I Built an Archive Room for the Supernatural

2026, Hangzhou, Anomaly Control Bureau Archives.

I was late on my first day at work. I hadn't finished my fried dough stick, and I spilled soy milk on my pants. The old gatekeeper, Hu, glanced at me but said nothing.

Building 1, Basement Level 1. Desk 7. A file with a red cover lay on the desk. Anomaly-001 was stamped on it.

I opened the file. I read for 11 minutes. The containment protocol said not to read for more than 5 minutes.

After that, a low hum began in my left ear.

No one told me that when you read an anomaly's file, the anomaly reads you in return.

With every file I read, my left ear grew a little deafer. Every time I heard the price I had to pay, I moved one step closer to December 24.

On December 24, 2014, my father took his own life in the archives. It's been 12 years.

Today, I began writing the kind of file my dad wrote 12 years ago.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.