The Journey of the Ember Boy

The wind outside the window became stronger, and the lights in the corridor were completely turned off. In the darkness, Lin Ye seemed to hear some kind of tiny crawling sound, coming from the direction of the stairs, getting closer and closer. He clenched the iron ruler in his hand and looked at Amelia Su. The girl's face was still stained with tears, but her eyes were unusually calm. There was even a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, which was exactly the same as the smile of the little boy in the photo. "Linye," she said softly, her voice very clear in the darkness, "do you believe in... Fate?"