"Uncle A-Lu... what's wrong with you all?"
Watching the pickaxe-wielders close in, Meilin froze in place, terrified.
For some reason, all of a sudden, she felt the images of these "acquaintances" become somewhat blurred.
They didn't look like people; they looked like... pickaxes?
"Buzz—!"
A splitting pain in her head made her groan, and her vision blurred like a mosaic.
But the gunshots reaching her ears made her realize that her uncles were clashing with the priests and nuns.
"Don't..."
"Stop... stop it!"
She forced her eyes open, and her vision gradually cleared.
Only to see a dark muzzle pressed against her forehead.
"Bang!"
Consciousness dissipated, and the world restarted once more.
...
...
Time passed, though I don't know for how long, before I opened my eyes.
Everything in the darkness made me a little flustered.
Where am I?
Who... am I?
I asked, confused.
Suddenly, I felt a terrible headache! It was accompanied by a buzzing sound echoing in my mind.
But... I remembered!
My name is Meilin!
I'm trapped in the mine!
I need to find people for rescue; I need to save my dad!
I lit my lamp and followed the tunnel by memory; everything felt so familiar.
At a fork in the path, I saw a light.
"Is there someone else?"
"Maybe it's the rescue team!"
I hurried forward and saw three people, two women and one man... They looked so young and beautiful.
"Are you from the rescue team?!" I asked excitedly.
They shook their heads and said no, that they were from the Church.
I was heartbroken.
The tall young man, a priest among the three, comforted me, and my mood finally improved a lot.
"Are there any other survivors?" the priest asked.
"Other survivors?"
I paused, then shook my head.
"No, after I woke up, it was just me."
"..."
The priest seemed to be stunned for a moment, then asked me:
"Miss Meilin, if you hadn't met us just now, were you planning to go this way?"
I froze, about to deny it, but then I felt like I really did have that thought.
"Do you know what's over there?" the priest asked.
"I don't know... I thought there might be something useful, or maybe even some drinkable water!"
The priest nodded:
"Then let's go; we'll go with you."
I had no objections and led the three of them forward.
But there was a strange feeling in my heart, should I have... gone back?
So strange...
We reached the end of the other side, where it was blocked by collapsed mud and rocks.
In the corner, there seemed to be something.
The priest walked closer and raised his lamp, allowing me to see what it was.
It was a dark, thin humanoid figure, squatting in the corner, its back to everyone, sobbing continuously.
"Is it a survivor?!"
I was delighted and prepared to approach.
But then I heard its murmuring clearly.
Its voice was exactly like mine!
"Dad... I need to find Dad..."
"Dad is still waiting for me..."
The shadow slowly turned its head, 180 degrees, with no facial features, only twisted lines.
"Oh, it's Father!"
"Have you seen Uncle A-Lu and them? The survivor miner team."
"Eh—?"
The shadow's tone suddenly became deep.
I felt a chill down my spine.
It looked at me!
"Who are you?" the shadow asked, its voice suppressed and full of malice.
I felt it difficult to breathe:
"I... I..."
"She is Meilin," the priest beside me suddenly answered for me.
"Meilin..."
The shadow suddenly fell silent for a few seconds.
"Then who am I?"
"You are Meilin," the priest said again.
"Yes... yes!"
The shadow twisted and expanded, its voice sharp,
"I am Meilin! I am Meilin!"
The shadow lunged!
But the moment it touched the light, it instantly dissolved.
Yet I knew it hadn't disappeared; it still lingered maliciously in the darkness, constantly eroding the light.
That sharp echo continued to reverberate in my ears, tearing at my nerves:
"I am Meilin! Meilin!"
"You impostor! Impostor!"
I trembled all over, collapsing to my knees,
"You are Meilin... then who am I?"
I looked up at the priest:
"Father, who am I?"
The priest was silent for a few seconds, then raised his hand and aimed his gun at me:
"You are also Meilin."
"Bang—!"
...
...
In the darkness, I woke up.
Where am I?
Who... am I?
Oh, I remembered, my name is Meilin, I'm trapped in the mine, and I need to go find my dad...
...
...