As Neil lay on the bed, fatigue had caused him to fall asleep without realizing it. In the pitch-black room, he couldn't immediately tell whether his eyes were open or closed. Neil awoke and raised his right hand in front of his face, clenching and unclenching his fist. Even in the dark, he could see the movement of his hand. He felt disoriented, with no sense of time or space.
"What’s happening to me? Why did Zoe leave me here? Where has he gone?"
He couldn’t come up with any answers at first, and it didn't take long for him to reassess the situation. Neil struggled to believe that Zoe was responsible for what was happening. The shackles on his wrists were definitely not a dream. He was imprisoned in his own home.
Neil groped for the night light switch. When the light came on, his senses began to sharpen. Sitting on the bed, he pondered what was happening, and Zoe’s face suddenly appeared in his mind. He found Zoe both endearing and pitiful.
"Did you really imprison me here? If it was you, why not face me and explain everything? If you want revenge, I'm willing to endure whatever punishment you deem fit, but don’t avoid me or leave me alone."
Neil recalled what Brian had said to him earlier at the police station. Brian had suspected that the mysterious murders were connected to Zoe James. Just before the body of the man found in the dark alley was discovered, Myra reported a sighting of a shadowy figure resembling Zoe James. At the same time, there were no sightings of Zoe at the bar, and no one knew where he had been. Brian was certain that Myra's account was credible, and everything pointed to Zoe James, though evidence was lacking.
But was it really Zoe that Myra saw? The answer seemed obvious, but it was likely that Jill had possessed Zoe's body to commit the murders.
So who exactly is Jill? What is his significance? The police had no information on him. Neil had searched through all the records of murdered children at orphanages but found no child named Jill Arnold. It was possible that the orphanage manager had erased the records to prevent police investigation, protecting the reputation and trust of the orphanage's donors.
If, for some reason... Neil was suddenly overwhelmed by fear, thinking about the possibility that Jill’s spirit could grow strong enough to possess Zoe’s body. What if Zoe’s body had already been taken over by Jill, and that’s why Zoe had come to imprison him and eventually kill him? But if revenge was the goal, Jill had many opportunities to kill him directly rather than imprisoning him. Killing him would be quicker and simpler.
"I don’t understand any of this," Neil muttered, covering his face with his hands.
At that moment, there was a noise—a key turning in the lock, the door opening and closing, then locking again. Someone was walking down the hallway, and the door to the room slowly opened.
"Awake already?" Brian said, standing casually with his arms crossed in front of Neil.
Brian’s pale face appeared ghostly in the dim light, looking like a soul returned from hell. It was unmistakably the face of a spirit inhabiting another’s body.
Brian wore a white shirt that was clearly visible in the dim light, and Neil could see that he still had a gun, neatly holstered on his belt.
Neil was both surprised and confused. Why was Brian here instead of Zoe?
Neil asked urgently, though with some suspicion, "How do you have a key to my house? Were you the one who hit me on the head last night?"
"Surprised? It makes sense. It's hard to believe that a police detective would knock out a colleague and then chain him up in his own home, isn't it?" Brian took a few steps closer to Neil, wearing a cryptic smile.
"What's wrong? Why don’t you ask more questions?"
"What should I ask?" Neil stared at Brian.
"Ask why I’m doing this."
Neil smirked, "I don't need to ask. I know you’re not Detective Brian." Neil frowned. "But whoever you are, you should unlock these chains."
"You're quite perceptive. You're right; I’m not Detective Brian, your colleague. As for removing the chains, that’s not going to happen." Brian shook his head slightly.
"Don’t you want to know who I really am, Neil? It’s quite a surprise."
"Who are you really? Answer me!"
Brian didn't answer but continued to smile. He calmly stood up and turned toward the door, seeming to wait for something that never came.
Seeing Brian about to leave, Neil called out, “You’re Jill, but you’ve been dead for a long time. You can’t possess others without Zoe’s help… Are you really Jill?”
"Hey," Jill turned around with a hint of anger. "Even though I'm dead, it took effort to continue existing in this world. All my efforts are my own. I could possess another's body not because of Zoe."
Jill smirked, "Listening to him, I’d forever be a useless ghost. Zoe was too attached, too foolish to speak up when oppressed. Without me, he’d have been dead long ago. To become strong, one must be ruthless and cruel; only then will others fear and not dare to bully you."
Neil tried to advance, hoping to seize Brian and use the chains to force him to remove the shackles. But looking into Brian’s eyes, Neil found himself paralyzed, as if frozen in place.
"You don’t stand a chance, Neil," Brian’s eyes were no longer like the cold, lifeless beads they had been. Now they were deep, infinitely dark, as if drawing light from within. Neil couldn’t speak, his body no longer felt his own.
"Do you know who I’m waiting for? It’s Zoe. I want him to see that I’m the one helping him get revenge. Zoe can’t act against you, but I can. He’ll be grateful to me. Of course, Zoe will be devastated watching you die and being powerless to save you. When he no longer wishes to live, I’ll help him end his life. Then I’ll consume Zoe’s soul… Wow, I wonder what that will taste like. It should be quite special."
"You bastard, don’t harm Zoe."
"Do you think you can protect Zoe in your current state?"
Brian turned and walked toward the door. Neil was pulled back by the chains, unable to follow. He couldn't even lift his own hand.
Brian left the room, the sound of his footsteps fading down the hallway. It seemed he had reached the living room. What was he doing? Then the door opened.
"Goodnight! I’m off to find Zoe and bring him here to see you one last time." Brian's voice echoed.
At that moment, the invisible force that had been constricting Neil suddenly vanished. He could move his arms again and slumped to the floor.
"Wait!" he shouted. "Wait for me, Brian."
He ran to the foyer, but by the time he reached it, the door had slammed shut. A loud thud followed, and the door was locked.
"Brian! Jill..." He called out loudly.
But there was no response. Not even the sound of a single footstep on the other side of the door. Neil looked at his wrists, where the shackles had left marks and a bit of blood from his efforts to pull at the chains.