from upstairs.
Even the monster outside was attracted by this noise, and the chewing sound stopped.
He Jin held his breath, not knowing what was going on outside, whether the monster had left or not.
After waiting a moment, he tried to knock on the ceiling with the clothes rod a few more times.
But, just when he had finished sending out a signal for help.
A whispered murmur faintly rose in the living room.
Listening carefully, it seemed to be repeating one phrase over and over:
Along with the murmuring, a series of dull footsteps followed one after another.
It seemed to stand up and was walking towards the bedroom.
He Jin’s heart skipped a beat, and in panic, he hid with his niece inside the closet.
The bedroom door lock soon began to make a "clack clack" sound.
The monster tried to open the door but did not succeed.
Before He Jin could breathe a sigh of relief.
Another loud noise came, and the monster chose to break the door down directly.
To it, that door was as fragile as paper mâché, no obstruction at all.
Accompanied by heavy breathing, the footstep sounds step by step, gradually closed in.
Finally stopping in front of the closet.
He Jin did not dare to breathe out loud and covered his niece’s mouth tightly with his hand.
The pounding of his heartbeat intensified, like death’s drumbeat, an omen of impending doom.
"Hungry, hungry...I want to eat meat..."
Through the crack in the closet door, one can faintly see a twisted dark silhouette.
An extreme stench of blood rushed towards him.
He Jin felt like his heart couldn’t take it anymore, and just as his niece was about to suffocate.
A man’s voice suddenly rose:
"Want to eat meat? Come find me."