章 65: Riveria's Morgue
POV Anthon:
Anthon walked down the lengthy, dimly lit hospital corridor, the swish of his long white medical coat accompanying each step.
Sighing audibly, he mumbled, 'I hate night shifts.'
As he moved, the shifting shadows danced across the stark white walls, abandoned wheelchairs, and piled-up mattresses. Outside the windows, trees swayed, their movements caught in the glow of the streetlights.
He paused in front of the green double doors, his eyes locking onto the sign on them: 'Morgue'.
Fumbling for a moment with his keys, he finally selected the right one and inserted it into the lock, turning it with a clank that reverberated down the empty corridor. The door creaked open, unleashing a gut-churning smell of decay. Yet Anthon walked in, years of exposure having steeled his stomach against the scent.
Flipping the switch by the door, he instantly bathed the room in stark fluorescent light, banishing the lurking shadows to the corners.
'God, I hate this place at night,' he muttered, a shiver coursing through him as the combination of darkness and death evoked a deep, primal fear.
'Who is the unlucky patient today?'
Six surgical tables were arranged in a solemn row—five vacant, but the last one covered with a sheet. Approaching the covered table, Anthon gently peeled back the sheet to reveal the young face of a blonde woman, her hair stained with blood.
'Could be my sister's age—eighteen, nineteen?' Grief etched his features as he shook his head at life's cruelty.
He turned away, his eyes searching through the morgue. "Where are my gloves?" he muttered.
Just then, a shuffling noise coming from behind him broke the room's dead silence. Every hair on Anthony's neck stood on end, his body frozen by an ice-cold shiver that snaked down his spine.
"Please, let it just be the wind," he whispered, slowly turning back around, his heart pounding so loudly it felt like it might burst from his chest.
The dead girl was sitting, her eyes staring straight at him.
"Ahhhh!"
His scream shattered the deafening silence. At that moment, the room plunged back into abyssal darkness, leaving just the glow of her eyes. As his vision blurred, a wave of dread cascaded over him, submerging him into darkness.
POV Tia:
"Hehe!" the young girl chuckled, her laughter filling the darkened room as she watched the doctor crumple to the floor.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Tia spoke, almost to herself. The last few days had weighed heavily on her spirit, and she was in dire need of something to lighten her mood.
Swiftly, she hopped off the surgical table, her bare feet making contact with the floor below. A look of distaste momentarily flickered across her features.
'Ugh, this floor is filthy.'
In the blink of an eye, the bloodied blonde girl disappeared, her body replaced by the elegant silhouette of a platinum-blonde girl. She was clad in a sleek black coat that seemed to absorb the surrounding darkness, making her one with the night.
Ding!
//
New quest: The Death Contract
The deceased owner of your current vessel has asked you to make her family rich and to bring the rich man who killed her in the traffic accident to justice.
Rewards: 1 x WP; a new vessel; a permanent link with Riveria
Time Limit: 10 Days
Failure: You will be kicked out of the world and forced to try again.
//
Tia flexed her limbs, mentally ticking off the time she had available. 'Without a link to this world, I've got about two days. Not bad. Once I establish a connection, that duration should be extended. Plus, mana potions could give me even more time.'
Her gaze fell once more on the crumpled form of the doctor. A smile tugged at her lips. 'Nah, no need to kill him. No one will believe him.'
Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the shadowy corridor ahead. Her pulse quickened with the thrill of exploring the unknown world, her senses tingling in anticipation.
'This contract should be a piece of cake. The real difficulty will be locating the wizards. They're likely hiding out, according to the description.'
(AN: Sorry for this chapter being kinda short, but I was traveling like hell; I had used two taxis, five trains, three subways, and at least four trams. It was simply too much.)
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