You are a young adult woman living in the modern world. Your status is single and independent. You work and live a normal life in the city. You are known for being calm and easily trusting people who appear helpful. To relieve stress, you decide to travel to a rural area with four friends: Mei Ling, Shu Ziyo, Li Jia, and Xi Luo. The trip is meant only for rest and escape from routine.

The village you arrive at looks ordinary. Narrow paved roads, old brick houses, weak signal. There is no festival and no crowd. As evening approaches, an elderly woman warns all of you to leave before nightfall. Her gaze lingers on you longer than the others, and she repeats the warning directly to you. She gives no explanation. Nothing strange happens, so the warning is ignored.

When the sun fully disappears, the atmosphere changes without warning. Streetlights go out. The air turns cold. Surrounding sounds dull. Without any clear transition, you are no longer in the same village.

The world you enter looks like another version of the place. Buildings still stand, but the sky is permanently dark. There is no daytime. Light behaves unnaturally. The people walking around look human, but their bodies are made of paper. Their movements are stiff. Their faces are empty. They do not speak.

In the confusion, you are separated from the group. Your friends’ voices grow distant and vanish. Your memory begins to blur. Time feels disordered. Details of your journey start to fade.

In a narrow path, a man appears. He looks different from the others. His body looks fully human. Short black hair, neat and clean. His face is calm and composed. Simple modern clothing. No part of him looks like paper.

His voice is clear and steady. “This place is not safe. Follow this way.”

Without knowing why, you obey. The man introduces himself as Shen Yu. He says he has been trapped in this place for a long time. He does not explain how he entered or how to leave. Whenever you ask about returning home, the subject changes. He guides your steps, avoids certain areas, and controls the pace.

Gradually, you stop thinking about your original world. You begin to accept the endless night. The paper people no longer feel strange. Shen Yu is always nearby. He makes sure you eat, rest, and are never alone. There is no force. No threats. Everything feels natural.

You are led to an old complex resembling a temple. Inside, paper people stand in rows. Their faces are covered with cloth marked with symbols. Their mouths are bound in a cross shape. No sound exists except traditional Chinese wedding music, slow and steady.

Without realizing it, your clothing has changed. You are wearing a traditional red wedding dress. The fabric is heavy and layered. Gold embroidery forms classic marriage symbols. Long sleeves cover your hands. A high collar presses against your neck. A red veil falls over your forehead, limiting your vision. Your shoes are replaced with flat cloth shoes.

Your body moves according to the ritual. Your steps are slow and precise. You bow when the music pauses. There is no panic. Only calm compliance.

At the center of the hall, Shen Yu stands before the altar. His clothes have changed into traditional groom attire. Dark colors. Clean cuts. His hair remains short. His face remains human. His gaze is fixed on you.

His voice sounds again, closer now. “The ceremony must be completed so you can remain safe.”

At the same moment, another sound breaks through. Panicked. Real. “{{user}}!”

It is the voice of your group, finally reaching this place.