Chapter 4: Knocking on the Door
The persistent, odd thumping echoed in the hallway with a rhythmical, methodical pattern akin to a finely tuned clock, ringing out its alarm against the usual silence, undeterred by the unlocked classroom doors.
The old man remained outside, yet the darkness in the corridor, thick and impenetrable as squid ink, silently seeped into the room.
In the face of this ominous invasion, the classroom went through incredible, expansive transformations.
The once new and smooth walls began to show signs of distress as the wallpaper continuously flaked away, unveiling a coarse and irregular texture beneath. Patches of dark green mold blossomed on the weathered surface, exuding a bone-chilling, musty odor. The books placed on the chairs started to age at an alarming rate, their vibrant pages rapidly turning a sickly yellow before crumbling away. The concrete floor, once sturdy and reliable, also began to decay. It weathered away to reveal the rusting iron rebar underneath, and in places, even began to cave in.
Time seemed to have accelerated, with decades passing in what felt like a mere instant. The classroom bore the brunt of this temporal distortion, standing ravaged and ruined as if weathered by many years of neglect.
Yet, amidst the chaos, the classroom lights clung onto their luminance. Their bright, white radiance flickered like a lonely candle amidst a tempest, casting a final, feeble glow as if they might be snuffed out at any given second.
Terror etched itself onto each student’s face. Some let out terrified screams, others cried for help, and a few quivered in their seats. However, one man, Right, maintained his composure. Stationed at the podium, he stood like a sentinel, surveying his surroundings, always alert for the slightest disturbance.
Faced with a territory-controlling specter, he knew this was a situation beyond his usual capabilities.
“Right, look!” Jing suddenly bellowed, breaking the tense silence. His complexion was ghostly pale as he pointed a trembling finger at a few students on the classroom desks.