On that day, Xu Fang and Luo Xiaoming stayed in their hotel room and didn't go out. They ordered takeout for their meals and bought clothes online. They even took extra precautions while showering to prevent slipping on the wet floor. Everything was calm, and there were no unexpected incidents, perhaps because the grim reaper had given up on attacking or couldn't find an opportunity at the moment.

In the evening, after Xu Fang finished showering, Xiao Ming went to take a shower. Xu Fang took a bottle of mineral water from the fridge, avoiding using the hotel's electric kettle to reduce the risk of using electricity. While drinking water, Xu Fang browsed the news from today in K City. As expected, some media outlets reported the explosion at the liquefied gas store as soon as possible. Fortunately, there were no casualties, and the driver involved only suffered minor injuries, so the news was not very popular. After reading this news, Xu Fang felt that the two attacks in the afternoon were specifically targeting them. The grim reaper didn't kill anyone else. But this was not absolute. According to the development of movies, initially, the frequency and intensity of the grim reaper's attacks were low, but later on, the grim reaper would have no other concerns. It was possible for something like this to happen: being in a hotel but suddenly connecting to the Wi-Fi of an airplane. Hopefully, this kind of hellish joke wouldn't happen to them. Upon careful consideration, the two attacks during the day did follow a pattern. First, it was the waiter at the restaurant who didn't notice Luo Xiaoming until everyone reminded him. Then it was the receptionist at the hotel who also didn't notice Luo Xiaoming until Xiao Ming deliberately caught his attention. Does this mean that as long as they avoid being noticed by others, they can avoid the grim reaper's attacks? Xu Fang instinctively analyzed it from the perspective of "bizarre events." The bizarre event Luo Xiaoming described was indeed memorable, eerie, and mysterious. "The first time we discovered that not locking the door actually made us feel safe." Luo Xiaoming wiped her hair and walked out of the bathroom. Her pajamas didn't fit well, and a large area of her neck was exposed. "People with claustrophobia always say the same." Xu Fang handed her a bottle of water. "It's not true. It's because you're here." "Me?" "It's nothing." She unscrewed the bottle cap, realizing that she was indeed a little thirsty. But because she drank too quickly, she suddenly choked and started coughing violently. Xu Fang stood up. Although the chances of someone choking to death while drinking water were close to zero, under the watchful eye of the grim reaper, the probability became terrifying. "I... I'm okay." Luo Xiaoming wiped away the tears caused by choking. Xu Fang was about to say something when he suddenly smelled a faint smell of smoke and dust. "Do you smell smoke?" "Let me... it seems like there is. Where is it coming from?" Xu Fang became wary and went to the kitchen, inspecting everything to make sure no appliances were running. He then checked each room, and everything seemed normal. "Could it be from outside?" Xiao Ming followed Xu Fang. Before Xu Fang could answer, they both heard hurried footsteps from outside and the sound of people screaming, showing signs of panic. Another incident has occurred! Xu Fang ran to the window and looked down, seeing a crowd of people gathering near the street below, all looking up and pointing in the direction above. "Luo Xiaoming, let's go downstairs immediately!" "What happened?" "I'm afraid there's a fire. Let's go to the first floor first!" Without even changing their coats, the two of them ran downstairs. As they left the room, the smell of smoke in the hallway became even stronger, even a bit irritating, and the temperature had risen. Luckily, Xu Fang intentionally chose the second floor, making it much easier to escape. Xu Fang and Luo Xiaoming reached the first floor through a safe passage. Many people were also running downstairs through the safe passage. "What's happening?" Xu Fang asked a middle-aged man.

"The upstairs is on fire! How can something like this happen in a hotel?" The man's forehead was covered in sweat.

"What floor?"

"I don't know. I live on the eighth floor. Luckily, the fire is above us; otherwise, we would be trapped in the building."

Men and women gathered in the lobby on the ground floor, many barely dressed. There was even a beer-bellied man who was completely naked; it was clear that they had rushed out without time to change clothes.

"Xu Fang, do you want to leave here?" Luo Xiaoming saw some people running out without looking back.

Xu Fang hesitated. According to common sense, the further away from the fire, the better, but was it really safe to leave here?

Was the Grim Reaper planning to force people out and attack them elsewhere?

"You stay on the ground floor. I will go out and check the fire outside. If it gets worse, we will escape immediately!"

"Be safe!"

Xu Fang nodded and pushed through the crowd to the door, looking up.

The sky was dark with smoke, carrying the scent of death.

"Why hasn't the fire truck arrived yet?"

"It's on its way!"

"It seems like someone upstairs is trapped and can't come down!"

"Damn, this is too scary!"

Passersby were discussing it, but their actions were cold-hearted. They watched the commotion, took out their phones, and took pictures to share on social media.

Xu Fang walked out of the door, turned around, and looked up along the floors. He noticed that the smoke was billowing out from the upper floors, and within the thick smoke, flames were faintly roaring.

The fire was spreading upwards, but it didn't pose much of a threat to those on the first floor...

Just as Xu Fang was thinking this, his face suddenly changed, and he quickly stepped back.

"Thud!"

A person brushed past Xu Fang's shoulder and fell from above, making a dull impact sound.

Like a bag of cement hitting the ground, the person didn't bounce back, but twitched for a moment and then remained still.

Although the person didn't turn into mush from the fall, Xu Fang clearly heard the sound of bones breaking, and the person's knees were bent at a horrifying angle.

Clutching his painful shoulder, Xu Fang was relieved that he dodged in time; otherwise, the person would have landed on his head.

"Ah ah ah ah!"

"Get out of here quickly!"

The crowd screamed in fear and ran away, afraid of being hit by falling objects.

Xu Fang also retreated.

At that moment, the distant wailing sound of the fire truck approached.

A red fire truck drove over.

"Great, the fire truck is here!" People were happy.

"Someone fell from upstairs, call an ambulance!"

Although Xu Fang felt that the chances of survival for the person who jumped were slim, he still told the security guard at the door.

"Jumped? Where?"

"Over there... huh?"

Xu Fang turned his head and was stunned.

The person who fell from above had disappeared!

How was this possible? Xu Fang had only looked away from the person for seven or eight seconds, but in that short amount of time, the person vanished?

Did someone move the injured person away? It was impossible; after the person fell, the crowd scattered, and the surroundings became a vacuum zone. Xu Fang was the closest person to the fallen individual, and no one else could have moved them without Xu Fang noticing.

Did the injured person run away on their own? But their legs were broken; how could they stand up? Even if they ran, how far could they go? Seven or eight seconds were not enough time to escape Xu Fang's line of sight.

Was it an illusion? But the person had brushed past Xu Fang and fallen, and his shoulder still hurt.

The person had disappeared!

A strange feeling reemerged, and Xu Fang's face turned pale. He didn't rashly ask questions but silently observed the people around him.

Everyone's expressions were normal, eerily normal, making one feel anxious.

They must have also seen someone fall from the building and disappear, yet why didn't they find it strange at all?

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" The security guard approached.

"N-nothing..."

[Do you find anything strange?]

The security guard's voice suddenly became hoarse and strange, even though the tone was ordinarily concerned, it made one extremely uncomfortable.

"Ah, it's nothing. I'm just scared by the fire. I've never experienced something like this before."

The security guard smiled, "Don't worry, once the fire truck arrives, the fire will surely be contained on the thirteenth floor and won't reach you guys."

"Thirteenth floor?"

"Yes, why?"

Suddenly Xu Fang remembered that they had initially booked a room on the thirteenth floor with Luo Xiaoming, but later Xu Fang felt that it was not safe and changed it to the second floor.

He broke out in a cold sweat.

Did he and Xiao Ming pass by the Grim Reaper again?

"Xu Fang, I think I hear the sound of a fire truck. Is it coming?" Luo Xiaoming walked over and pulled Xu Fang's sleeve.

"Yes, it's coming."

"What did you say?" The security guard looked at Xu Fang in confusion, seemingly not realizing that he was talking to Luo Xiaoming.

Luo Xiaoming frowned. She had been ignored several times today, and it didn't feel good.

"He was telling me... um..."

Xu Fang quickly covered Luo Xiaoming's mouth.

No one else noticed Luo Xiaoming's presence. The security guard said, "Wait on the first floor. You can go back after the fire is extinguished. Well, you guys are unlucky. Nothing like this has ever happened here before. It's the first time there's been a fire."

"Yeah, just bad luck."

While Xu Fang smiled and nodded, he slowly backed away until he reached the quiet corridor of the elevator before letting go of Xiao Ming.

"What's going on, Xu Fang?" Luo Xiaoming asked in a low voice.

"The thirteenth floor is on fire."

"Such... an unlucky number." Luo Xiaoming also realized that they almost went to the thirteenth floor.

"Did you see anyone falling from the building just now? It was about two or three meters from the hotel entrance."

Luo Xiaoming shook her head, "There were a lot of people blocking the entrance at that time. I didn't see it, only heard someone scream. Did someone jump off?"

"No, maybe I saw it wrong."

"Oh, by the way, why didn't you let me talk to the security guard? He ignored me again, so frustrating."

"From now on, besides me, it's better for you not to talk to anyone or attract anyone's attention, especially strangers. I suspect that the attacks from the Grim Reaper are related to your interactions with others. Every time you attract someone's attention, accidents happen."

Luo Xiaoming wanted to refute.

But upon further thought, what Xu Fang said made sense.

Before, when she was at the hospital, the doctors ignored her, and she didn't even speak to them.

After being discharged, she came into contact with more people and had conversations with strangers, and that's when the accidents started to happen.

In that case, wouldn't it be dangerous for Xu Fang to stay by her side?!

"Xu Fang..."

"We'll figure something out. I'll try to help you."

"No, what I mean is, you should stay away from me."

"Are you sure you can handle the dangers that may come at any time alone?"

Luo Xiaoming remembered the two accidents that caught her off guard before, and she shook her head.

"So, do you want me to ignore you and live with regret after something happens to you?"

Luo Xiaoming blinked, her eyes becoming moist. To hide it, she suddenly hugged Xu Fang from the side and laughed, "Haha, I knew it, you wouldn't let me die!"

Feeling the softness by her side and the fragrance of the girl's hair, Xu Fang felt relaxed, but also a little doubtful - Could it be that in the world described by Luo Xiaoming, he really fell in love with her, even after her gender transformation?

"Well, let's find a way to solve the danger then." Luo Xiaoming didn't lean against Xu Fang for too long. She was only wearing a thin layer of pajamas, and being this close was almost the same as not wearing anything, especially with people nearby. Even though no one noticed.

The fire truck set up the aerial platform and began firefighting and rescue operations. The fire was contained to the thirteenth floor, and some firefighters rushed upstairs to continue extinguishing the fire. Soon, the flames inside the hotel were completely extinguished.

Afterwards, many tenants no longer trusted the hotel's safety and requested refunds or compensation.

The hotel owner rushed over to clean up the mess. Some of the remaining tenants stayed to watch the commotion, while others returned to their rooms.

Xu Fang and Luo Xiaoming did not check out. For them, it might not be safe to switch to another hotel. The suburban cottages might be safer, but they would require transportation.

It was already dark, and taking a taxi was undoubtedly riskier. So they planned to stay at the hotel for the night and consider their options tomorrow.

After ordering takeout for supper, they each found their rooms and went to sleep. Xiao Ming's rented room was quite spacious, with four bedrooms and one living room, so they didn't have to worry about overcrowding.

After checking the surrounding electrical appliances once again and eliminating any potential dangers, Xu Fang lay on the bed and closed his eyes.

...

The space became void and pitch-black.

It was an infinitely large black space, with no end in sight no matter which direction Xu Fang looked. It felt as though he had entered a bottomless abyss.

The floor was also pitch-black, and the material was unknown.

Xu Fang stood still and looked around.

"Where is this?"

For some reason, Xu Fang felt as though he had been here before, but he couldn't find any relevant information about this place in his memory.

Suddenly, Xu Fang heard a faint sound.

He tilted his head and looked towards the direction of the sound.

In the distance, there was an inconspicuous, tiny black figure.

Xu Fang walked towards it.

As he got closer, the figure gradually became clearer.

Xu Fang thought there might be a little black person there, but it turned out to be someone else.

It was an extraordinary and beautiful young girl. She was naked, with straight and silky black hair cascading down, pale skin, expressionless face, and eyes with no focus gazing straight ahead.

Just as he made eye contact with her, Xu Fang's eyes started to sting, and he couldn't help but look away.

Anyone who sees this scene in such an unfamiliar and dark environment would feel terrified, but Xu Fang didn't feel that way. He felt as though he was looking at another version of himself, a strange feeling. It was as if this person in front of him was him.

There was no fear in him.

The young girl stood motionless, her lips lightly and continuously moving. The voice was coming from her.

"Pay...attention..."

Xu Fang walked up to her.

"Inten...tion..."

Xu Fang was worried that this little girl would suddenly move, so he hesitated for a moment, then leaned his ear close to her mouth.

This time, Xu Fang heard clearly what she was saying.

"Pay...attention..."

"Dis......"