Resurgence of the Unknown

Chapter 50: The Head Swap

"Liu Qiang, haven't you noticed something strange about yourself?" Yang Jian asked, staring intently at him.

Liu Qiang, having just seen the footage, was left stunned. He tried to recall what had happened, but there were gaps in his memory, moments of complete blankness. Normally, he wouldn't have paid much attention to these lapses, but now he was starting to realize something was deeply wrong. It was as if he had been going through the motions at work without really being aware of his actions.

"Yang Jian, are you saying my head was swapped, just like the people in the footage?" Liu Qiang asked in disbelief, his face reflecting shock and fear.

"It seems you're not aware of your own condition. Let me ask you this: before you came to the security room, where were you?" Yang Jian pressed.

"I was..." Liu Qiang began to answer but stopped abruptly. He couldn't remember. How had he ended up in the security room? Did he come here after the power outage? What route had he taken? Who had he seen along the way? He couldn't recall any of it.

Yang Jian pointed to the monitors. "You can check the security footage. The mall's cameras have night vision, so even if the lights are out, the footage should still be clear."

Liu Qiang quickly pulled up the footage. He soon found what he was looking for.

The footage showed the moment when the charlatan, Master Luo, had been performing his ritual in the mall's lobby. All the staff, including Yang Jian, had been watching. Yang Jian had interrupted the ritual out of amusement, leading to a minor argument.

But in the footage, Liu Qiang could be seen walking away, completely unaffected by what was happening.

No one noticed the security guard leaving.

"Why did I go to the power room?" Liu Qiang muttered, stunned.

The footage showed Liu Qiang entering the power room, and shortly after, the mall's lights went out. Liu Qiang had been the one who cut the power.

Yang Jian spoke calmly. "Just because you don't remember it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Keep watching."

After the power outage, the footage showed Liu Qiang standing still, as if frozen in place. He remained motionless for a while before suddenly moving again, heading towards the first-floor restroom.

Yang Jian recognized the sequence of events. The ghost that had come to the restroom earlier was Liu Qiang.

"This... this can't be real! Why can't I remember doing any of this?" Liu Qiang exclaimed, jumping to his feet, terror etched across his face.

Yang Jian took a step back, his voice steady. "Because during the time you lost your memory, you weren't yourself anymore. You were a ghost, or you had been replaced by one. The only reason you still retain your memories is that your head hasn't fully rotted yet. Once it decays, your memories will vanish completely."

"In reality, you died a few days ago. Touch your neck. If you feel the scar where your head was swapped, that'll confirm you're no longer human."

Liu Qiang instinctively reached for his neck. As his fingers ran over the skin, he felt a thin, narrow wound. When he pressed on it, the flesh parted slightly, revealing red, decaying tissue underneath. A foul stench emanated from the wound.

He was rotting.

"No! This can't be happening! I'm alive! I'm not dead!" Liu Qiang's voice trembled as he desperately tried to deny the truth. His hands shakily touched his neck, making the wound larger and causing pieces of rotting flesh to fall off.