I’m Trapped in a Cube - Chapter 26

The moment Li Luo spoke, Mo Ling thought she might be possessed.

But Li Luo quickly added, “It’s circling in my mind, constantly telling me one thing-must change.”

Li Luo hurriedly took out her electronic screen and wrote down her experience.

Must change?

What does that mean?

Mo Ling was completely baffled.

He quickly used the electronic screen to ask Li Luo, “What is God’s Voice? What does ‘must change’ mean?”

Li Luo looked a bit panicked and immediately pulled up some information, placing it in front of Mo Ling. “This is a relic phenomenon-an unknown relic phenomenon, very famous during the Cataclysm.”

Mo Ling read the record, feeling more and more uneasy.

……

God’s Voice-this is a bizarre sound-type relic phenomenon, of unknown origin, but the first time it appeared, many people died because of it.

It first appeared in the West Bank of the Jordan River, during the Cataclysm, when all sorts of strange and supernatural things appeared every day.

God’s Voice was especially unique. It had no warning, and one early morning, it suddenly appeared in the minds of everyone in the area.

Whether awake or asleep, everyone had this voice forcibly enter the depths of their minds.

God’s Voice said one thing: “Let there be light.”

It was a strange mental voice, not any known language, but everyone could understand it.

Even the deaf could hear it.

Because of local religious beliefs, many thought it was a divine sign, and everyone who heard God’s Voice fell into a frenzy.

But the celebration didn’t last long-disaster struck.

Countless people and animals vanished into the darkness.

Those who remained soon realized that only by staying in the light could they avoid disappearing.

That strange voice was not some divine manifestation.

It was an “announcement,” or rather, a “command.”

If someone didn’t stay in the light, God’s Voice would torment them endlessly, echoing in their mind until they suddenly vanished.

And the light couldn’t be too dim-about as bright as an incandescent bulb. If it was too dark, the voice would return.

The disappearances caused panic, and methods of escaping God’s “punishment” spread through the media.

Survivors quickly started saving themselves, lighting up the whole area. Fortunately, as long as you left the affected zone, God’s Voice would disappear from your mind.

But most people didn’t leave, not expecting what would come next.

The second morning, God’s Voice vanished.

Just as people thought it was over, the voice began a new round of announcements.

“Must breathe.”

Mo Ling felt a chill as he read this. What was it trying to do?

Was there anyone who couldn’t breathe?

But Mo Ling suddenly realized something was wrong, because when he saw the words “must breathe,” he instinctively held his breath.

A cold feeling swept over him, and he quickly read on.

Sure enough, this day’s “punishment” was even harsher-just holding your breath would make you disappear instantly.

No time to react.

That day, the whole area was deathly silent. Everyone focused on maintaining their breathing; any distraction meant disappearance.

And Mo Ling instantly realized the deadliest problem-

No one can breathe while talking!

Those affected by God’s Voice, after seeing everyone around them vanish, realized this too. Under immense pressure, they kept breathing, not daring to do anything else.

On the third morning, God’s Voice returned.

It said, “Must have water.”

By now, no one dared disobey. They rushed to the nearest water source, frantically pouring water into their mouths.

But then, the tap water stopped.

The third day’s punishment wasn’t immediate, so everyone desperately searched for water.

Those near rivers were fine, but city dwellers, without tap water, flooded supermarkets to buy bottled water.

Soon, the stores were packed, and some people began to fight for supplies.

You had to keep drinking, never stop!

Drink shops, tree sap, puddles, even filthy ditches…

When home supplies ran out, people went elsewhere to steal. If they couldn’t get water, there was one last resort-

Blood.

Other people’s blood.

That day, people not only had to endure God’s Voice, but also watch out for predatory neighbors.

On the fourth morning, with a clap of thunder, God’s Voice vanished, and a long-awaited rain fell on the city.

People instinctively raised their heads, catching the precious water with their mouths.

Fourth day.

“Must move.”

People wandered the city under the night sky, like zombies.

After days of torment, those left strictly obeyed God’s Voice.

The few remaining didn’t try to escape, only following the voice in their minds, moving without end.

All they thought about was obeying the order; nothing else mattered.

Mo Ling felt only sorrow reading this.

If he had experienced this, he thought, other than going with the flow, what else could I do?

He kept reading.

On the fifth day.

“Must hide.”

That day, huge, indistinct black shadows began to appear everywhere, savagely tearing apart any human they saw.

Their appearance was completely random, and whether they found hidden people was pure luck.

These shadows roamed everywhere; people could only hide to survive.

Even outsiders could see these creatures and tried to attack them from afar, but nothing worked.

Only hiding could save you.

Inside the zone, people stopped thinking, mindlessly following God’s orders.

Hiding in closets, under beds, in attics…

The smaller and more concealed the space, the less likely the shadows would find you.

Survivors hid until the sixth morning, when the shadows vanished.

They numbly awaited God’s next voice.

But when the day’s voice came, everyone instinctively looked at their loved ones.

Sixth day.

“Must be wary of humans.”

The survivors disappeared the instant they saw another person.

On the sixth day, just seeing a human meant death.

Those who had banded together vanished after hearing the voice, because they all saw each other.

Not only that, if someone saw their reflection in a mirror or any shiny surface, they vanished too.

They themselves were human.

Luckily, because of the previous day’s order, most people just stayed hidden another day and survived.

This day wasn’t hard.

But on the seventh morning, when God’s Voice entered everyone’s mind-

Despair descended.