Global Ghost Stories: I'm Investigating Ghosts in My Nightmare!

Chapter 84 The Forgotten Movement
“Communications have been cut off.” Bai Yu said calmly. “From the first second we stepped into this place, all signals here have been completely blocked by a more powerful force.”

Lu Yueqi gripped Bai Yu's clothes tightly.

"Don't be afraid," Bai Yu's voice rang out again, carrying a barely perceptible gentleness. "I'm here ahead. Watch out behind us."

He held Lu Yueqi firmly behind him, then strode towards the eerie captain's cabin door, illuminated by the dim yellow lantern light. Each step was steady and powerful, like a sculpture swimming upstream against the wind and waves.

"Black Words, analyze the rules here." White Words communicated with Black Words deep within her consciousness. "What is the core of this realm? Is that boat song a clue?"

"Hmph, crude artwork." Hei Yan's languid voice echoed deep within Bai Yu's consciousness, his pure black eyes flashing with disdain for the "work" before him. "A ballad filled with cheap sorrow, a low-level trick that tries to construct 'eternity' with 'forgetting.' It disguises itself as a 'forgotten one,' trying to infect you with emotions, making you willingly become a part of it. Truly uncreative."

What are its core rules?

“At its core… is the ‘Forgotten Ballad’.” Hei Yan’s voice held a hint of amusement. “It feeds on ‘forgetting’ and curses ‘being remembered’. It lures everyone who enters this realm to ‘forget’ the pain they don’t want to face, thus trapping their souls forever in this illusion woven from ‘forgetting’. But at the same time, it also fears ‘being remembered’. Because once its ‘ballad’ is truly ‘sung’, its existence will be completely overturned.”

"A forgotten song... remembered as a curse..." A thoughtful look flashed in Bai Yu's eyes. The rules of this nightmare were more complex and dangerous than he had imagined.

Just as they were about to reach the captain's cabin door, a sudden "whoosh" sound came from the darkness. Several blurry figures in tattered sailor uniforms, like paper cutouts blown by the sea breeze, swayed and floated out of the cabins on both sides of the corridor.

Their faces were devoid of features, and their hollow bodies appeared eerily unreal in the dim light.

Lu Yueqi's body stiffened abruptly, her bright eyes widened instantly, and she subconsciously enveloped herself in a layer of "deep cold" power.

These "ghost sailors" are completely different from the previous haunted house NPCs. They exude a real, cold aura, which is like countless invisible hands trying to erode her will on a spiritual level.

“Illusions.” Bai Yu’s voice was low and calm, like a clear spring dispelling the fear in Lu Yueqi’s heart. “They have no physical form; they are just illusions constructed by the nightmares using the lingering resentment of the forgotten. Don’t look at them, don’t pay attention to them, they can’t harm you.”

He pulled Lu Yueqi even closer behind him, then strode towards the "ghost sailors."

The phantom sailors paused briefly in mid-air before parting to the sides like a tide, making way for Bai Yu and Lu Yueqi.

The two passed through the illusions and arrived at the door of the captain's cabin.

The heavy oak door was tightly shut, covered with rust from the sea. The doorknob was covered with a thick layer of bronze patina, exuding a cold metallic feel.

In the center of the door panel is carved an ancient anchor pattern, with some illegible characters wrapped around it, which seem to wriggle slightly in the dim light as if they were alive.

“This door… is locked by some kind of rule.” Bai Yu reached out and gently touched the door panel. A cold energy fluctuation emanated from the door panel, attempting to erode his fingertips.

“Of course, you crude mortal.” Hei Yan’s voice carried a hint of disdain. “This is the captain’s cabin, the core of this ‘ghost ship.’ How could it be so easily broken into by a lowly creature like you? This door carries the ‘chains of memories’ of all the forgotten. Only by finding the key that can ‘awaken’ those memories will this door open for you.”

“The key to memory…” A thoughtful look flashed in Bai Yu’s eyes.

“Boat Song…a forgotten ballad…” Lu Yueqi’s voice suddenly rang out, a hint of realization flashing in her bright eyes, “Baiyu, don’t you feel like you’ve heard this song somewhere before?”

Bai Yu's body jolted, and he looked at Lu Yueqi with surprise in his eyes.

"What...did you remember?" he asked.

Lu Yueqi shook her head, a confused look on her face: "No. I just feel... the melody of this song seems to have appeared in my grandfather's old records before. But I can't remember exactly what it is."

Her maternal grandfather, the man who once ventured into the "Gate of Rift" to resurrect his wife. A hint of seriousness flashed in Bai Yu's eyes. Could it be that Lu Yueqi's maternal grandfather had also come into contact with this nightmare, or that this nightmare was somehow connected to the "visitor" Lu Yueqi's maternal grandfather had encountered?

“This is a clue,” Bai Yu said in a low voice. “That boat song might be the ‘key’ to opening this door.”

He reached out and touched the ancient characters on the door panel again. This time, he did not resist the corrosive energy, but instead opened his soul to try to "listen" to the "songs" behind the characters.

Lu Yueqi clung tightly to Bai Yu's side, clearly sensing the powerful spiritual energy emanating from Bai Yu. She closed her eyes, merging her perception into that spiritual energy, attempting to sense the "memory" contained within the words.

Through the combined efforts of Bai Yu and Lu Yueqi, the previously blurred text began to become clear. They were no longer simple symbols, but fragments of memories filled with sorrow and despair.

Those were sailors swallowed by the sea. Trapped in endless fog, their ship tossed about by towering waves, their food and fresh water long gone. They watched their companions fall one by one, until finally, they too were consumed by hunger, cold, and despair. Their souls were bound to the sea, forever adrift on this ghost ship, forgotten, cursed.

That boat song was what they sang before they died, a final expression of their longing for their hometown, their loved ones, and their lives.

“This door… needs to be ‘sung’.” Bai Yu’s voice was a little hoarse. He could clearly feel the pain and despair that the crew members had endured before they died. That sorrow tried to overwhelm him like a tide.

"Singing?" Lu Yueqi opened her eyes, a puzzled expression on her face.

“Use their songs.” Bai Yu looked at Lu Yueqi, her eyes shining with determination. “Use that forgotten song. Lu Yueqi, do you still remember the melody of that song?”

Lu Yueqi's body trembled violently, and she subconsciously shook her head. She felt that the melody of the song was familiar, but she couldn't remember exactly what it was.

"Don't be afraid, follow my rhythm." Bai Yu reached out and gently took Lu Yueqi's hand. A warm and powerful feeling came from his palm, instantly dispelling the fear in Lu Yueqi's heart. He closed his eyes and focused all his mental energy on the melody of the boat song.

He could clearly feel the sadness, despair, and longing for his hometown contained in the melody. He infused that emotion into his soul, and then, in a deep and magnetic voice, he slowly hummed it.

The song was deep and resonant, carrying the saltiness of the sea breeze and the coldness of the seawater. Each note was like an invisible thread, entwining their heartstrings and dragging them into an endless sorrow.

Lu Yueqi's body trembled violently. She could clearly feel that the singing seemed to possess magic, instantly awakening a forgotten memory deep within her soul. Her bright eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.

"I...I remember!" she exclaimed in surprise, and then her clear voice joined Bai Yu's singing.

Her voice was clearer than Bai Yu's, carrying a touch of feminine gentleness and compassion. Their voices intertwined, like two clear springs flowing gently through the dark corridor, awakening forgotten souls.

The song was no longer filled with sadness and despair, but instead carried a touch of warmth and hope.

As the song began, the captain's cabin door creaked open slowly. The heavy oak door, covered in rust, seemed to be drawn by some unseen force, revealing a deeper darkness beyond.

"It's a success!" Lu Yueqi's face lit up with a look of surprise.

However, Bai Yu's expression grew even more solemn. He could clearly feel that as the door opened, an even stronger and colder energy surged out from behind it, attempting to erode their souls.

"Be careful," Bai Yu said in a low voice, "We've only opened the door; the real danger has just begun."

He held Lu Yueqi firmly behind him, then stepped into the deeper darkness.

The captain's cabin was larger and more sinister than they had imagined. The vast space was shrouded in a thick darkness, with only a few faint phosphorescent lights flickering in the corners, barely illuminating some blurry outlines.

An even stronger stench of decay filled the air, an odor so corrosive it seemed to seep silently into their souls.

A huge wooden table was placed in the center of the room, with several chairs scattered around it.

The table was piled with all sorts of nautical tools that had been soaked in seawater: a sextant covered in patina, a broken telescope, and a nautical chart blurred by seawater.

At the very center of the long table lay an old nautical logbook stained with blood. The cover was swollen from being soaked in seawater, and the words "Captain's Log" were written on it in an ancient script.

Bai Yu's gaze fell on the diary. He could clearly sense that the diary was one of the "cores" of this area.

"It's so cold here..." Lu Yueqi's voice trembled slightly as she gripped Bai Yu's clothes tightly, her bright eyes scanning their surroundings warily. She could sense that some unknown entity lurked in the darkness, watching them like a predator hiding in the shadows.

"Don't be afraid." Bai Yu's voice was low and calm, like a clear spring, instantly dispelling the fear in Lu Yueqi's heart. He held Lu Yueqi firmly behind him, then strode towards the long table.

He reached out and gently touched the diary. A cold energy fluctuation emanated from the diary, attempting to erode his fingertips. But Bai Yu's willpower was incredibly strong, and he easily resisted the erosion.

He turned to the first page of his diary.

The diary entries were written with an ancient ink, the characters long since blurred by seawater. But Bai Yu's incredibly keen perception, born from his symbiotic relationship with Hei Yan, allowed him to clearly "read" the "memories" behind those words.

Those were stories filled with despair and madness.

The first page of the captain's log records the scene when the ship set sail. The crew was filled with anticipation for the future and a desire for wealth. They set sail, heading towards the ocean full of unknowns and opportunities.

However, as the diary is opened, the tone of the story begins to become heavy.

The ship encountered a storm and lost its way. Food and fresh water began to run out. Panic gripped the crew, and they began to distrust one another. Ultimately, consumed by hunger and despair, they started killing each other.

The captain recorded the tragedies he witnessed in his diary. He watched his companions fall one by one, and eventually, he too was consumed by hunger and despair.

The last page of the diary contained only one line written in blood:

"...We are forgotten by the sea...cursed...forever...wandering..."

Bai Yu's face appeared even paler in the dim light, and he could clearly feel the immense resentment contained within the diary. That resentment was filled with the fear of being forgotten and the despair of being abandoned.

“This nightmare… its true form is this ship.” Hei Yan’s voice echoed deep within Bai Yu’s consciousness, his pure black eyes gleaming with appreciation for the “work of art” before him. “It absorbs the resentment of all the forgotten, then transforms itself into a ghost ship forever adrift. It feeds on ‘forgetting’ and curses ‘being remembered.’ It lures all who enter this realm to ‘forget’ the pain they do not wish to face, thus trapping their souls forever in this illusion woven from ‘forgetting.’ But at the same time, it also fears ‘being remembered.’ Because once its ‘song’ is truly ‘sung,’ its existence will be completely overturned.”

“A forgotten song… remembered as a curse…” A thoughtful look flashed in Bai Yu’s eyes.

He finally understood the rules of this nightmare.

(End of this chapter)