Chapter 27: Const Orphanage 23
In front of him, neatly arranged glass rooms each contained a glass cabinet filled with liquid, in which the grotesquely shaped bodies of children were suspended.
Their bodies were deformed, with one side swollen and the other side stunted, some limbs stretched out like taffy, eerily drooping to the ground. Some faces were large and round, yet their features were squeezed together as if struggling in agony.
Was this the fate of the children at the door? Hastily forced to mature and failing, they were cruelly hung here, turned into horrifying exhibits.
Altair's fists clenched, filled with rage. Werewolves are known for their loving care towards their young, and any werewolf daring to harm a cub would face relentless hunting and torture.
He delved deeper into the lab, coming across glass rooms containing even more bizarre creatures. Among them was the humanoid with a monkey face he had encountered the previous day. They were submerged in the liquid, seemingly asleep, with fleeting expressions of cunning and intelligence flashing across their faces, chilling to the bone.
Altair approached a display screen that logged the physiological data of these creatures. Swiping through the screen with his finger, he discovered more information about the test subjects.
The readings detected from the children confined in the glass cabinets still showed variations.
Are those children hanging in glass cabinets still "alive"?
He found experimental video logs among the research documents and clicked to view a video.
The video revealed a man, nearly forty, with an extraordinary demeanor, his eyes shining with deep and rational light. Wearing a white lab coat, he was speaking to the camera:
"Exchange experiment number one hundred, subject is a seven-year-old boy. Side effects observed, cause unclear, further research required."
"First use of a child subject, results superior to those with beggar subjects."
"Exchange experiment number one hundred and one, subjects are a pair of twins. Side effects less pronounced, cause to be investigated."
"The results with the twins were slightly better, but only for this pair."
"Exchange experiment number one hundred and two…"
Altair continued scrolling through the videos. The man's expression was blank, his tone cold, treating those children as if they were nothing more than insignificant experimental expendables.
Altair's gaze instantly turned icy, like a storm brewing over the sea, gathering a chilling force.
Damn it!
These degenerates deserve to be sent to hell, to endure the torment of the souls they once harmed, never to find redemption.
At that moment, Altair smelled a strong stench, accompanied by clear footsteps.
It was the footsteps of a child.
Quickly, Altair restored the display screen to its original state and hid behind a stone pillar. Under the cover of darkness, he blended perfectly into the shadows, ensuring he remained undetected.
The child seemed quite cheerful, humming a strange song with a creepy melody that drifted over from a distance. It was the same melody sung by the children in the choir.
Walking back and forth, as if selecting something, he resembled a butcher choosing which livestock to slaughter next. Finally, he stopped, seemingly having chosen his target.
Then came the sound of a chain dragging, as if he were pulling a heavy object. Oddly, he didn't seem to struggle; his steps were light, almost as if he was enjoying the process.
Ta, ta, ta—
The light footsteps grew closer, almost as if they were near Altair. He could smell the object's scent, also that of a child: a faint dandelion fragrance, like nothing but bare green stems swaying in the wind.
To act rashly now would only perpetuate the cycle of evil. Leaning against the pillar, Altair closed his eyes and shook his head.
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Emerging from the second-floor washroom, Elvira stood by the secret passage entrance for a minute, finding that the creature tracking him hadn't appeared. He then safely tucked away the flying knives in his left hand and the gun in his right.
He decided against exploring another secret passage since it was narrow, and there was the risk of being followed by a creature. If he encountered another monster ahead, he would be caught between two threats.
Choosing to take the external staircase meant that, at least in the event of encountering a monster, he could call upon the Hostel management.
That loyal human-faced dog.
Next time he saw it, he resolved to prepare some dog food for it, assuming it didn't intend to eat him first.
He descended from the second floor to the first, then made his way to the end of the hallway on the ground floor, heading towards the stairs leading to the basement. He paused at the fifth step from the bottom.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps distinct from those he heard the day before, followed by the sound of something heavy being dragged. In the dim basement, these sounds were particularly clear, obviously heading his way.
If the owner of these footsteps entered the expanded section's laboratory, would the laser beams then not activate?
Of course, there was also the possibility that the laboratory's defense system had detected an intrusion. In that case, Elvira would face not only the laser beams but also the owner of the footsteps, resulting in being flanked by threats.
What to do? Which path to choose?
The footsteps were getting closer, just a turn away from spotting Elvira! With time running out, he had to make a decision immediately!
Ta, ta, ta—
In an instant, Elvira pressed a button and dashed into the expanded section of the laboratory before the footsteps could turn the corner.
The expanded section looked exactly like the previous night, with hundreds of glass coffins quietly floating in mid-air and along the sides. Through the light of his phone, he saw each glass coffin filled with a white mist, beggars and animals lying inside in a seemingly peaceful slumber.
The laboratory was eerily silent, as if even breathing was suppressed.
Elvira ran with all his might, his heartbeat and rapid breathing echoing in his ears. He had to reach the end of the laboratory and enter the Dean's office on the underground second floor before the laser beams activated. Otherwise, he faced certain death.
He ran fearlessly, the scenery before him seemingly flying past. A red light twinkled at the edge of his vision, hot, vivid, warm.
It was like a blooming red flower, spreading its inviting petals. And he was like a moth to a flame, resolute.
Elvira was betting that the owner of those footsteps would enter here, and also betting that the owner of the footsteps would appear before he was sliced into pieces, causing the laser beams to temporarily vanish. At that moment, he just needed to hide in the shadows near the secret passage, staying away from the exit, to ensure he wasn't discovered.
With the laser beams increasing to four, crisscrossing in front and behind, Elvira executed a kneel slide under the first beam, followed swiftly by a front flip, dodging the last two.
After evading all four laser beams, Elvira's speed did not decrease but instead grew more rapid. He felt an endless surge of power within him, as if breaking free from chains.
He sped forward like lightning. The laser beams ahead wove into a dense net of light, and there was no turning back.
3—
Elvira scanned his surroundings, searching for a place to hide. Perhaps ducking under a lab table would be a good choice, where the laser beams couldn't reach.
2—
He could feel the high heat emitted by the laser beams, suddenly realizing the chocolate in his pocket was probably melted, sticky against the wrapper, and no longer appealing.
1—
The ice pack in his pocket seemed futile now; he wished he had given it to Blair earlier.
With his mind racing, although he might be sliced apart by the laser beams in the next second, Elvira's thoughts lingered on these trivial matters.
Just as Elvira was about to collide head-on with the laser net, he could even feel the heat wave rushing towards him!
Elvira chose to close his eyes.
Suddenly, the laser grid vanished. The entrance door to the laboratory slowly opened.
"Ta, ta, ta—"
Footsteps rapidly approached. Elvira instantly opened his eyes and swiftly slid to take cover under the central experiment table, grabbing a nearby chair as a shield.
His heart pounded violently, each beat hammering against his chest. His body trembled uncontrollably; he had indeed been a step away from death just moments ago.
The footsteps leisurely moved forward, as if admiring every inch of the space around, like someone browsing through goods.
However, it wasn't long before Elvira heard the sound of a glass cabinet being opened, crisp and jarring.
Thud—a heavy object hit the floor, the sound echoing through the empty lab.
"Whispers in the spider web, the secrets they weave."
"I play alone, in the ease of a dreamy lull."
A boy began to hum a song, his voice clear and youthful. While humming, he dragged something towards the door.
Elvira's heart tightened. Judging by the voice, it was a child, and he was effortlessly dragging two heavy objects, breathing steadily, humming a tune, as if walking on clouds.
Where was he going? What was he planning to do?
Elvira chose to close his eyes.
Suddenly, the laser grid vanished. The entrance door to the laboratory slowly opened.
"Ta, ta, ta—"
Footsteps rapidly approached. Elvira instantly opened his eyes and swiftly slid to take cover under the central experiment table, grabbing a nearby chair as a shield.
His heart pounded violently, each beat hammering against his chest. His body trembled uncontrollably; he had indeed been a step away from death just moments ago.
The footsteps leisurely moved forward, as if admiring every inch of the space around, like someone browsing through goods.
However, it wasn't long before Elvira heard the sound of a glass cabinet being opened, crisp and jarring.
Thud—a heavy object hit the floor, the sound echoing through the empty lab.
"Whispers in the cobwebs, secrets they weave,"
"Alone, I play in a dreamy reprieve."
A boy began to hum a song, his voice clear and youthful. While humming, he dragged something towards the door.
Elvira's heart tightened. Judging by the voice, it was a child, and he was effortlessly dragging two heavy objects, breathing steadily, humming a tune, as if walking on clouds.
Where was he going? What was he planning to do?
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Aurorahunter
Aurorahunter Hi dear friends, I have finished writing Chapter 28-29! The day before yesterday, I went to play a horror-oriented secret room. I went there to find inspiration and observe the mechanism design, and then applied it to the novel. Of course, yesterday I was immersed in doubts about whether I could write a good novel. Fortunately, everyone’s support helped me regain my confidence! The content of this chapter is very close to the truth about the orphanage, but I wonder if anyone has any guesses? What exactly is the experiment for? Hahaha, Elvira will go to the dean's office tomorrow. What information can he find? I am also very curious! Hahahaha, regarding the title of the story, I have already discussed it with my editor. Her suggestion to me is that it needs to be more specific. I also really want to include LGBT+substitute +horror elements in the title of the novel, hahaha. In addition, I am really sad about why the number of collections is increasing less and less. Hopefully if I write more it will become a lot. Thanks to Demon_flower_6756, That_Little_Prince, and Bookmania_K for sending me the power stone! Welcome our new friend Bookmania_K! Thank you all for your comments, it really motivates me to write a novel! ! ! Love you guys! ! Hoping for more collections, power stones, gifts and reviews!
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