At the end of the forest path stood a two-story cabin, reminiscent of those found in fairy tales. It was still daytime, so it was impossible to tell if there were lights on inside, but it remained deathly quiet.
A moment later, a figure emerged before the wooden door.
Lynch exited his concealment and waved to the officer hiding among the trees.
A tall, slender figure dressed in men's clothing immediately crouched low, approaching along the blind spot of the windows.
"This must be the location where the photo was taken." Officer Natalie gestured with her eyes, waiting until she confirmed he had suppressed the surrounding sounds before speaking with relief. "Look, that is the spot. The photography equipment is on the barbecue table over there; the angle is just right."
It was indeed here.
It seemed that while the two reporters had some awareness of danger, they were not professional spies after all, leaving behind enough clues for anyone to easily find them.
Or perhaps it wasn't that easy?
"I listened for a long time and even used phantasmal sound to knock on the interior of the room, but there was no movement. I suspect no one is inside, or... something has happened to them."
"Did they never arrive, or have they already left? But the wheel tracks can't be explained if they didn't come. There is no residual mystery in the open area outside, right?"
"No reaction, but it's hard to say about the inside."
"Then let's go in and take a look. Watch your own safety."
After confirming from the opposite window that there were no traps set behind the door, the officer pulled out a hairpin, and Lynch drew his handgun.
Although his marksmanship was erratic, it was at least enough to intimidate someone.
After Lynch nodded to himself, the officer applied pressure with her fingers. With a soft click, the door was gently pushed open. With Lynch present, there was no need to worry about noise; in the officer's words, it was a necessary skill for criminal activity.
Lynch once again bravely shielded the officer from behind, peering over her shoulder into the room before they both cautiously slipped inside.
Hiss. A wave of rot hit them, stinging their eyes.
Lynch covered his nose and mouth, exchanging a nod with the officer. Maya had definitely been here, and she had stayed for quite some time.
Regardless, they had to find her first.
However, the cabin was a very ordinary two-story building with six rooms in total, lacking even a proper basement, save for a wine cellar. The two searched the upper and lower floors quickly, yet they found nothing.
In fact, there were many traces of recent life.
Empty cans sat in the dining room, and the messy bedding in the bedroom gave off a foul odor. The bathroom was particularly concerning, with traces of blood on the towels, as if someone had scrubbed their skin until it broke.
The desk in the living room was piled with books, all related to folklore and mythology.
"It seems she also realized where the problem lay." Officer Natalie closed a book and sighed. "Unfortunately, while the truth is sometimes hidden in these publicly available books, it is not something an ordinary person can easily discern."
"There is something very strange." Lynch did not touch the items on the table, only pointing at the surface. "The stationery is scattered, which means she used them while reading over the past few days, and she used several types. But there are no notes related to them on the table."
"She left on her own, and she intentionally packed up those notes and took them with her." The officer immediately understood Lynch's train of thought. "Did she know we were coming?"
"Unlikely. We only just found her. But the traces here show she left at least several hours ago. It can't be to hide from us. Something we don't know must have happened. No, let's search again to see if we can find the issue, but try not to leave any signs of having rummaged through things, in case she returns and notices."
Action followed thought. The two split up to search, but Maya's activity area was small; she had spent most of her time reading the mythology books there. Lynch searched the entire second floor...
"Lynch." A low call came from the officer downstairs. "Come look at this."
Lynch felt a spark of hope and ran down immediately, finding Officer Natalie back in the living room, staring blankly at an empty frame with a white backing inside the bookcase.
"What's wrong? Do you know what photo was originally in here?"
Lynch was confused, but Officer Natalie glanced back at him strangely, reached in, and opened the frame.
Watching her actions, Lynch felt a shiver run through his body, his throat turning dry.
That was not an empty frame at all.
The backing was white because an empty canvas was stretched over the board.
So, this was no longer a picture frame; conceptually, it had transformed into a blank oil painting.
An empty picture frame... him again?
What exactly is he trying to do? How deeply is he involved in this?
Is Maya really an ordinary person? What is her relationship with him? Could Donnie's death also be related to him?
"Wait, that's not right."
Questions swirled rapidly in his mind. Lynch suddenly realized something, grabbed Officer Natalie's hand, and pulled her backward several steps away from the bookcase.
The officer didn't resist, retreating smoothly, only looking at him with confusion.
"Maya took all her important belongings, so why would she leave this behind?" Lynch whispered, staring cautiously at the canvas. "I suspect this thing is problematic. It's either a trap left deliberately, so we should be careful."
Officer Natalie thought for a moment and simply gripped the hilt of her sword.
Whatever the trap was, a single swing would make all threats cease to exist.
However, before she could draw her sword, the blank canvas stretched over the backing suddenly changed. From faint to vibrant, colors began to emerge on the canvas.
Soon, the canvas transformed into a portrait of a person sitting upright—a young man in formal attire, wearing a gentle smile, looking lifelike on the canvas.
The next moment, something even more bizarre occurred.
The eyes in the portrait turned on their own, shifting toward Natalie and Lynch, while the mouth moved as if alive, opening and closing as a low, mocking laughter emanated from the image.
"It is an honor to see you both again, Ms. Angel, Mr. Levive."
The voice was leisurely and relaxed, as if chatting with old friends.
"Who exactly are you?" Lynch gathered his thoughts, feigning ignorance of the man's identity. "Why are you targeting me, and why are you here?"
"Targeting you? Hehe, Mr. Levive, I'm afraid you misunderstand. You are not worth my targeting; you are merely an important tool of mine. As long as you act on my behalf, that is enough."
"Do you think I will act on your behalf?"
"Do you think you haven't?" The young man's soft laughter was filled with mockery and malice.
Lynch pressed his lips together in silence. He had no interest in bickering with the viper behind this, so after a moment of thought, he sneered, "Officer Natalie, help me destroy the canvas."
As he spoke, he rushed to the window to look outside.
Lynch trusted his judgment. Unless the other party was a master of prophecy whose predictions were terrifyingly accurate, it was impossible to know in advance that they would appear here. Since that was the case, whatever the reason for leaving the frame, destroying it would be correct—at the very least, it would thoroughly disgust the other party.
Moreover, since the other party activated the frame at this moment, it was likely that the person they actually intended to meet was about to appear. Lynch rushed to the window immediately, only to see a scene that made his eyes bloodshot with rage.
Several people were walking from outside the forest, approaching the cabin.
It was a group of hillmen, and the one leading them, white-haired and frail, was the elderly hillman Lynch would never forget for the rest of his life.
Rate on N.U.
