Breeze

Chapter 9 - A Haunting Discovery

Bai Shu wasn't one for museums. In fact, he was only at the university museum because his new girlfriend was really into history, and he thought it would score him some points. The place was mostly empty, save for a few other couples and a small group of students being led on a tour. The air smelled like old paper, dust, and forgotten memories-enough to make him yawn.

They wandered through the halls, his girlfriend chatting animatedly about some artifact that held no interest to him. He nodded absentmindedly, his mind elsewhere, until they reached a section dedicated to the university's history during the war. His girlfriend tugged at his sleeve, pointing toward a large framed photograph hanging on the wall.

"Hey, come look at this. Isn't it amazing how young these soldiers were?" she said, her voice hushed as if they were in a church.

Bai Shu stepped closer, his eyes casually scanning the black-and-white image. It was a group of soldiers in uniforms, standing tall in front of the university's old main building. A typical war-era photo, solemn and historic. He started to zone out again until something made him stop cold.
Two faces in the center of the photo grabbed his attention, sending a chill down his spine.

"No way..." he muttered, taking a step forward, his heart rate spiking.

His girlfriend continued to talk, unaware of the dread sinking into him, but her voice became a distant hum. Bai Shu couldn't tear his eyes away from the two soldiers-one tall and composed, the other slightly shorter but with a defiant expression. It was them.

He blinked, trying to shake off the growing feeling of unease. But it didn't go away. The two men in the photo looked exactly like Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo.

A deep, gut-twisting feeling of disbelief churned in his stomach as he stared at the familiar faces.

"No, no, this has to be some sort of... I don't know... Illusion?" he whispered under his breath.

He shook his head, but something about the resemblance was too exact. His eyes flickered down to the small plaque beneath the photo, and as he read the inscription, his heart dropped like a stone.

"Gu Yiye and Wei Ruolai, 1938. Two university students who enlisted during the war. Friends and comrades, they fought side by side, their lives and deaths forever intertwined in the history of this campus."

A cold sweat broke out on Bai Shu's forehead, and his breath hitched.

"This is not possible..."

The names-Gu Yiye and Wei Ruolai. They were as old and distant as the photograph, but the faces... those faces staring back at him were Zhan's and Yibo's, as if frozen in time. It felt like someone had just walked over his grave.

His girlfriend noticed his silence and gave him a puzzled look.
"What's wrong?"

Bai Shu shook his head, quickly pulling out his phone.
"Nothing, just... one sec."

His fingers fumbled as he snapped a picture of the photograph and the plaque, sending it straight to their group chat with Yibo, Zhan, and Yixuan.

Group Chat

Bai Shu: Guys. I'm at the university museum right now. Look at this photo.

A moment later, the image appeared in the chat-two soldiers standing side by side, looking disturbingly similar to Zhan and Yibo.
Yibo: What the hell...

Zhan: Are you screwing with us?

Yixuan: Bro, that's freaky as hell.

Bai Shu: I swear I'm not messing with you. This is legit. I'm looking at it right now.