My Sister’s Home 13

The Dawn of Light in the Cage of Rules

On a September morning, sunlight filtered through thin clouds, casting a glow over the main gate of Elite High School. Xu Si dragged her suitcase, looking up at the campus that was to be the setting for her high school life. The entrance was bustling with freshmen brimming with anticipation, yet Xu Si felt a vague sense of unease; the campus before her seemed shrouded in an invisible haze.

Upon entering, Xu Si received her copy of the "Campus Life Guidebook" among the crowd. The cover was ordinary blue cardboard, yet it felt unnaturally cold to the touch. Flipping through it, she saw standard school regulations—punctual schedules, bans on romantic relationships, and the preservation of school facilities—but Xu Si sharply sensed that some of the rules were inexplicably bizarre.

"During the lunch break, you must remain quiet at your desk. If you hear three owl hoots from outside the window, do not look out; keep your eyes tightly closed until the bell rings."

"Entering the campus backyard is strictly prohibited. No matter what sounds you hear or what sights you see, do not approach. If you accidentally wander in, return immediately to the school gate, report to the guard, and drink the special beverage he provides."

Xu Si frowned, wanting to ask the student next to her, but noticed everyone around her was hurrying along, seemingly driven by some urgency, paying her confusion no mind.

The first day's classes proceeded as scheduled. Xu Si suppressed her inner anxiety, striving to focus on her studies. However, when lunch break arrived, the strange events began.

Xu Si followed the instructions, resting her head on her desk. The surrounding students were all lying still, and the classroom was deathly silent. Suddenly, a low "hoo-hoo" sound drifted from outside the window. Xu Si instinctively wanted to look up, but the rules from the guidebook flashed through her mind. Her body froze instantly; she shut her eyes tight, her heart pounding like a drum. Then, the second and third hoots followed, each one striking at her heart. Her palms were slick with sweat as she prayed silently for the bell to ring.

Finally, the bell signaling the end of the break shattered the suffocating silence. Xu Si opened her eyes slowly to find the other students rising as if nothing had happened, tidying their books. She couldn't help but tug on the sleeve of her desk mate, Lin Yue, asking, "Did you hear that owl hooting?" Lin Yue looked at her with a blank expression: "What hooting? You must have misheard; there are no owls during lunch break." Xu Si looked into Lin Yue’s eyes, certain she wasn't lying, which only deepened her fear and confusion.

As days passed, Xu Si felt more and more that the school was permeated with oddities. The campus broadcast would often sound without warning, playing strange notices like, "All greenery on campus will emit a peculiar fragrance today. Do not inhale; those who smell it must immediately report to the infirmary." Yet, when Xu Si acted according to the rules, she found she was alone on the path; the other students seemed not to hear the broadcast at all, continuing their routines.

During physical education, after the teacher announced free time, he stood alone in a corner of the field, staring into the distance with hollow eyes. Xu Si noticed that the teacher hadn't shown a single expression since the class started, like a soulless statue. Students were playing basketball or chatting, and everything seemed normal. But as Xu Si passed a flower bed, she heard a faint sobbing coming from the bushes. She stopped and looked toward the sound, only to see a delicate rose trembling in the breeze, with what looked like a crystal-clear teardrop in its stamen.

Just as Xu Si leaned in to look, the rule from the guidebook echoed in her mind: "All plants on campus are anomalous. If you discover unusual phenomena, do not approach; move away quickly." She snapped back to reality, turned, and walked away briskly. When she glanced back, the rose had returned to normal, swaying gracefully in the wind as if it had all been a hallucination.

As time went on, Xu Si became increasingly cautious in following the guidebook, yet danger followed her like a shadow. Once, while heading to the library, she passed through a dim corridor. The air was stale, and the lights flickered erratically. Suddenly, she saw a girl in a white dress walking slowly ahead of her with her back turned. The girl’s hair was long, obscuring her entire form, leaving only a pair of pale ankles visible.

Xu Si felt a jolt of terror. She recalled an anonymous post on the school forum about a student who had mysteriously vanished in this corridor, and how a white figure had been seen wandering there every night since. Xu Si wanted to turn back, but her legs felt nailed to the floor. Just then, the white figure slowly turned her head, revealing a face as pale as paper with two black holes for eyes, from which a dark liquid constantly flowed.

Xu Si’s eyes widened in horror. She wanted to scream, but her throat felt blocked. In that split second, she remembered a rule: "If you encounter paranormal phenomena on campus, bite your tongue immediately, spray your blood at the entity, and shout, 'Heaven and Earth are clear, evil spirits dissipate!'" Without hesitation, Xu Si bit her tongue. A sharp, metallic taste filled her mouth. With all her might, she sprayed the blood at the white figure and shouted the incantation.

A miracle occurred. The moment the blood touched the white figure, it let out a piercing shriek and vanished into a cloud of black smoke. Xu Si collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, tears streaming down her face. She realized the danger in this school was far more terrifying than she had imagined, and she had to find a way to break this cycle, or she would be trapped in this world of fear forever.

By chance, Xu Si discovered a hidden, worn-out diary in a corner of the library. The paper was yellowed and smelled of decay. She opened it cautiously; the handwriting was crooked, as if written in a state of extreme terror.

"I have discovered the secret of this school. They are conducting unspeakable experiments, using our lives as the cost. These rules are meant to control us and prevent us from discovering the truth... I cannot sit by and wait for death; I must escape, but I don't know how much longer I can hold on..."

The rest of the content was blurred and illegible. Xu Si’s heart sank to the bottom. She decided to follow the clues in the diary to find where the school was conducting its experiments, perhaps the key to breaking it all was hidden there.

After investigating, Xu Si found that the school's underground laboratory was highly suspicious.