Chapter 1

On the fourth day after Christmas, the festive vibe was still going strong.

But the City Museum, sitting right in the middle of downtown, was a world apart from all the excitement outside.

The heavy stone doors blocked out the city's noise, and the moment you stepped inside, it was several degrees colder.

The lighting was dim and gentle, making people unconsciously walk more softly and speak in hushed tones.

Robin Woolery frowned, instinctively avoiding the dim corners of the exhibition halls, her steps hesitant as she followed the girl ahead of her.

Up ahead was Kelsey, her college roommate and best friend.

Kelsey was rocking a bright red short puffer jacket, her hair pulled up in a high ponytail, and her makeup was on point.

She radiated energy, looking totally out of place in the museum's somber vibe.

She was holding a cup of hot chocolate, glancing around as she walked, her eyes full of curiosity but not a hint of reverence.

Kelsey said brightly, "Robin, come on. Stop dragging your feet. We finally got a chance to check out this newly unearthed ancient female mummy exhibit during the holiday.

"I heard it's a huge deal all over the country. If we don't hurry, it'll be packed!"

She turned back, urging Robin along, totally oblivious to the nervous look on Robin's face.

Robin hurried to catch up, her voice uneasy. "Kelsey, maybe we should check out the porcelain or calligraphy exhibits instead?

"This female mummy exhibit is really making me nervous."

Robin had grown up with her grandma, who was a stickler for old traditions.

Her grandma was always talking about the rules of life and death, the balance between the living and the dead, and all those taboos.

She'd say, "The living have their world, and the dead have theirs. The living follow their own rules, and the dead deserve their peace.

"You must never disturb them or cross the line, or you'll bring disaster upon yourself."

Especially when it came to those who died violently or with a hatred, Robin's grandma's warnings were burned into her soul.

Her grandma would warn, "Stay far away from corpses full of hatred. And never take photos with them or pose for pictures together.

"That's like sending your own life force and soul straight to the gates of hell.

"Most of those women who were buried as sacrifices lost their lives when they were young. Some were forced to be buried, others died with unresolved hatred.

"Their hatred and bitterness could linger for a thousand years.

"If you take a photo with her, you're basically making yourself her stand-in. She could use your energy to climb out from the underworld.

"You'd take her place in that icy coffin, sleeping forever, never waking up!"

When Robin was a kid, she didn't fully understand, but she remembered every word. Those warnings became a deep sense of fear and respect rooted in her heart.

Now, about to face a newly unearthed thousand-year-old female mummy and stand right next to her coffin, Robin could barely contain her fear.

Kelsey shrugged, rolling her eyes and waving her hand like it was no big deal.

She said, "Seriously, Robin, how old are you? Are you still hung up on your grandma's ancient superstitions? Come on, it's the twenty-first century. Science is what matters now.

"It's a mummy from thousands of years ago. The archaeologists have already poked and prodded it. What kind of hatred could it possibly hold?

"You're way too jumpy, totally freaking yourself out!"

She grabbed Robin's arm and dragged her toward the special exhibition hall at the end of the corridor, her tone full of that youthful defiance and dismissiveness.

She said, "Listen, this time they're showing off a noble concubine from a thousand years ago.

"She's been dead for a thousand years and still hasn't decayed. It's all over the news, and people are flocking here to get a look.

"If we miss out, that'll suck. I've never seen a real thousand-year-old mummy up close before!"

Robin was dragged along, unable to break free. She had no choice but to go with Kelsey. Her heart was pounding fast, and even breathing was starting to feel difficult.

She took in the dim lights lining the corridor and the ancient murals on the walls.

The chipped colors and shadowy figures, in this dead quiet, gave the whole place a seriously creepy vibe.

Soon, the two of them reached the entrance to the special exhibition hall.

The door was a heavy, deep brown wooden door, left slightly ajar. A security guard in uniform stood at the entrance, his expression stern.

But what really grabbed her attention was the warning sign on the wall next to the door.

It was a bright red background with bold black letters, the words practically shouting their strict warning.

It read: [No Photos of the Thousand-Year-Old Mummy.]

Those words felt like a searing brand, making Robin's eyes sting.

That wasn't all. As they stepped into the exhibition hall, they saw that there were already quite a few visitors inside.

Everyone was quietly gathered around the glass display case in the center.

A female guide in uniform stood there with a microphone, her voice low and serious as she repeatedly stressed the rules of the hall.

She said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please keep quiet and follow the exhibition hall regulations.

"The female mummy on display today is from a thousand years ago.

"Due to the unique conditions of her burial, she has remained preserved for a thousand years, making her an extremely rare and valuable artifact.

"But according to historical records, this woman was a noble concubine in her lifetime.

"She was framed and died with deep hatred. Her bitterness at the time of burial was said to be overwhelming."

The guide scanned the crowd, her voice taking on a sharper edge, laying down the warning with real authority.

She continued, "One more time, folks, no photos, no videos, nothing.

"Don't take pictures with her.

"This isn't just about protecting the artifact. It's an old warning handed down through generations.

"Messing with the dead or stirring up their hatred is asking for trouble you can't even imagine. So please, stick to the rules and don't try your luck!"

As soon as she finished, the whole hall went dead silent. Everyone instinctively tucked away their phones, faces turning serious with respect. Nobody dared step out of line.

Robin's heart dropped.

The guide echoed her grandma's warnings, making Robin's fears feel all too real.

Each word echoed like an alarm in Robin's mind, pounding away at her nerves.

Robin suddenly seized Kelsey's hand, her voice shaky and urgent.

She said, "Kelsey, did you hear what she said? The guide said no photos and no offending the dead.

"Let's follow the rules, okay? We'll quietly take a look and leave right after. Please, don't even touch your phone, and absolutely no photos!"

Her grandma's warnings, the guide's strict reminder, and the strange cold creeping through her almost made Robin cry.

Robin felt the air in the exhibition hall was so cold it cut right through her, even sharper than outside.

The thousand-year-old female mummy lying in the glass case looked like a beast in deep slumber.

If anyone dared to cross her boundaries, she'd wake up in a flash, baring her claws and fangs, ready to tear them apart.

Kelsey was clearly losing patience with Robin's freak-out. She frowned and jerked her hand free, so hard that Robin actually stumbled back a step.

"Robin, that's enough!" Kelsey snapped.

Her voice was sharp with obvious annoyance.

She said, "Can you not ruin the mood? Seriously, I've told you a million times that it's superstition.

"The guide is putting on a show to spook people. All that stuff about dying with hatred and 'dire consequences' is made-up stories to keep people from messing with the artifacts.":

Kelsey glanced down at her phone, her eyes lit up with excitement and curiosity, a smug, dismissive grin spreading across her face.

She said, "Come on, what century are we living in? Who actually believes that stuff anymore? It's snapping a pic. What's the big deal?

"Is this ancient corpse really gonna climb out of her coffin and come looking for trouble with me?"

Robin's eyes were rimmed with worry as she stepped forward to try and stop Kelsey, but Kelsey had already turned her back, not even sparing Robin a glance.

Her gaze was locked onto the glass display case in the center of the hall. Her whole posture screamed she was itching to get closer.

Robin followed Kelsey's gaze and finally saw the thousand-year-old female mummy that had drawn so many curious eyes.

The massive tempered glass display case was completely transparent, lined with dark red velvet cushions, arranged in the style of an ancient coffin.

And right in the center of the velvet, the ancient corpse lay there, astonishingly intact.

After a thousand years, her body hadn't crumbled to bones, but remained eerily whole.

But her body was shriveled, her skin a dark, lifeless gray-brown, stretched tight over her bones, every contour sharp, she looked as thin as a skeleton.

Her hair was brittle and gray-white, tangled and draped over her shoulders. Her cheeks were hollow, her eye sockets deep and shadowed.

Her lips shriveled and pressed tightly shut. There was no trace of life left in her. It was the unmistakable look of a desiccated corpse ravaged by centuries.

Even with the glass between them, Robin could feel the ancient stillness and icy aura of death seeping out from a thousand years ago.

Robin took one look, and her whole body went cold. She instinctively tried to avert her gaze.

Kelsey, right next to Robin, looked like she was totally hypnotized. Her eyes locked on the mummy, barely blinking, her hand inching toward her phone in her pocket.

She'd been planning this from the start.

This thousand-year-old mummy was blowing up online.

If she managed to sneak a few pics and upload them, she'd be flooded with likes and new followers.

For Kelsey, this was her golden ticket. She'd always wanted to be internet famous, desperate for attention and hoping viral fame could change her boring life.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime shot.

All those taboos, hatreds, and so-called consequences meant nothing to her. Compared to the promise of online fame and a flood of new followers, nothing else even came close.

Kelsey casually glanced around, making sure to keep a low profile. The guide was busy talking to tourists on the other side about the mummy's discovery.

The security guard had his back turned. Nobody was watching her.

Now was her chance.

A sly glint flashed in Kelsey's eyes. She moved fast. Her phone was out of her pocket in a heartbeat.

She unlocked it, opened the camera, and aimed it straight at the thousand-year-old mummy in the glass case.

"No, Kelsey!"

Robin's eyes went wide with terror as she let out a panicked whisper, lunging forward to stop her, but it was already too late.

The sharp snap of the camera shutter echoed, cutting through the eerie quiet of the exhibition hall like a knife.

Kelsey went all out. She even switched on her phone's flash.

The blinding white light tore through the darkness, blasting right onto the mummy's face and lighting up every shriveled, ghastly detail.

The scene was so bizarre that it felt like the air itself froze.

Kelsey didn't hold back. Her fingers flew, tapping the screen nonstop, snapping shot after shot from every angle, full body, close-up, face, making sure she got everything clear as day.

Robin was so scared she went stiff, her blood felt like it had turned to ice. She stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to move a muscle.

She could feel the temperature in the exhibition hall drop several degrees in that instant.

A cold, eerie breeze swept over her neck, making her break out in goosebumps all over.

People turned in shock at the sound of the shutter. Even the guide stopped mid-sentence, frowning as she looked their way.

Kelsey was totally unfazed. She quickly stashed her phone, stuck her tongue out at Robin, and looked totally pleased with herself.

Instead of being scared, she got even bolder.

While everyone else was still processing what had happened, her fingers danced across her phone screen, quickly launching a photo-editing app.

She pulled up the shots she'd taken of the mummy, then grabbed one of her own selfies. With practiced swipes, she did something twisted and bizarre.

She swapped her face with the thousand-year-old mummy's.

In the photo, the mummy's shriveled body now had a vibrant, youthful face, which belonged to Kelsey.

She was lying in that icy coffin, her eyes empty and hollow, but her lips curled into an eerie, unnatural smile.

The dim exhibition hall in the background made the whole scene so creepy it sent shivers down your spine.

Once the edit was done, Kelsey gazed at the freaky photo on her phone, her eyes practically glowing with excitement.

Not scared at all, she sidled up to Robin, whispering with a smug grin.

"Robin, check it out. I took this and even did a face swap with her.

"Look how real and freaky it is.

"When school starts, I'll post this online, and it's gonna blow up for sure. I'll get tens of thousands of followers. I'll finally be internet famous!"

Her voice brimmed with anticipation and pride, totally unaware she'd invited trouble and let out a thousand-year-old hatred that could devour everything she had.

Robin's gaze didn't even touch Kelsey's phone.

Her eyes were fixed, staring at the thousand-year-old mummy inside the glass case.

Right at the moment the flash burst, and as Kelsey finished the face swap, Robin saw something.

The mummy, lying motionless for a thousand years, her lips dry and tightly closed. Slowly, the corners of her mouth began to curl upward.

It was a smile that was subtle but chillingly clear.

It was a cold, twisted smile that was filled with malice and venomous spite.

It wasn't some random muscle spasm or a play of shadows. It was like she was coming back to life, that smile slowly unfurling, growing more and more distinct with every passing second.

In those sunken eye sockets, it was as if a pair of icy eyes slowly opened, staring straight through a thousand years, fixated on the girl clutching her phone, still wearing that smug, self-satisfied grin.

Robin couldn't take it anymore. She let out a piercing scream, her voice trembling with sheer terror.

She jabbed her finger at the glass case, shaking so violently her teeth rattled, barely able to stand.

She said, "Kelsey, look. She's smiling! The mummy is actually smiling!"

That scream shattered the silence in the exhibition hall.

Everyone's eyes snapped to Robin, then followed her trembling finger straight to the glass case.

Kelsey jumped at Robin's sudden scream, her face draining of color.

She glanced over at the mummy, following Robin's finger, but all she saw was the same lifeless, shriveled corpse lying quietly in the glass case. There were no strange signs.

She believed that Robin was trying to mess with her and embarrass her in front of everyone.

Kelsey was irritatated. Her expression turned even more impatient and dismissive.

"What smile? Robin, can you stop acting so crazy?" Kelsey snapped.

She yanked Robin's arm, not giving her any chance to protest, and started dragging her out of the hall, her tone cold and impatient.

She said, "It's the lighting. You're scaring yourself, seeing things that aren't there. This place is full of bad vibes and you're way too nervous.

"Let's get out of here before you make a scene and embarrass us in front of everyone!"

Kelsey was terrified that if they stuck around, Robin would blurt out something even more outrageous, attracting the guide and security.

Then, everyone would find out she'd snuck those photos.

Robin stumbled as Kelsey dragged her toward the exit, but her gaze stayed locked on the mummy. She kept glancing back.

Every time she looked over her shoulder, the smile on the mummy's lips became sharper, more sinister, and more disturbing.

It wasn't her imagination.

It was a stare straight out of hell, the ecstatic thrill of a predator that had finally found its prey.

Robin knew it was already too late.

The taboo was shattered, and the ancient hatred had come alive.

From this moment, a calamity tied to flesh and doppelgangers was unleashed.