Chapter 005: The Curse Reveals Itself

At dawn, sunlight pierced through the darkness, spilling across the golden beach. The rhythmic sound of waves lapping against the shore served as a refreshing morning melody.

Qian Cangyi opened his eyes, feeling his lids heavy. He sat up, rubbing his eyes while letting out a yawn. After a few seconds of rest, he stepped out of the tent and looked around, noticing that Intellect was already awake, standing by the water’s edge gazing at the sea.

Sensing someone behind him, Intellect turned. Upon seeing Qian Cangyi, he offered a faint smile. "Cangyi, you’re up? I thought it would be Xiao Tian."

Qian Cangyi sensed a hidden meaning in his words. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Does the order of waking up make a difference?"

Intellect shook his head. "No, just a passing thought."

Qian Cangyi walked over to stand beside him. Just as he was about to speak, the other actors began to emerge from their tents.

"Last night, my shadow—" Rou Guang began, only to be interrupted by Xiao Tian.

"Your shadow had problems too?" Xiao Tian turned to look at her.

"Mine did as well," Ning Jing added.

"It seems we are all in the same boat," Intellect said, spreading his hands. "The shadows first decapitated themselves, then picked their heads up. Then, the black figures manifested our faces and forced us into sleep."

Qian Cangyi remained silent, watching the exchange quietly.

"What does this mean?" Rou Guang’s gaze swept across the group.

"Perhaps we’ve been cursed!" Ning Jing’s tone was cautious, as if she feared someone might be eavesdropping.

Qian Cangyi looked at her, and the others followed suit, waiting for her to elaborate. Ning Jing took a step toward the beach, the sunlight casting a golden glow over her. She turned back and said, "I’m sure you’ve all participated in similar films before. Once actors enter a mysterious place, they are often marked by ghosts or unknown entities. These markings—they are curses."

"To break a curse, one must first understand its type."

"Some are time-sensitive; if the deadline passes without a solution, you die or remain trapped forever. Others are triggered by specific conditions—the nature of which varies—but once triggered, the curse takes effect. The result is the same: the actor either dies or falls into a state indistinguishable from death."

"That is all."

Ning Jing looked at Intellect, seemingly expecting him to weigh in.

Intellect thought for a moment, then turned to Qian Cangyi. "Cangyi, what do you think? Have we been cursed?"

"I’m not sure," Qian Cangyi replied, gathering his thoughts. "There are no clues, but one thing is certain." He gestured toward the island, where the dense, mysterious forest loomed. "We must head into the island today!"

"Uh..." Intellect glanced at the interior of the island but said nothing more.

"Look!" Ning Jing suddenly exclaimed.

Qian Cangyi turned to see her pointing at her own shadow. He followed the direction of her finger and looked at her shadow. Nothing had changed—or had it? Wait.

He narrowed his eyes. He noticed a subtle change: a faint crack had appeared where the shadow’s head met its neck.

"This crack..." Intellect crouched down, examining his own shadow. "I have one too."

"Me too," Xiao Tian said, his voice hurried.

"How is that possible? It wasn't there a moment ago," Rou Guang said, her voice trembling.

Qian Cangyi looked down at his own shadow. The crack was already visible, and it seemed to be widening.

Intellect stood up and looked toward the island again, his expression shifting entirely. "It seems it is indeed a curse." He turned to Rou Guang. "Come to think of it, you’re the only one who knows about this place through the character you're playing, Yan Ruoxuan. Do you have any of her memories?"

Rou Guang crossed her arms and shook her head. "No."

"Those supplies," Intellect noted, gesturing to the opened wooden crates. "It suggests Yan Ruoxuan may have been to this island before. But since your shadow wasn't different from ours, it implies she wasn't cursed during her last visit."

"I’ve given it some thought. The most likely explanation is that she didn't spend the night here. That might be the reason for our curse—staying overnight."

"Actually, I still don't understand why Yan Ruoxuan chose to land at night. Perhaps there is some hidden motive." Intellect looked down at the sand, lost in thought.

"Can we just focus on breaking the curse first? Who knows what else we’ll run into?" Xiao Tian said nervously.

Intellect shook his head and said, "Actually, there is something I haven't told you yet."

"Remember last night? The Hell Movie informed us: during the existence of the Scarlet Blood Moon, actors are forbidden from discussing matters outside of their film roles."

"I asked a question then: 'Are those the supplies you prepared over there?' You should remember that." His gaze landed on Qian Cangyi.

Qian Cangyi thought back, confirming Intellect was right, though he didn't know where this was going.

Intellect seemed to read his mind. "What I want to say is, that wasn't what I actually said at the time. What I said was: 'Why don't we just take the boat and go back now? I’ve changed my mind!'"

"That is what I said."

"Immediately after the Hell Movie stated the rules, I broke them. The consequence of breaking the rule was that my body became uncontrollable once again—meaning the one who spoke wasn't me, but my character, Zhang Sibo."

Qian Cangyi’s expression shifted, his heart racing with shock. Why would he dare to defy the rules? And to do it immediately after they were announced? Was he not afraid of death? A series of questions flooded his mind.

"You... weren't you afraid?" Ning Jing asked, her voice trembling.

"Exactly, Intellect. Weren't you afraid the Hell Movie would erase you on the spot?" Rou Guang scanned him, trying to read his true intentions.

"Is that true, Intellect?" Xiao Tian asked, skeptical.

Intellect remained calm. "Of course I fear death. But I believed the conditions of the Hell Movie were broad and the consequences weren't explicitly stated, so I suspected the punishment wouldn't be severe."

"Fortune favors the bold. My guess was correct; the punishment was merely to be reduced to a spectator while my body was controlled by Zhang Sibo."

"And don't look at me like that. I'm not a madman." He waved his hand, a sheepish look on his face.

"By the way," Qian Cangyi suddenly suggested, "why don't we verify our identities again? Just to avoid any 'darkness under the lamp' surprises."