176-180

*Chapter 176: Deep Within the Tunnel*

Following Andrew’s pointed direction, both Matt and Steve's eyes were drawn to the opening in front of them.

"What is this?"

Peering into the pitch-black, seemingly bottomless cave, Steve instinctively raised an eyebrow.

"Have you seen anything like this before, Matt?"

Approaching the cave entrance, Matt looked down at the opening, shrugged, and replied, "Like you, this is my first time here. How would I know what this is?"

Hearing Matt's response, Steve glanced back at the opening at his feet. His face showed a hint of boredom as he turned to the distant, thumb-sized buildings on the horizon, smacking his lips before retracting his steps and pretending to leave.

"Alright, we’ve seen it. Can we go back to the party now?"

Compared to the unknown cave before him, Steve was far more interested in tonight's party.

"Go back? Why? Do you even realize what this is?"

Seeing Steve’s indifferent demeanor, Andrew’s somber face shifted slightly, and his tone grew more heated.

"If my guess is correct, this might be a portal formed by some unknown supernatural phenomenon, potentially housing immense paranormal power!"

"That’s just your speculation."

Steve’s face immediately showed disdain at Andrew's uncharacteristic excitement.

He had never been fond of Andrew's obsession with the supernatural. If it weren’t for Matt, he wouldn’t even bother speaking to such a weirdo.

"It’s probably just a sinkhole caused by subsidence. These kinds of things happen all over the world. We just happened to stumble upon one."

Steve’s explanation was compelling, but Andrew clearly couldn’t accept it. The sharp, chilling scream he had heard from the cave earlier had cemented his belief.

This wasn’t an ordinary cave. It was an unknown supernatural phenomenon.

"No!"

"I’ll prove it to you."

Andrew shook his head resolutely, his somber expression giving way to a glimmer of determination.

Under the astonished gazes of the other two, he crawled into the cave without a word.

"Andrew!"

Watching Andrew crawl into the cave, Matt couldn’t help but shout in surprise.

He quickly followed, gripping the edge of the entrance and squeezing in after him.

"What are you doing, Matt?!"

Seeing both Andrew and Matt disappear into the cave, Steve's expression changed.

"Who knows what’s in there? It could be dangerous."

"I know, but Andrew went in alone. I’m worried something might happen to him."

Leaving Steve with a hurried response, Matt let go of the edge and slid into the darkness.

"This is insane. You’re all insane."

As the two disappeared, Steve was left alone by the cave entrance.

Looking at the pitch-black void and listening to the faint sounds from within, Steve shook his head repeatedly, grumbling. Yet, he had no choice but to follow.

He didn’t want to be the one left behind.

---

"Social conformity—a simple yet effective trigger."

Allen nodded knowingly, observing Andrew and the others' actions through the system panel.

The screen shifted, following Steve as he entered the cave’s depths.

---

"Hello? Hey…"

Cough, cough, cough!  

As he ventured into the cave, Steve was hit by an overwhelming stench of decay.

Covering his nose, he coughed violently while fumbling in his pocket to turn on his phone's flashlight.

In the faint glow, he could make out the rough, uneven path of the tunnel.

"Hey, guys! Where are you?"

"Answer me if you can hear this."

One hand steadying himself against the jagged walls, Steve used the flashlight’s dim beam to guide his cautious steps deeper into the tunnel.

Tap, tap…  

Minutes passed, yet he saw no end to the cave, nor any sign of Andrew or Matt.

Fear began to creep into his heart. He struggled to control his breathing, trying not to let his imagination run wild.

"Hey, Matt! Where did you guys go? I know you're in here. Stop messing around; this isn’t funny!"

After walking several dozen more feet, Steve’s courage began to wane. He stopped, staring into the seemingly endless darkness ahead.

"Steve…"

Just as he hesitated about turning back, a faint, broken voice echoed from deeper within the cave.

Moments later, Matt appeared in the dim light, holding his phone.

"I thought you guys were gone for good."

Seeing Matt again, Steve instinctively sighed in relief.

"Come on, we found something amazing in here!"

Matt ignored Steve’s complaints, instead beckoning him excitedly.

"You won’t believe what we discovered."

Guided by the enthusiastic Matt, Steve reluctantly followed deeper into the tunnel. With every step, the air grew thinner, making Steve’s breaths more labored.

After a deep gasp, his impatience showed. He opened his mouth to complain—

But then, the narrow tunnel suddenly widened.

A vast, open cavern appeared before him.

The cave walls were littered with strange stone formations, arranged in eerie patterns. As Steve stared at the stones, faint screams seemed to echo in his ears.

Yet, when he listened more closely, it felt as if nothing was there.

Summoning his courage, he moved closer to the source of the screams—a section of the stone wall covered with dense moss.

Among the moss-covered cracks, he could almost make out twisted, agonized faces emerging from the surface.

"Ah!"

Steve screamed and stumbled backward, only to collide with something solid.

Bang!  

He whirled around, his heart pounding.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 177: The Pool*

A dull thud echoed from behind, sending chills down Steve’s spine. A cold shiver ran through his body, and he was desperate to get out of the cave.

“What are you doing, Steve?”

At that moment of panic, Matt’s puzzled voice came from behind him.

“You’ve been yelling like crazy since just now…”

Hearing the familiar voice of his friend, Steve clung to it as if it were his last hope.

With great effort, he turned his stiff neck to look at Matt and pointed toward the stone wall, stammering, “Didn’t you see them, Matt? The faces! On the walls of the tunnel!”

“Faces?”

Matt approached the wall, took a closer look, and even touched the damp moss growing in the crevices. He then turned to Steve and shook his head.

“I think you’re imagining things, Steve. There’s nothing here.”

Matt’s genuine reaction calmed Steve’s initial panic. Tentatively, he moved closer to the section of the wall where he had seen the faces.

But now, there was nothing—just uneven, moss-covered stone.

“Was I imagining it?”

Steve blinked, his expression shifting from fear to confusion.

“Forget about that, buddy. I’ve got something way cooler to show you.”

Before Steve could touch the moss again, Matt grabbed his arm and pulled him deeper into the cave.

“Look at this, Steve!”

Matt led them to a spot where the cave opened up further.

“Oh my God!”

“What is this?!”

Steve found himself staring at a pool of water glowing with an eerie blue light.

Andrew stood at the edge of the pool, bathed in its glow, his entire figure tinted blue.

“Who knows…” Matt shrugged in response to Steve’s question, his expression filled with the excitement of discovery. Moving closer to Andrew, he grinned. “Isn’t this amazing? Maybe Andrew’s right—maybe the supernatural really exists…”

“...”

Steve didn’t respond. If this had happened before he saw the pool, he might have confidently argued against Matt’s words.

But now, staring at the glowing water, Steve couldn’t muster the will to debate.

“Look! In the pool…”

Andrew, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, his voice filled with excitement. He was staring at the pool’s reflection and called out to the other two.

Matt and Steve instinctively turned their attention to the water.

“What is this?”

“How is this possible?”

To their shock, Andrew’s reflection had doubled.

Testing the phenomenon, Andrew raised his arm, and both reflections mirrored the movement perfectly.

The bizarre sight of the reflections made Andrew’s face grow even more excited.

Caught up in his enthusiasm, Andrew didn’t notice that one of the reflections smirked—a subtle, sinister smile that didn’t match his movements.

“I knew it! I knew it! Supernatural forces exist!”

Murmuring excitedly to himself, Andrew extended his hand toward the glowing pool.

*Splash!*

Suddenly, a blue hand shot out of the water, grabbing Andrew’s wrist tightly. The grip was powerful, as if it intended to drag him into the pool.

“Ahhh!”

As the icy coldness spread from his wrist, Andrew screamed and yanked his arm back, stumbling away from the pool.

Looking at his wrist, he saw the distinct marks of fingers, which began to fade along with the biting chill.

“Did you see that, Steve? What just happened…”

The incident occurred so quickly that neither Matt nor Steve had seen exactly what transpired. All they saw was Andrew reaching for the pool, then recoiling in terror.

“I… something grabbed me,” Andrew stammered, looking at his wrist. He opened his mouth to explain further when a piercing scream echoed in his mind.

Andrew froze, his face blank, and collapsed unconscious by the pool.

“Andrew!”

Matt and Steve rushed forward, all thoughts of the pool momentarily forgotten.

---

“Is this really how it’s unfolding?”

In Los Angeles, on the set of Modern Family, Gloria’s scenes were wrapping up. After a quick chat with the director about the upcoming storyline and key shooting details, Allen turned his attention to the system interface.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise, watching Andrew collapse by the pool.

In Allen’s ideal scenario, all three would have interacted with the pool’s power.

But now, only Andrew had made contact, leaving Matt and Steve untouched.

This deviation from his expectations could significantly alter the trajectory of events.

“Should I use [Plot Points] to fix this?”

Allen hesitated briefly, watching as Matt carried the unconscious Andrew out of the cave.

Ultimately, he decided against it.

“Maybe this unexpected development will make things more interesting—more dramatic. Especially when they discover what Andrew gained from the pool…”

Fixing his gaze on the three figures, Allen murmured,

“What choices will you make in the future?”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 178: Awakening

“Do you know I missed an entire party because of this? I might have met someone I liked at that party…”

“Hey, stop complaining, Steve. Can’t you see Andrew has already passed out?”

“If his condition is serious, we might need to take him to a hospital…”

“I’ve told you before, that kind of place isn’t somewhere you can just waltz into. Didn’t you see the state of that tunnel? God knows how long it’s been there. Who knows what weird things might be lurking inside…”

Lying on the backseat of the car, Andrew’s previously unconscious mind began to stir.

He opened his blurry eyes, seeing Matt and Steve in the front seats. Their argument filtered into his ears in fragmented snippets.

The pounding headache in his head gradually lessened. Shaking his head, Andrew struggled to sit up.

“Andrew, you’re awake!”

Seeing him sit up, Matt, in the driver’s seat, immediately turned around with a delighted exclamation.

“Eyes on the road, Matt! I don’t want to die here with you!”

In the passenger seat, Steve quickly grabbed the wheel to steady it, visibly alarmed by the close call.

Reminded by Steve’s shout, Matt snapped back to focus. It wasn’t the time for conversation.

He turned his gaze back to the road but glanced at Andrew in the rearview mirror, his tone full of concern.

“How are you feeling, Andrew? When you passed out by the water, we thought something terrible had happened.”

“To be honest, it was a pretty scary scene back there, buddy.”

Steve chimed in, turning to look at Andrew in the backseat.

“I’m fine… I think,” Andrew replied, lowering his gaze to his wrist. His memories were hazy, frozen at the moment he had collapsed by the water.

Looking out at the scenery retreating beyond the car window, he asked instinctively, “The water… where are we headed now?”

“You’re still thinking about that tunnel, aren’t you? That thing almost killed you.”

Seeing Andrew’s first question upon waking was about the water, Steve couldn’t help but roll his eyes in exasperation.

Under normal circumstances, Andrew would have retorted sharply to Steve’s comment.

But now, as his fingers brushed over his wrist, the eerie scene at the water came rushing back.

“…”

Andrew stayed unusually silent.

---

“See you tomorrow, Andrew.”

“See you.”

After parking near Andrew’s apartment, Matt glanced at him in the backseat and hesitated.

“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital, Andrew? You passed out near that creepy water not long ago…”

Opening the car door, Andrew shook his head and glanced at his apartment building.

“I’m fine now.”

“Alright, if you say so, Andrew.”

Respecting Andrew’s insistence, Matt didn’t push further. He shrugged, said goodbye, and drove off with Steve.

Watching the car disappear into the distance, Andrew turned away.

He took a deep breath, staring at the door to his “home” before stepping inside.

---

At the door, Andrew carefully turned the key.

“You think you can just waltz in here, Andrew?”

The next moment, his father’s fist came crashing down.

A heavy punch landed on Andrew’s head, accompanied by the stench of alcohol and angry accusations.

“What gave you the guts to come back at this hour?”

“I was just out with friends,” Andrew replied, clutching his throbbing head as he leaned against the wall.

“Friends? You think you have friends? A useless piece of trash like you?”

Ignoring Andrew’s explanation, the man unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks.

The blows rained down on Andrew’s frail body as he curled up, enduring the pain in silence, fighting back tears threatening to spill.

The physical agony drowned out the faint, piercing scream echoing in his mind.

For a moment, Andrew wondered if the scream was coming from him.

“Huff… huff…”

The man finally stopped, panting.

“And remember this: when I call for you to open the door, you open it immediately!”

With those venomous words, the man staggered off, reeking of alcohol.

Through the gap in his arms shielding his face, Andrew glared at his father’s retreating figure, fists clenched tightly, his eyes burning with hatred.

---

“Hiss…”

Sitting on his bed, Andrew lifted his shirt.

The bruises and welts covering his body made him wince.

The man hadn’t held back; each punch had left a mark, layering over old scars, creating an ugly mosaic of pain.

“Cough, cough… cough…”

From the next room came the sound of violent coughing, followed by his mother’s weak, pained voice.

Then came a series of clattering noises and the dialing of a phone.

“She’s in agony. The previous medication isn’t working anymore. We need something stronger. For the past week, she’s been struggling to breathe. The oxygen machine isn’t helping…”

“Please, sir. She’s suffering. Help us…”

“No, sir, I can’t afford any more. We’re barely surviving on disability benefits. Don’t make us wait. I have no other options. Please, sir… please…”

“Why? Didn’t the new president promise universal healthcare? I voted for him because of that promise. Why is our life still the same—or even worse?”

On the phone, the man who had just beaten Andrew now sounded pitifully meek, begging for help, only to be met with cold indifference.

Hearing everything, Andrew’s expression grew darker.

This household suffocated him with its misery.

Pulling his shirt back down, Andrew lay down, enduring the stinging pain radiating from his wounds.

He closed his eyes, listening to the muffled coughing and pleading from the next room.

(End of Chapter)  

*Chapter 179: Suspension *

“Andrew, Andrew...”

Lying in bed, with his mother’s violent coughing echoing from the next room, Andrew gradually drifted off to sleep.

However, just as he sank into slumber—

Strange whispers began to echo around him, repeatedly calling his name.

At first, the murmurs seemed faint and distant, but they steadily grew closer, eventually stopping right by his face, as though someone were leaning into his ear, whispering softly.

As the whispers persisted, Andrew began tossing and turning in his bed.

His brows furrowed tightly as he dreamed. In his hazy sleep, he faintly saw a blurry figure flickering in and out of view amidst the fog.

...

“CUT!”

“That’s it for today’s shoot. The remaining outdoor scenes will have to wait until tomorrow.”

Los Angeles, on the set of Modern Family.  

After wrapping up the final scene for Gloria’s household, the director called an end to the day’s work.

He glanced over at Allen, who was sitting not far away. They exchanged a look, and after receiving a nod of agreement, the director officially announced the end of the day’s shoot.

In American television productions, the showrunner is often more central than the director. After all, the entire series stems from the showrunner’s vision and script.

In a TV series, actors and directors can be replaced, but the showrunner remains the constant driving force.

Compared to the importance of showrunners in American TV, directors are more akin to hired hands. Many series, such as Game of Thrones, which ran for eight seasons, featured different directors each season. Similarly, House of Cards heavily promoted David Fincher’s involvement as director, but he only directed the first two episodes; the remaining eleven were handled by five different directors.

For Modern Family, the current director was also different from those who had worked on earlier episodes, a result of the ongoing industry strikes.

In American TV production, the showrunner determines the tone and storyline, while the director’s role is primarily to bring the showrunner’s ideas to life.

When the director called it a day, the set of Modern Family erupted in applause.

Although shooting a TV series isn’t as isolating as filming a movie, and there’s a fixed work schedule with overtime compensation, working continuously for hours on end still strains the crew.

As the day’s filming wrapped up, the crew began packing up equipment.

“Allen.”

Allen looked up from the broken system panel in front of him, intending to check its status.

He saw Sofia Vergara, who played Gloria, walking toward him from the set. She approached with her trademark enthusiasm and extended an invitation.

“Next week, I’m planning to host a party for my fashion brand and want to invite the entire crew.”

“A fashion party?”

Hearing Sofia’s invitation, Allen had to tear his gaze away from the system panel.

As an actress, Sofia Vergara started her career relatively late, but she’s highly ambitious in expanding her endeavors. She has her own fashion and perfume brands, and this invitation was clearly an effort to leverage Modern Family’s popularity to promote her business.

In Hollywood, such mutually beneficial events are common.

So, Allen didn’t decline her invitation and immediately nodded in agreement.

“Thanks, Allen.”

As one of Modern Family’s core showrunners, Allen’s response was effectively seen as representing the entire crew.

Seeing him agree so readily, Sofia Vergara beamed with joy and gave him a warm Latin American hug.

After enjoying the embrace, Allen shrugged as he watched Sofia walk away and shifted his attention back to the system display.

While Allen appeared relaxed, Andrew’s situation in the system view was far from pleasant.

On the display, Andrew continued tossing and turning as if trapped in an inescapable nightmare.

“Unfortunately, Andrew, this is the ‘price’ you must pay for gaining power...”

Murmuring softly to himself, Allen watched the scene unfold.

But his words were destined to go unheard by the Andrew in the system.

...

In the fog, the blurry figure appeared and disappeared.

In his dream, Andrew desperately tried to make out the figure’s appearance, but he could only discern a vague outline.

The more he tried to approach and see the figure clearly, the blurrier it became.

“Andrew, Andrew...”

In contrast, the voice calling his name grew increasingly distinct.

Andrew could sense that the voice came from right next to his ear.

It felt as though if he opened his eyes, he would see whoever was calling him. Yet, deep down, a voice inside him warned him not to open his eyes.

And so, caught between sleep and wakefulness—

The blanket covering Andrew seemed to be tugged by an invisible force, rising into the air.

On the blanket, a vague face began to form. It struggled, its hand pressing outward against the fabric, creating a bulge as it reached toward Andrew.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Just as the hand was about to touch Andrew’s face, loud knocking erupted from his bedroom door.

“Andrew, get up! I’m not paying for you to lie in bed all day like your mother and do nothing!”

Startled awake by the pounding knocks, Andrew’s eyes flew open.

At once, the blanket hovering above him fell limp, collapsing onto the bed.

“What the heck was that...”

Staring at the blanket that had just floated in midair, Andrew’s grogginess gave way to shock as his eyes widened.

The sight before him was so startling that he momentarily forgot about the man’s shouting outside the door.

He got out of bed and stared at the blanket, now lying motionless on the mattress.

Swallowing hard, his breathing grew rapid.

Tentatively reaching out, Andrew touched the blanket, his mind replaying the strange scene he had just witnessed.

“...”

But several seconds passed, and the blanket remained unchanged.

“Was it just my imagination?!”

Andrew’s expression darkened.

Just as he was about to dismiss the incident, the corner of the blanket suddenly lifted slightly, as though pulled by an invisible hand.

It wobbled awkwardly, rising into the air.

(End of Chapter) 

*Chapter 180: Displaying Abilities*

“It’s real... it’s actually real!”

Andrew’s face lit up with excitement as he stared at the corner of the blanket floating midair.

He looked down at his hands, disbelief written all over his face.

Crash—  

Before Andrew could make sense of the truth behind everything, the locked door was pushed open. A man stormed in, his face twisted with anger, and punched Andrew on the head, instantly snapping him out of his moment of elation.

The sharp pain in his head pulled Andrew back to reality.

The man glared down at Andrew, who lay crumpled on the floor, his anger boiling over. Every ounce of frustration he had endured was now directed at Andrew.

“I warned you, Andrew! If you didn’t hear me the first time, let me make it crystal clear: you listen when I speak! Whatever I say, you do! I’m the one who keeps this family together. It’s my money paying for your mother’s godforsaken illness and your tuition! Every single penny comes from me!”

After venting his rage, the man finally seemed to calm down. Looking at the cowering Andrew on the ground, he spoke coldly: “Now, pack your bag and get to school. And don’t you dare hang out with those so-called friends of yours again.”

Without waiting for Andrew’s response, the man turned and left the room.

Bang! Bang!  

“...”

Andrew quietly picked himself up off the ground, gingerly touching his split lip and tasting the metallic tang of blood in his mouth.

He stared expressionlessly in the direction the man had left.

In the heavy silence, the cup sitting idly on the table began to vibrate violently, a crack appearing on its surface.

...

“Hey, Andrew...”

At school, Matt greeted Andrew.

Noticing the cut on Andrew’s lip, he asked, “What happened to your mouth?”

“It’s nothing. I accidentally bumped it.”

Clearly unwilling to talk about his injuries, Andrew brushed off the question with a casual excuse, touching his lip as if to emphasize the point.

“Forget about that. You guys won’t believe what I discovered this morning!”

Thinking about the strange event that morning, Andrew’s gloomy expression brightened with excitement. He couldn’t wait to share it with Matt and Steve.

“You remember that tunnel we explored yesterday?”

“Of course...”

Steve, the young Black man in their group, responded immediately. “How could I forget? That stupid tunnel adventure made me miss a party.”

Steve still seemed annoyed about the missed party.

“Forget about the party.”

Andrew rolled his eyes at Steve’s complaint and shook his head. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a spoon. “Compared to what’s happening to me, the party doesn’t matter at all...”

“That’s easy for you to say! To me, the party was a big deal.”

Still grumbling, Steve watched as Andrew held up the spoon. Raising an eyebrow, he said sarcastically, “Seriously, dude? You’re still doing this spoon-bending trick?”

Steve vividly remembered exposing Andrew’s spoon-bending gimmick during one of his previous “performances.” He was surprised Andrew hadn’t given up on the act yet.

“What I’m about to do isn’t a trick.”

Ignoring Steve’s mocking tone, Andrew took a deep breath and focused all his attention on the spoon. He recalled the strange sensation he had experienced earlier that morning.

Letting go of one end of the spoon, Andrew watched as it remained suspended in midair instead of falling to the ground.

“Oh, shit!”

Steve’s previously dismissive expression morphed into one of shock as he stared at the floating spoon.

Matt moved closer, his curiosity piqued. He waved his hands around the spoon, searching for invisible strings but found nothing.

“This is... this is impossible...”

“Andrew, how did you do that? This is insane...”

“Dude, what kind of magic trick is this? You’ve got to teach me!”

Holding the spoon aloft for a while, Andrew began to feel a strange buzzing in his ears. His head grew heavy, and sharp pains pierced through his temples.

Unable to maintain control, he let go, and the spoon fell to the ground with a clatter.

Steve quickly picked up the spoon, examining it thoroughly for hidden mechanisms or wires but found nothing.

He looked up at Andrew, his face filled with disbelief.

“This isn’t magic.”

Andrew’s lips curled into a pale smile as he basked in the shock and amazement of Matt and Steve.

“It’s supernatural power. I’ve gained powerful supernatural abilities, and this is proof.”

The levitating spoon had convinced even the skeptical Steve of Andrew’s claims. There seemed to be no other explanation for what they had just witnessed.

Only a few days ago, Andrew had been nothing more than a misfit using cheap tricks to bend spoons.

Now, he was displaying legendary supernatural powers right before their eyes.

Steve struggled to process the dramatic shift.

“How did you do it, Andrew?”

Meanwhile, Matt was less concerned about the implications. He clapped Andrew on the shoulder, his excitement brimming as he pressed for answers.

“It’s the pond—the one we found after the party last night...”

Andrew’s voice trembled with excitement as he revealed his theory.

“You remember how I fainted near the pond? I think it happened because I touched the water. A blue hand reached out from the pond and grabbed me. That’s when I gained these powers. The pond can give people supernatural abilities!”

“A pond that grants supernatural powers?!”

Matt and Steve exchanged a glance, their eyes reflecting a shared desire.

In that moment, they both knew what they wanted.

(End of Chapter)