For weeks, people across Malaysia had lived in fear of the mysterious livestream.
But what they didn't know was that the curse had much deeper roots—far older than the internet, older than television, older even than the cameras that now served as its eyes.
It all began… with a forgotten tragedy.
Detective Chen Rui, thought to have vanished, was alive.
At least, for now.
He found himself trapped not in the physical world, but inside the digital reflection of the curse itself.
A world made of endless corridors of mirrors, where every reflection showed a different version of reality.
And in every mirror, the woman in white stood—waiting.
As Chen Rui wandered through this endless maze, a faint child's voice whispered through the mirrored halls:
"You're looking for the origin… aren't you?"
He turned, but saw no one.
The voice continued, soft but haunting.
"It all began with a broken promise… and a bride who never returned home."
Flashback – 1953, Bukit Tunku
A wealthy Chinese merchant promised his youngest daughter, Li Xiu, a lavish wedding.
But on the day of her marriage, the groom never arrived.
In shame and heartbreak, she wandered into the dense Bukit Tunku forest, wearing her white wedding dress.
They found her body three days later—hanging from the tallest banana tree.
Her hands had been tied, her mouth sewn shut with red thread, and a bouquet of jasmine flowers was placed over her chest.
The villagers spoke of an ancient custom called 冥婚 (Ghost Marriage), but something had gone horribly wrong.
They said her soul never found peace.
And from that day, anyone who passed under that tree reported smelling jasmine before falling violently ill—or disappearing entirely.
Back in the mirror world, the whispers grew louder.
"She was the first… but the curse needed more."
Through one of the mirrors, Chen Rui saw it clearly now—a dark ritual, performed in secret to transfer her unrest into an object.
The old rattan chair.
The chair wasn't just a relic.
It was a vessel—a binding object that allowed her spirit to survive through the ages.
And with every new victim, the curse grew stronger, evolving alongside technology.
From whispered rumors… to radio broadcasts… to black-and-white television static… and now, the internet.
It was no longer just a spirit.
It had become a digital plague.
Chen Rui clenched his fists.
If he could find the original rattan chair and destroy it, maybe… just maybe… this nightmare could end.
But behind him, the faint laughter echoed again.
"Hehehe…"
He turned and saw her—standing just beyond the next mirror.
Smiling.
Waiting.
End of Chapter 16