"Why... why is this happening?"
At this moment, the photography studio was engulfed in silence, everyone absorbed in their own thoughts. Lin Xiaocan felt an unprecedented fear and unease, as if she could feel those deep eyes watching her, probing into her innermost world.
"Brother Jing... what should we do?" Lin Xiaocan's voice had a slight tremor, and she looked helplessly at Shen Jingqi, hoping he could provide an answer.
Shen Jingqi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself: "Don't be afraid, Xiaoxiao. We will surely find the answer. Since this figure appeared in the photo, it must have a backstory. We just need to follow the clues, and we will surely find the truth."
He turned to look at Mu: "Mu, check the surveillance footage of the studio and see if there were any anomalies during the shoot."
Mu nodded and quickly pulled up the surveillance footage for a playback. However, as he carefully reviewed the footage from the shoot, he was shocked to find that the figure did not appear in the surveillance footage!
"How... how is this possible?" Mu's voice carried a hint of shock, "The surveillance footage doesn't show this person at all! Where did he come from?"
Xiaoya furrowed her brow, realizing the problem might be more complicated than they imagined: "It seems we need to seek help from professionals. Mu, reach out to those paranormal experts we know and see if they can give us any advice."
Mu nodded and quickly made a few phone calls. Not long after, a middle-aged man claiming to be a paranormal researcher walked into the studio. After carefully examining the photo and the surveillance footage, a solemn expression appeared on his face.
The man's name was Li Minghui.
"This figure... it appears to be a manifestation of some supernatural power," Li Minghui said slowly, "It might have crossed over from a dimension we can't comprehend, or... could be the spirit of someone who's already passed away."
Hearing this, Lin Xiaocan's face turned pale, and she gripped Shen Jingqi's hand tightly, as if afraid to lose her last refuge.
Shen Jingqi stared intently at the paranormal researcher: "Then, what should we do? How can we remove this figure, or... find its origin?"
Li Minghui pondered for a moment before saying: "To uncover the truth, we might need to conduct an in-depth investigation. Since this figure appeared in your photo, there must be some connection to you. We need to start by examining your past, your living environment, your work experiences, and look for possible clues."
This unexpected discovery plunged Shen Jingqi and Lin Xiaocan into deep thought. They knew that the appearance of this figure was by no means a coincidence, and there must be some unknown secret hidden behind it. They decided that no matter what, they had to unravel this secret, not letting it impact the release of the 'Silver Light' single.
In the subsequent evenings, Shen Jingqi and Lin Xiaocan were engaged in the post-production and promotional work of the single. They tried not to think about the mysterious figure.
Late at night, under the dim yellow light, in a study piled with ancient books and old photographs, Li Minghui was engrossed in a stack of yellowing materials.
He held an old photograph in his hand, its edges already worn, the image blurry, but barely discernible was an ancient courtyard, with a blurred figure standing in the center, seemingly staring at the camera, yet as if penetrating through time, gazing into some distant place.
"Could it really be..." Li Minghui felt a pang in his heart, he magnified the photo, carefully observing the details of the figure, only to suddenly feel an inexplicable chill rising from his spine, as if something silently approached from behind. He quickly turned around, finding the study empty except for the sound of wind coming from outside the window occasionally.
"Am I being too sensitive?" Li Minghui shook his head, smiling wryly to himself, before returning his focus to the photograph. However, just as he was about to set the photo down, he noticed the figure in the photo seemed to move. Although the movement was extremely slight, almost imperceptible, to him it was as shocking as thunder.
"Impossible! It must be an illusion!" Li Minghui rubbed his eyes vigorously and looked back at the photograph, the figure already returned to its original state, standing silently as if it had never moved. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly beating heart, but the fear and curiosity inside him grew like wild grass.
He decided to conduct a deeper study of the photo. He turned on his computer, importing the photo into software, and used various image enhancement techniques to try to restore the true appearance of the figure. As the image gradually became clearer, Li Minghui's heartbeat quickened, as if he could feel an invisible force approaching him through the screen.
Suddenly, the figure on the screen moved abruptly! This time, it was no longer a faint tremor, but a clearly visible movement, filled with strong malice. Li Minghui's eyes widened, letting out a terrified scream, and he quickly pressed the shutdown button, but it was too late, that force had already broken through the confines of the screen, striking straight at his heart.
"Why? Why are you appearing here?" Li Minghui muttered to himself, his voice carrying a faint tremble. He understood clearly that what he was touching might be the limits of human cognition.
The figure in the photo still stood quietly, as if gazing at Li Minghui, yet also as if penetrating through time, watching some unknown place. Li Minghui felt an inexplicable chill rising from his heart, trying to explain it all with scientific theory, yet the fear inside him grew like wild grass. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt
"No, I cannot be ruled by fear." Li Minghui took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing, trying to calm himself through meditation.
However, when he opened his eyes again, he found that the figure in the photo had changed. The once blurred figure had become clear, and that face... that face looked so similar to someone from his memory!
"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!" Li Minghui shot up from his chair, gripping the edge of the table tightly, as if trying to stabilize his wavering body. His heartbeat accelerated, sweat trickled down his forehead, dripping onto the floor with a crisp sound.
"Who are you? Who are you really?" Li Minghui shouted at the photo, but only silence answered him. He felt an invisible force approaching, that sense of fear nearly suffocating him.
Suddenly, the lights in the study began to flicker, a cold breeze blew through, and Li Minghui felt a chill penetrating to the bone. He quickly turned around, but saw nothing. Yet the feeling of being watched only grew stronger, as if he could feel a pair of invisible eyes staring at him in the darkness.
That night, Li Minghui fell into complete madness. He screamed, running around the study, his eyes filled with fear and despair. Hearing the commotion, the neighbors quickly called the police, and when they arrived, they found Li Minghui already delirious, muttering incessantly, "It's coming, it's coming."
Li Minghui was urgently sent to Shen University's Third Hospital.
The next day, Shen Jingqi was awakened by the sound of his phone ringing.
"Jingqi, a new patient arrived at the hospital, he said he went crazy after seeing the photos you took yesterday."