A desolate and quiet mountain road was tightly enveloped by a dense, towering sea of trees on both sides. Sunlight could only cast mottled spots of light through the gaps in the branches and leaves.
An old-model RV drove leisurely along this road.
Inside the vehicle, the atmosphere was the exact opposite of the tranquility outside.
Five energetic college students were listening to the blasting music from the stereo, excitedly discussing their upcoming vacation at the cabin in the woods.
"Hey, guys, I promise you, this is absolutely going to be the best trip of our lives!"
Curt, a burly, muscular blonde who looked like Thor, patted his chest and declared to the group.
Jules leaned affectionately against his shoulder, a gentle smile on her face.
Dana, who looked much quieter, was currently whispering something to her friend Holden, her eyes filled with anticipation for the holiday.
Yang Yi and Tomie were sitting side-by-side on the roof of this battered RV, the hems of their clothes fluttering gently in the mountain breeze.
Yang Yi leaned back leisurely in a beach chair, letting the mountain wind blow through his hair. His gaze was profound, as if he had already seen through everything that lay ahead.
Tomie, like a lazy and elegant cat, curled up in his arms. A faint, contented smile graced her lips as she enjoyed this rare moment of peace.
After experiencing the adventures at Crystal Lake and Silent Hill, she had developed quite a bit of anticipation for this place Yang Yi had "guaranteed would be fun."
...
The RV traveled along the winding mountain road for a long time before finally coming to a slow stop in front of a wooden cabin.
The cabin looked weather-beaten. The dark color of the logs on its walls exuded an ominous aura.
However, to this group of youths in the prime of their lives, this was an isolated vacation paradise.
They cheered and hopped out of the vehicle, completely oblivious to the surrounding danger.
Meanwhile.
Deep underground, hundreds of meters below, inside a massive secret facility, the scene was entirely different.
Dozens of staff members in white lab coats were working methodically at their respective stations.
In the base's central control room, a massive surveillance wall composed of hundreds of screens clearly displayed the cabin in the woods and every corner of its surroundings.
On the screens, the real-time movements of the five college students were accurately captured. Every expression and every line of dialogue became entertainment for the staff here.
"Alright, everyone, the 'sacrifices' have entered the arena. It's time for our favorite betting segment."
A middle-aged man who appeared to be the supervisor held a cup of coffee, a faint smile on his face.
"I bet on 'Zombies.' The Buckner family almost always shows up first," another technician immediately retorted.
"Come on, it was them last time. I'm sick of seeing them. I bet on 'Werewolf.' That thing tears people apart with real kick!"
"I bet on the Scarecrow!"
"How about the Banshee? Her screams are quite unique."
The entire control room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. They enthusiastically placed bets on the "prey" on the screens who were about to march toward their deaths, all anticipating a bloody feast.
However, a young technician responsible for monitoring the vehicle suddenly cried out.
"Wait! Boss, look at this!"
Hearing this, the supervisor walked over and looked in the direction the technician was pointing.
In the surveillance footage of the RV's roof, two blurry figures had shockingly appeared.
The clamor in the control room came to an abrupt halt.
"What's going on?"
"How are there two extra people?!"
The supervisor's brows instantly furrowed, and he immediately issued an order.
"Quick! Pull up the database and run an identity match! Find out where these two came from!"
"Also, why are the five targets on the screen completely oblivious to this? Can't they see there are people on the roof?"
However, no matter how hard they tried, the system couldn't identify any information on Yang Yi. Tomie, on the other hand, matched the anomaly 'Tomie' in their database.
Even more bizarrely, Curt and the others in the footage were indeed turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to Yang Yi and Tomie, who were right in front of them.
"Boss... should we initiate the emergency protocol and terminate this sacrifice?"
The young technician's voice carried a hint of a tremble.
This variable that was beyond their control made him feel an instinctive unease.
The supervisor stared intently at the screen, but ultimately shook his head.
"It's too late."
Just as his voice fell.
On the screen, the students inside the cabin had already started playing a game of "Truth or Dare" with Yang Yi and Tomie.
Amidst a burst of laughter, Curt lost the game, and the punishment slip he drew demanded that Dana venture into the cabin's pitch-black cellar alone to explore.
Everything began to play out exactly like a pre-written script, without the slightest deviation.
A trace of fear flashed across Dana's face, but egged on by the crowd, she still walked tremblingly to the cellar door and pressed the old switch on the wall.
*Creaaak—*
Amidst the harsh grating sound, the cellar door slowly rose, and a scent mixing dust and decay rushed out.
"Ah!"
Dana let out a terrified scream.
Inside the cellar, it was densely packed with all sorts of bizarre items exuding ominous auras.
An ancient ship's log, a bloodstained wolf head specimen, a weirdly shaped music box, and countless strange props of indistinguishable purpose.
Hearing the scream, the rest of the students curiously gathered around. Instead of feeling afraid, they felt this was a novel adventure, completely unaware that they were stepping into danger step by step.
Yang Yi and Tomie followed the students down the stairs.
"Whoa, there's quite a collection here."
Yang Yi's gaze swept over the "monster triggers" carefully selected by the organization. He casually picked up a square box gleaming with a metallic luster from a shelf.
That was exactly the Hell Lord Lemarchand's Box.
He fiddled with it casually, as if merely playing with an ordinary toy.
Tomie, on the other hand, took an interest in an ancient human skin mask. She held the mask up to her eyes, a glint in her gaze, seemingly considering whether to try it on.
On the other side, after some hesitation, Dana's gaze was ultimately drawn to a leather-bound diary with a tattered cover in the corner.
As if possessed, she walked over and picked up the diary belonging to the "Buckner family."
In the control room, the supervisor who had bet on "Zombies" revealed a smug smile.
"See, I told you so!"
Dana opened the diary and, by the light of her flashlight, softly read aloud a bizarre incantation written in Latin.
As the final syllable fell.
A chilling, evil aura instantly filled the entire cellar.
The originally static text on the diary began to writhe madly like living creatures.
A rustling sound came from outside the cabin, as if something had been awakened.
The Buckner family, representing pain and torment, had been officially activated!
Night fell.
To make this "horror movie" even more exciting, the organization released specially formulated drugs and hormones through the cabin's ventilation system.
Under the influence of the drugs, Jules became unusually impulsive and uninhibited.
Pulling Curt, whose eyes were equally glazed over, she headed deep into the pitch-black forest near the cabin, seeking a more thrilling experience.
Just as the two found a secluded clearing and were about to embrace and kiss, driven by lust.
They suddenly realized that in the darkness not far away, two figures were crouching there, watching them with great interest.
It was none other than Yang Yi and Tomie.
Curt and Jules's movements instantly froze, their faces written with awkwardness and embarrassment.
Yang Yi, however, didn't mind at all and even waved at them.
"We won't peek, you guys carry on."
Jules's face instantly flushed bright red, while Curt felt a flash of irritation.
Just as he was about to scold these two peeping toms.
A nauseating stench and a guttural roar came from the shadows behind him.
The next second, a tall, rotting zombie, brandishing claws covered in dirt and blood, lunged at Jules, who was closest to it.
"Ah—!!!"
Startled by this sudden, terrifying sight, Jules let out a scream and swiftly fled in the direction of the cabin.
Seeing its target run away, the zombie shifted its focus to Yang Yi and Tomie, who were crouching on the ground.
It brandished its claws, wanting to tear these two prey into pieces.
However, its claws couldn't even touch the hems of their clothes.
Yang Yi merely waved his hand casually.
The seemingly ferocious zombie's body instantly disintegrated in mid-air, turning into a meaningless puddle of minced meat that silently dissipated into the night, not even catching the attention of the two fleeing students.
A traumatized Jules ran back to the cabin, incoherently recounting the terrifying experience she just had in the forest to the group.
Everyone plunged into a panic.
Next, a classic horror movie chase scene officially raised its curtains.