There was no time to spare.
The moment the doors smacked open, I got ready to move. The others also sprang into action, dashing towards the door.
"Quick!"
I couldn't care less about the other teams.
The only thing I cared about was my team, and catching a glimpse behind me, my worries vanished when I saw everyone move.
'As expected, all those games hadn't been for nothing!'
Their reactions were quick, and none of them appeared to be flustered by the situation.
No, it was more like they had pushed all of their panic away.
"Left or right?"
There were two paths to take coming out of the door. Looking at both sides, I wasn't sure of what path to take. Thankfully, I wasn't unprepared as I quickly took out a compass and looked at it. With just a look, I immediately dashed towards the right side.
"Here."
Nobody questioned my decision.
They all just followed me without asking any questions.
This was the trust that we had built over the course of the month that we had been together.
To some extent... I hadn't actually spent much time with them. It was mainly the doppleganger, but this was good enough for me.
Staring at the compass, I continued to run straight.
The corridors before me stretched as far as my eyes could see, twisting endlessly, with new passageways branching off into entirely different areas.
Flick! Flick!
The lights above flickered, swinging from bright to dim, while some passageways were swallowed entirely by darkness.
...It was almost as if something was chasing us.
My heart pressed tightly against my chest.
I wasn't entirely sure where I was going. I knew the compass could lead me astray; it had done so more than once in the past, but just as often, it had guided me exactly where I needed to be.
If I had to place a value on the things I owned, the compass would rank among the most precious.
While the consequences of going to the wrong place were pretty serious, it was also true that it helped me get out of tough situations, just like in this situation.
In fact, I could also use the compass to help me find the spot where the cult was.
I had plans on doing that, but held myself back, considering that I had time. There was no need to rush for such a quest. The stronger and more prepared I was, the better off I was. This was why I held off on using it.
"Squad Leader!"
Snapping out of my thoughts, I came to a sudden stop as I looked ahead.
'Elevator!'
A line of elevators greeted my sight. My eyes lit up.
I didn't hesitate about what needed to be done. But just as I reached for the elevator buttons, someone else's hand got there first.
I stopped to see that it was Sarah.
Fast...
I relaxed a moment later.
"...You got me for a second."
I looked around. Although their breaths were heavy, the entire team was present. Looking back at the corridor, it looked like we were the only ones to have made it to the corridor.
"It doesn't seem like the others followed us," I mumbled, my gaze locked onto the corridor. The lights were dim, flickering into darkness as a tense silence settled over us.
Just as I began to feel tense, Niel spoke up.
"There were a couple that did, but everyone scattered in different directions. I don't know where they are now."
I frowned as I listened to Niel, but it was probably for the best. If everyone was scattered, whatever presence had been at the dinner table would have a harder time finding us. Just the thought of that presence sent another chill down my spine.
What in the world was that?
It wasn't like I had ever encountered a scary and creepy presence in the past. I was used to encountering such things, but this was the first time that I had encountered something that truly gave me the chills.
Not even the Conductor gave me this type of chill.
It was one that seemed to seep directly into my own soul. Almost as if... it wasn't an anomaly, but something else entirely. Something more sinister.
My throat unknowingly dried up as I thought about it.
And then—
Ding!
A chime rang, and the elevator doors opened.
I looked around, mainly at the empty corridor where the darkness lay. For a brief moment, time seemed to slow down as I stared at the corridor, the outline of a certain figure appearing, staring right at me.
In that moment, it was as if the very air in the area had been sucked away.
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I couldn't...
"....!?"
I regained sensation quickly, the outline fading from my sight as I blinked.
I didn't think twice before dashing into the elevator.
"Hurry in."
I pressed the close button, acutely aware of my heart pounding like a drum in my chest.
Click! Click!
Even as the doors closed, I didn't relax. I tapped the button that led to the next floor, my entire body tensed as I looked around me.
A warm streak ran down the side of my face, my breathing growing heavier with each breath. I didn't know what was going on, but I could feel it clearly.
I...
I was being watched.
"Squad Leader? Are you okay...?"
"Squad Leader?"
"Is there something wrong, Squad Leader?"
"We should be safe now. What's wrong?"
"Uh? Ah...!"
I quickly realized that my actions were likely unsettling the team, and that thought forced me to take a deep breath and try to calm myself as I turned to look at them. But just as I opened my mouth to reassure them, my face froze.
A mirror hung at the end of the elevator, and within its reflection, a figure occupied the very spot where I was meant to stand.
Their entire body was charred, save for their eyes, which locked onto mine with their blank yet focused stare.
"H-ha."
Tiny trickles ran down the back of my neck, as if countless little creatures were crawling upward, while sweat slid down my back and my breath caught in my throat.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
It became louder now.
The sound of my own heartbeat.
"H-ha."
My chest trembled, and—
The moment I blinked, it was all gone.
The only thing I saw was my reflection as it stared back at me.
"Squad Leader...?"
The voices of the others faded into the background as I continued to stare at it, a sinking feeling settling inside my chest.
That was no hallucination, was it?
But who...?
Who was the charred figure that stared back at me?
Ding!
The chime rang once more, and the elevator doors slid open. A pungent stench of charred flesh hit my nostrils, making me recoil. My chills intensified as I looked ahead, where several dozen burnt corpses lay scattered, their hollow eyes staring emptily.
But that wasn't the worst part of it all.
The worst part...
They were all wearing the Guild uniforms.
"....Ah."
I felt it then.
'I need to puke.'
***
Creaaak—!
A creak quietly echoed, a door slowly opening to reveal a certain silhouette.
Greeting him was a dark room. One that looked close to a storage room. It was small, with several boxes within. The smell of dust lingered in the air as the silhouette quietly walked in, his hand pressing against the side of his chest, covering the camera hidden within it.
Tak! Tak—!
The quiet sound of his steps echoed as he moved in, his body coming to a stop before a certain metal rack, all sorts of files and documents appearing within.
As he did, he reached forward with his hand and pushed the metal racking.
Clank!
A harsh metallic screech echoed as he shoved the rack aside. When he finally forced it away, a hidden door revealed itself before him.
A large eye appeared in front of the door.
A pair of dimples formed on his face shortly after.
"...There it is."
-x-X-x-
Beep! Beep—!
Alarms constantly rang.
Red flashed.
"We've received a casualty! I'm trying to get in contact with the personnel. No response!"
Beep!
Red flashed once more.
"Another casualty! The numbers are going up!"
The monitoring room was in full panic mode.
Something had clearly gone wrong with the Trials, the members in the monitoring room registering the entire situation while recording everything that was happening and sending it over to the agents that were stationed outside of the hotel.
Mainly, the Section Chief.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
This resulted in the continuous chime that rang from the Section Chief's phone. Every second, he'd receive a new notification, prompting his expression to fall further and further as he looked at the distant hotel.
As he did, he issued a quick order.
"Evacuate all of the reporters and the crowd that is currently outside."
He could feel that they were growing restless. While he hadn't been keeping up with the stream, he could tell that the situation was turning more and more serious.
"Understood. I'll get to it."
One of the Team Leaders left the position, turning back to handle the reporters and restless crowd.
In the meantime, the Section Chief's expression turned even darker.
'It has to be them.'
He was almost certain of it.
A certain cult had been terrorizing the island for some time. He had been pursuing them relentlessly, uncovering his most recent clue during the art museum incident. Despite his efforts to gather more leads, he always returned empty-handed.
The only thing he knew was that the top personnel were extremely wealthy individuals, wielding considerable influence.
Their motives were also unclear to him.
However, if he had to speculate about their true motives, he could make a guess.
"How troublesome."
Moving back towards the hotel, the Section Chief pressed his hand against the door. His node churned as he tried to push his way in, but no matter how hard he pushed, the door wouldn't budge.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
"Damn it!" He cursed, feeling his phone ringing continuously. The more it rang, the more his heart sank.
Unable to withstand it any longer, he took out his phone to look at the stream.
The moment he did, his expression changed.
"Huh...?"
A certain group caught his attention.
***
A strong smell of burnt lingered in the air.
It was enough to choke me.
Corpses littered the floor, arms outstretched, as if they had desperately tried to reach the elevator, only to fail at the very last moment.
My stomach churned at the sight.
But it seemed I was the only one feeling this way. When I turned to glance at my team, they were staring into the distance, silently observing the surroundings, seemingly unbothered by what lay before them.
Psychopaths...
"What do you think happened here?"
Mia asked, her eyes scanning from left to right. The place was different from where we had been before. Though everything was charred, I could make out the remnants of what had once been a grand ballroom.
Had they also been dancing?
My eyes narrowed, thinking back to what had happened to us moments prior.
'Still, even if they danced, I don't remember anyone catching fire before. What exactly happened here?'
I took a step forward, the sound of my step echoing loudly within the charred space.
The others followed closely, stepping out of the elevator as the doors slid shut, their eyes sweeping the room for any sign of what had happened.
The overhead lights were dim, and the heavy scent of smoke and char hung in the air. Faint wisps of smoke rose from the bodies scattered across the floor, but none of it truly unsettled me as much as the cold that lingered in the room.
For a place that had just been burnt, how was it possible for it to be cold?
'There must be some sort of clue somewhere. I know things aren't as simple as the gate increasing in rank.'
I could feel that something within the gate had fundamentally shifted, though I couldn't pinpoint what it was. In a bout of desperation, I finally drew out the pair of sunglasses I had been reluctant to use.
'...This might not be a good idea, but it might be the only thing that I can do at the moment.'
I looked at the compass in my hand. It was currently spinning in all sorts of directions, unable to settle on a certain direction.
My heart sank at the sight.
This wasn't the first time this had happened. Understanding that the compass was probably unusable for the time being, I threw all hesitation away and donned the glasses.
"Haaa..."
The chill in the room deepened, sinking into my skin. The world around me seemed to shift into shades of blue. I shivered and tried to look around.
But when I lifted my head, my breath stopped.
Eyes. Everywhere. On the floor, the ceiling, the charred bodies. All different sizes. They looked drawn by hand, like doodles, moving slightly. I wasn't sure if they were growing or shrinking. I couldn't tell if they were real or if I was imagining them.
They felt like they were aware of me, watching even when I didn't look directly.
Voices then began to whisper in my head.
They were soft and made no sense at all. Was it even English? What language was it? High pitch, low pitch. Child? Or adult...?
The eyes grew large, shifting in size while looking at me.
'...I see you. I sewhahihjf... see...'
'Over here... skhka... here.'
'Go... here... tshkadjda!'
"H-ha. H-haa." I felt my breathing growing heavier and heavier, a deep sense of dread sinking into my mind as I stared at the eyes surrounding me. The all too familiar eyes that I had seen before.
And then—
Ding!
A chime rang from behind me, prompting me to turn my head and stare at the elevator that slowly opened.
But—
Nothing.
There was absolutely nothing within the elevator.
"What's going on? Did someone call for the elevator?"
"Why did the elevator open...?"
"Squad Leader?"
Flick! Flick!
With the elevator lights flickering above, my gaze fell on the mirror at the far end. A figure stared back, making my heart pound violently in my chest and sending a slow, creeping freeze through my body.
'hwa... look. Look.'
'hiahasn... he's looking. Why don't you look more... hwahaihjf.'
'Keep looking... No, look away... hakhas.'
The voices around continued to whisper, the eyes around growing larger and smaller.
I ignored the voices, keeping my gaze fixed on the reflection.
A fire roared behind the figure within the reflection. It consumed the entire surroundings, blurring the shape of the figure within. Other figures appeared behind it, reaching desperately for the figure, their flesh blackening and smoking as it burned.
And yet, the figure remained still.
Staring at me.
My breathing quickened, my skin prickling as if the fire were searing me alive. The pain was constant, digging straight into my mind.
I wanted to look away, but I couldn't.
The eyes around me enlarged further, fading in and out of my vision as they continued to whisper.
And then—
The outline of the figure became clear.
My breathing stopped completely.
I understood then.
That figure...
It was me.
The figures behind it were my team.
We were the next targets.
-x-X-x-
'Calm down. I need to calm down. There's nothing good that will come from panicking.'
I chanted a mantra inside my mind. Based on what I had researched, this was supposed to help with anxiety and fear.
It didn't.
If anything, it made things worse.
'....He said... huihahjklhjsd!'
'Cacalm...! He wants t.. khahdkhda!'
Constant voices whispered into my ears, tickling them softly with their whispers.
The eyes around me swelled and shrank, their edges twitching as they fixed on me. The chill around me intensified, freezing me on the spot.
'Focus, focus...!'
I tried my best to ignore the eyes, keeping my gaze fixed on the reflection. Time slowed down for me in that moment. The fire raged behind my charred reflection, with the silhouettes clawing at my shoulders and torso, as if trying to drag me back with them.
I just needed one look to know it was me and my team.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I kept staring at the reflection. The fire crackled behind it, and when hands reached for me from the flames, I lifted my hand.
The reflection copied my movement exactly.
Slowly, I turned my wrist. The reflection did so as well.
As it did, my gaze fell on my watch. The outlines were charred and burnt. Despite this, I could still see the time.
[13:03]
That was all I needed to see, and all I was able to see.
Blinking once, everything faded from my sight.
"Squad Leader?"
A hand grasped my shoulder, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Hm? Ah..."
When I turned my head, I saw Mia staring at me with a hesitant look. It looked like she even flinched.
Was I this scary?
"You're making a scary face right now."
"Oh."
So, I was.
"...I-is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine."
It wasn't.
However, I had to make it seem like it was as I stared at the elevator. There were a lot of things that I needed to process at the moment, but there was no time.
"Should we go to another floor? The elevator is open, and..."
Mia suddenly looked hesitant. I cocked my head as she looked back at me.
"Them, that... why are you wearing sunglasses?"
"Sunglasses?"
I blinked a couple of times before suddenly understanding.
Oh, right..
I thought about taking them off, but decided against it. I still needed them.
"...Let's leave that aside. There are more pressing matters at hand. We're not leaving this floor yet."
Truthfully, I had been tempted to leave.
Since the elevator opened, it looked like we could go to the next floor. The concept of the entire scenario was that there were eight floors in the entire hotel; of those eight floors, one floor was something that everyone was unaware of.
Normally, the scenario would be cleared once someone passed all 'seven' floors.
However, was that truly the clear scenario?
'No, it's not.'
I thought about the scenario again. More specifically, its description. The answer became clear to me.
'The goal of the scenario is for me to figure out the past of this place and find the eighth floor.'
It wasn't to clear all floors.
'Clear all... floors... hahaihds.'
'...Floors... hwahs.'
But that was easier said than done. The eighth floor was something no one had managed to uncover. Finding it wasn't going to be easy. Thankfully, I wasn't completely helpless as I stared at the compass in my hands.
'It might not be working now, but it has clearly led me to this floor. It's obvious that the key to finding the eighth floor is here.'
Lowering my head, I stared at my watch.
It was currently 12:58.
'I need to hurry.'
My heart thumped just thinking about the little time that I had available.
I only had about 5 minutes before the vision came to life. Before we all burned alive. I needed to figure out the key to get to the eighth floor. However, before I did that, I needed to figure out exactly what I was looking for.
'Eight floors...'
The idea that this building had eight floors was absurd to me. I had seen it from the outside, and the layout had been studied by everyone present. While it was indeed true that the scenario had changed, it shouldn't be to the point where it fundamentally changed the entire layout of the gate.
In that case...
'The eighth floor must either be some sort of basement or a hidden room. In that case, what I should be looking for is some sort of key, or way to get into the hidden room.'
I hastily looked around, my gaze settling over the charred remains of the room, from the bodies to the burned-out paintings and furniture. I looked all over the place before eventually settling my gaze on the bodies of the people around.
A thought crossed my mind.
Maybe...
"Squad Leader?!"
Mia's sudden cry snapped me around. Sarah was standing stiff, twitching, her eyes darting unnaturally before stopping.
"Wha..."
And then—
Her gaze settled on me, her head twitching a couple of times.
Chils settled down my entire body the moment I caught her doing that, as the eyes surrounding me started to swarm her, looking at her curiously from all directions.
But this lasted for a split second.
It all soon faded. Her gaze returned to normal.
My lips quivered as I tried to make sense of the situation, but checking the time, I knew that I had to prioritize different things.
For now, the glasses told me she wasn't possessed.
I had no choice but to check on her later.
It was the only thing I could go with for now. Time was running low.
Too low.
[12:59]
"Search the bodies."
I gave them a simple order, trying my best to ignore the multitude of eyes that were staring down on me from all directions.
"There's no time to explain. Just search the bodies of everyone present. If possible, search the bodies of the 'NPCs' in the room. There's no real point in looking at the bodies of the other teams. Look for anything. A key, or maybe even a small diary. However small it is, just look for it."
The good thing about the situation was that there was only one room on this floor. I was certain that the answer was here.
The issue was that the room itself was quite big. It was at least the size of an indoor gymnasium, with all sorts of furniture and paintings. It would take a bit to thoroughly search the entire place, but we didn't have the luxury of time.
Thankfully, I wasn't alone.
"Don't ask any questions, and start searching!"
"But what about Sa—"
"Leave her for now, just search!"
I moved towards a certain direction.
The others looked at each other. In the end, they didn't question my decision and split into different areas, moving towards the corpses and patting them down.
"Just look for something. Anything! We don't have much time!"
I made sure to make it clear that we didn't have time.
I checked my watch.
There were still four minutes left. I knew that I had to hurry before it was too late. This entire place was going to burn down in several minutes, and the chance of finding the 'key' to getting to the eighth floor was going to be null.
'...There's also the chance that I might be able to come back later, but I have a feeling that things won't be this simple.'
I moved towards the nearest corpse. Judging from the charred clothing, it looked to belong to one of those weird people that we had met at the dinner table.
I patted down their body, hoping to find something, but—
'Nothing.'
There was absolutely nothing.
Twitch!
"....!?"
Suddenly, the charred body twitched, the ash coiling out of its charred skin, nearly causing me to shout as a foul stench entered my nostrils.
Thankfully, it just ended there.
The corpse remained dead.
'I need to... search more '
I bit my lips, lifting my head to look around. The moment I did, my heart sank. There were just so many bodies, and even with the help of my entire team, I could tell that there wasn't enough time.
[13:00]
Just three minutes.
'No, there's no way that we can make it in time.'
Swooosh!
"Nnn!"
"Fire...!"
Something flickered in the distance, and my expression hardened at the sight of the fire that suddenly manifested over the walls of the room.
My entire body tensed, and I looked around me desperately.
For a moment, the thought of going to the elevator and leaving crossed my mind, but as it did, my gaze couldn't help but wander back to the cult member.
A thought crossed my mind in that moment.
'Maybe...?'
I clenched my teeth, knowing that this was my only shot at finding the solution to the situation.
With no choice left, I pressed my hand to the corpse and reached for the node.
[Inetermediate Node : Anamnesis]
Please work.
-x-X-x-
‖—[10%]—————‖
"Welcome to Hotel Claire!"
The receptionist greeted him with a bright smile.
I wish for you to have a happy stay with us! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask."
"Thank you."
He returned the gesture, taking the keys from her as his eyes wandered around. The lobby was grand, bustling with people moving in every direction.
Something on the far wall caught his attention. A large, ornate painting.
From across the room, it seemed to depict a gathering of people, though their faces were blurred, and no real face was shown. What struck him most, however, was that despite having no faces, they all had eyes, and...
It almost felt as if each eye was staring directly at him.
"Once again, welcome to Hotel Claire. I'm happy to have served you."
Snapping the man out of his thoughts was the receptionist's smile. It stretched just a little too perfectly, and her eyes seemed to linger on him longer than necessary. For some reason, she seemed to smile even more than before.
He paused for a moment, feeling a faint prickle at the back of his neck, before forcing a smile back.
"Thank you."
"Please follow me. I'll bring you to your room."
An attendant greeted the man not long after, bringing him up all the way to his room.
"This will be your room. Shortly, there will be an activity with everyone present, and you are welcome to join if you wish."
"This place is great!"
The attendant departed shortly after, leaving the man alone in the spacious room. Excitement bubbled within him as he looked around, taking in everything, from the paintings and furniture to the sleek television.
Yet that painting from before lingered in his mind. Something about it felt... alive. It wasn't just art. The more he thought of it, the more he felt as if something was watching him.
However, he quickly dismissed such thoughts.
'I'm probably tired.'
‖———[60%]———‖
"Welcome, everyone!"
An elderly woman, dressed in pristine white, greeted everyone present with a warm smile.
"I'll be the attendant for all of you present, and I'll be running the activities for today."
She seemed remarkably friendly, and laughter echoed through the halls. Everyone began to mingle, including the man. He danced with several charming ladies, savoring the joy of the festivities, slowly losing himself in the pleasure of the moment.
As he laughed and danced, he couldn't help but notice something peculiar in the air.
In particular, the nice citrus smell that lingered.
The scent was intoxicating, and the longer the man breathed it in, the more he seemed to surrender to its effect, losing himself in the sensation.
But as he did, his gaze couldn't help but fall toward a certain painting. It stood at the far end of the room, its frame ornate and dark, almost swallowing the corners in shadow.
Within it, the picture of a man appeared, sitting on a chair with his hands positioned on his lap. It looked like a normal painting, and yet, for some reason, it gave him the same uneasy feeling the other paintings had.
It was almost as if..
It was staring directly at him, watching his every movement.
But—
"Have fun, everyone!"
"...Dance! Don't stop!"
"Enjoy yourself!"
He quickly forgot about it all.
It was fun. So much fun.
This place...
It was truly paradise.
‖—————[90%]—‖
Huh...?
It was dark.
What was happening? Where was he...?
He couldn't quite remember.
What was he doing? Right, he was at the hotel. He was dancing. He was having fun with a lot of pretty ladies.
He was, right?
...Or was he not?
Hm.
In fact, who was he?
Who—
Light returned to his vision, revealing a woman and a man standing before him. Between them, holding their hands, was a little girl with dark eyes and a porcelain-like face. Never in his life had he seen a child so strikingly beautiful.
But why were they looking at him?
Why—
Twitch. Twitch.
He felt his lips twitch all of a sudden.
His eyes shook a moment later as the corner of his lips pulled into a smile.
And then—
"Welcome to Hotel Claire!"
Words came out on their own.
He froze for a moment, unable to understand the situation, but despite his mind wanting something else, his body refused to listen as he handed over a set of keys.
"I wish for you to have a happy stay with us! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask."
The words flowed freely out of his mouth. Strangely, they didn't seem to be out of place. It was almost as if this was something that he was meant to do.
A painting came to view not long after.
It was a sight he remembered from the past. This time, however, the figures inside were no longer watching him. If anything, their gaze was fixed entirely on the figures to whom he had handed the keys.
The thought made his smile widen.
"Once again, welcome to Hotel Claire. I'm happy to have—"
Swooosh!
My skin seared.
"Squad Leader! Squad Leader!"
Panicked voices.
"Squad Leader!"
Louder.
I raised my head to look around me. A fire had broken out.
Everyone was staring at me with panic on their faces.
"The elevator isn't opening! What should we do?"
Smoke started to linger in the air. It started to become harder to breathe.
I checked the time.
[13:02]
One minute left.
My heart pressed heavily against my chest. There was so much that I needed to process, in particular, regarding a certain figure that appeared within the vision. One that I was all too familiar with.
But—
"Squad Leader! What should we do? At this rate, we're all going to burn alive!"
"Stop asking the Squad Leader! He can't give an answer to everything! For now, Mia, use your sonorous powers to move the flames away!"
"Min, shield Mia!"
"Sarah, try to see if you can—"
Joanna had already taken over control of the situation.
I stood up and looked around, my gaze eventually settling on a particular painting. It was completely charred, the details nearly impossible to discern. Yet, despite the damage, I knew exactly what had once been depicted.
There was no time for me to doubt myself.
While Joanna was busy giving out commands, I rushed in the direction of the painting.
"Squad Leader!"
Voices continued to whisper in my mind as I moved, eyes around me widening and narrowing as they fixed their gaze on me. I ignored them, focusing instead on the fire that roared around me, its heat searing my skin.
Despite the pain, my surroundings were cold.
So cold.
Arriving before the painting, I watched as the flames took over it.
Swoosh!
The heat blasted onto my face, nearly sending me recoiling back. I wanted to run away, but I knew that there was no time. I was running out of time. There were probably fewer than twenty seconds left.
Clenching my teeth, I grabbed onto the metal frame of the painting.
The pain was unbearable, nearly forcing out a scream from me, but I resisted, pulling away and tossing it to the side.
BANG!
What remained of the painting caught fire as I looked at what was behind it.
The moment I acted, it felt as if the temperature around me had suddenly plummeted, and the heat that had been consuming me began to fade. But it was only an illusion; I knew the fire still raged.
Still, this was enough.
Turning back to my team, I shouted.
"Here!"
Under the surprised looks of everyone present, I punched the eye directly.
BANG!
As if made of cardboard, the wall shattered.
-x-X-x-
"Hurry!"
The fire was raging.
I could hardly feel my hands. They were numb from the pain.
It hurt...
But despite the pain, I remained clear-headed.
Bang!
I punched the wall again, clearing up the opening behind the painting.
Darkness met my gaze.
"Get over here! There's not much time."
I checked the time.
Ten seconds left. My heart was drumming loudly inside my chest as I looked at the raging flames behind me. The smoke had completely taken over, and I could hardly see within the flames. Voices continued to whisper as the faint outlines of several silhouettes appeared within the flames.
They were drawing closer and closer.
'Come on... Come on... Come on...'
The anxiety of the situation was killing me. I wanted to go and help them out, but I knew that I would only get in their way. The only thing I could do was focus on expanding the wall that was next to me.
Bang, Bang—!
I punched a couple of times, expanding it further as I struggled to breathe.
"Cough! Cough...!"
The smoke was starting to get to me, my eyes stinging in the process.
"H—!"
Swoosh!
Outlines began to appear in the smoke next to me, just as my heart began to sink
"....!?"
They dashed past me, running into the opening one by one.
One, two, three...
I counted them slowly.
Four, five.
"....."
"....."
Five...
One person was missing.
Time suddenly started to slow down in that moment, my breathing growing rougher.
The team comprised six members. Including me, it was seven. For there to have only had five people pass...
"O-oh."
My chest trembled.
And then—
BOOOM!
A terrifying explosion erupted, the flames spreading and consuming everything around me. The heat was so intense that I had no choice but to dive into the opening, sprinting forward even as the fire seared my back.
The pain was unbearable, nearly forcing a scream out of me.
However—
It all soon stopped the moment I managed to cross the opening. As if the fire couldn't enter, and all noise was stripped away... The moment I crossed the opening, I fell down onto the ground with a soft 'thump' as the world around me grew silent.
That was also the moment that something within me stirred.
"S-arah...? Has anyone seen Sarah?"
"Where is Sarah...? Someone..."
"She..."
My head ached, and I suddenly stopped feeling anything.
"O-oh god."
Voices continued to whisper around me. They were everywhere. My head started to hurt so much.
"S-Sarah..."
I grew numb.
It didn't take long for me to understand what was happening. I was experiencing the side effect of my fracture.
"A-ah."
***
Bang—!
A white garbed figure fell onto the floor.
"Just what the hell is going on?"
Kyle stood over the figure, looking around in confusion. He was in the middle of a large hall, filled with similar figures. Each of which was currently being taken care of by those from his team.
The moment he sensed something was wrong with the smell in the air, he used his node and stopped time. Everything else was easy for him and his team.
The issue, however, lay in the fact that they had been stuck on the same floor for quite some time.
Nothing was going as they had previously anticipated. If it were just some small changes, he'd understand. But to this extent?
'...It's clear that something has gone completely wrong.'
Kyle's eyes sharpened as he looked around, eventually settling his gaze on his phone, where he read the chat.
Live Views — [471,482]
—What the hell is happening?
—Is this fake...? Or are they under attack?
—Holy shit!
—Wait, you should check this other stream. Shit is crazy over there!
—Which stream?
Reading the comments, there was something in particular that intrigued him.
'Why are they talking about some other stream?'
It looked to be everything that everyone was talking about. He could see the number of people tuning in to his stream starting to dwindle.
'...Just what the hell is happening in the other stream for everyone to tune out like this? And whose stream is it?'
It didn't take long for him to get an answer.
—Holy shit! There's a guy with sunglasses in the middle of a fire!
—Sunglasses? What sort of lunatic wears sunglasses?
—Don't tell me it's a special item.
"....."
Kyle's lips twitched. The moment he heard the 'sunglasses' part, he immediately understood what was happening.
He wasn't the only one.
"Kyle..."
He lifted his head and caught Zoey watching the same stream. She glanced at him, then pointed to her phone.
"They're talking about 'him', aren't they?"
"No doubt."
By 'him', they were obviously talking about Seth.
Who else would be this much of a lunatic to wear sunglasses in the middle of a fire?
'I'm also sure those sunglasses aren't special items. They're probably there to block Seth's vision so that he doesn't have to puke in case he sees something gory.'
...Or at least, that was what he'd used to believe. He wasn't so sure anymore.
Either way, it was clear that whatever was happening on Seth's floor had captured everyone's attention.
This was good to some extent as Kyle looked at Zoey.
"Did you get any answer from the Section Chief?"
"I'm still talking to him," Zoey replied, her face somewhat grim. With the communications not down, it wasn't hard for them to reach the Section Chief. "The issue is that he can't enter the gate. He believes that some sort of external force has breached the gate and is trying to kill all of us present."
"External force...?"
"Yeah."
Zoey replied with a brief nod, scrolling through her phone.
"It seems to be connected to that strange cult that's been active lately, but I can't say for certain. The Section Chief thinks it's likely them, though he's not sure either. He's still investigating."
"I see. If that's the ca—"
"What should we do?"
A voice cut in suddenly, prompting Kyle to stop. Rowan stepped between them, his eyes narrowing as his eyes fell on Zoey's phone.
His sudden interjection caused Zoey to pause, her eyes similarly narrowing as she looked at him. Thinking about how he used to be in the past, for a moment, she thought he had interjected on purpose, but then—
"I heard that something happened to Seth. Is he alright?"
"....."
Right...
"He's fine."
Zoey turned her attention back to her messages with the Section Chief.
"I've checked the situation. Ten are dead, several are injured, and a few are missing. Among the missing is Myles."
"Wait, Myles?"
"Yes."
"....."
Kyle's expression turned extremely serious. Myles was part of his team, and as such, was his responsibility. Not only that, but he was also incredibly talented. He couldn't allow for anything to happen to a talent like that.
He immediately turned around.
"What are you doing?"
Zoey suddenly called out to Kyle, noticing the strange shift in his movements.
"I'm going to look for Myles. I can't have him die here."
Kyle didn't look at her as he spoke. He closed his eyes, preparing to activate one of his nodes. He had to act quickly. Every second was valuable.
"Don't do that."
"No, I have to. He's part of my team. I—"
"That's not it. Look."
Zoey's words made him pause. He opened his eyes to look at her, and she turned her phone to show a particular stream.
The moment Kyle's eyes landed on the stream, his expression changed.
The same was true for Rowan and everyone else who managed to catch a glimpse of Zoey's phone.
"That's..."
"Yes."
Zoey nodded.
"He's with Seth." A frame where Myles stood opposite each other appeared. The two stared at each other for a brief moment, speaking quietly.
Quiet enough for it not to be picked up by the stream.
"I don't know how he got there, but he's fine. If that—Uh!?"
Zoey's expression drastically changed before she could finish the sentence.
"....!?"
"....!!"
The same went for Kyle and everyone else. Seth suddenly appeared in front of Myles, grabbed him by the collar, and tossed him aside, his fist smashing down before Myles could even react. It all happened so fast that nobody had the time to react.
But when they did, a sudden silence fell onto the stream as the mouths of several opened at the same time.
What...?
What the hell just happened?
-x-X-x-
Darkness swallowed the surroundings.
No one made a sound. Every gaze was fixed on the fire, their faces blank. But the silence was soon inevitably shattered by the reality of the situation.
"That... T-that's..."
"Sarah... Where is Sarah?"
"She was with me... just a moment ago. Why... I..."
Of the seven total members, only six managed to come out. Mia's hand shook as she covered her mouth.
"O-oh god."
The realization of the situation had finally settled in her mind.
"She..."
Nora, standing quietly beside her, bit her lip and lowered her head. The others did the same, Joanna biting down the hardest. Sarah had been acting strangely all along, and though she wanted to help, the Squad Leader wouldn't let her.
The reason became clear, but—
'What if...?'
There was always that what if.
But in the end, it wasn't the Squad Leader's fault. His choice had been the right one, and realizing that made her bite down on her lips even harder.
'Relax your mind. Don't let this affect you.'
Joanna felt something trickle from the corner of her lip, a sharp pain following immediately. This was the job she had signed up for. She quickly wiped it with her sleeve, looking down at the red that stained it moments later.
Joanna bit her lips harder.
Death wasn't uncommon. She had to stay ready at all times.
And yet—
"H-ha."
Realizing one of her members was dead, a sharp ache pierced her chest. It refused to fade, and it left her breathless.
"Sh-shit."
She wasn't the only one feeling it. The others shared the same emotions, Mia even shedding a few tears. Everyone, that is, except one. He slowly rose from the ground and scanned the area.
"Let's go." He coldly said, staring at his surroundings without any emotion.
All heads turned in unison as Seth walked by, calm as if nothing had happened. Joanna's expression was the first to shift. Did he... feel nothing at all?
"Wait... Why are we going? But what about Sarah?"
"What about her?"
Seth asked, turning his attention towards Joanna.
Her lips quivered, and before she could even get a single word out, someone beat her to the punch. It was Nora.
"Someone just died for Christ's sake! Why are you acting as if nothing happened? At least—"
"That's irrelevant."
Seth coldly cut off, his gaze wandering into the distance.
"She's gone. Nothing can bring her back. If you're not careful, you'll end up the same. We're still inside the gate. Save your mourning for later. If you signed up for this job, you should also be prepared to face situations like these. If you can't handle it, then you might as well quit."
"You..."
Seth walked into the darkness shortly after, a heavy silence settling over the group as his back vanished into the shadows. Nora's expression shifted sharply in that moment.
Hatred, anger, resentment... Joanna could see all sorts of emotions in her gaze. In the end, however, Nora managed to push everything down as she followed right behind him. The others did so too.
Joanna watched it all in silence, noticing the clear divide forming within the group.
It became obvious in that moment.
The Squad Leader... He had lost almost all the respect the members held for him.
Joanna stared blankly at the floor before following the others from behind. She didn't feel the same way as the others. While she was hurt by the way he was acting, she was also experienced. She had seen many deaths in the past and understood that holding any sort of emotion for any member was detrimental.
In a sense, he was playing the villain to keep the group together.
In moments like this, one had to act in such was so that they wouldn't be distracted by the death.
With a heavy heart, Joanna stared at the raging flames behind her for the last time before pursing her lips and following the grip.
*
The surroundings continued to remain dark.
The group didn't know where they were or where they were going. They just followed the Squad Leader, his gaze cold behind a pair of sunglasses.
Indeed, he was wearing a pair of sunglasses.
He had been for some time, and while everyone had been curious before, nobody was in the mood to speak a single word.
A strange tension clung to the group, growing with every step.
The air was humid, but a biting cold nipped at their skin.
The scent of smoke was gone, replaced by a heavy, unpleasant odor that clung to the air.
And then—
Seth came to an eventual stop, his gaze falling over a certain area.
Everyone came to a stop shortly after. That was until he pressed his hand forward, and a weird clicking sound echoed.
Click!
Everyone immediately grew tense, nodes churning.
But—
"Calm down."
Seth pushed his hand forward.
Creaaak!
A creak followed, and a large storage space appeared for everyone present.
"Huh...? What is this place?"
"What's this?"
Seth ignored the questions, his attention fixed on his surroundings. Metal racks lined the area, holding all sorts of items. Then his gaze landed on a spot that had clearly been disturbed.
He moved in that direction.
As he moved, the air grew colder. His breathing quickened as a heavy pressure settled onto his chest.
The eyes that had haunted his vision were gone, replaced by a strange, tense silence. His spine tingled with every step, as if he were walking straight toward something deeply sinister.
And yet, Seth continued to walk.
His emotions were numb. While his body was reacting, he wasn't.
"Squa—Where are you going?"
Seth didn't answer. He pushed a metal rack aside, revealing a small door. The moment it appeared, his eyes landed on the large eye painted on it, and his vision blurred for a moment.
The pressure on his chest grew, his stomach churning violently. His heart pounded in his head, almost as if it were urging him to run.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
Every part of his body was giving him warning signs.
Especially when he looked at the eye, he could feel it staring back at him, moving alongside his movement.
But—
Creaaaaaak!
Seth ignored all of the sensations and pushed the door open, revealing a long flight of stairs that led down.
"Let's go."
He didn't wait for his group to follow.
The moment the door opened, he stepped past and walked down the stairs.
He could tell that whatever was downstairs was most likely going to reveal the secrets behind the fire. At the same time, it was also the key to clearing the scenario.
After all, this was the eighth floor.
But—
"Oh, you're here?"
The moment he walked down, the last thing he expected was the familiar figure waiting opposite him. He stood at the center of a small room, surrounded by dimly lit candles. A weird insignia littered the floor, one that made his blood churn.
But if anything made his blood run colder, it was the reflection staring back at him from the glass panel at the far end of the room.
Reflected within it, he could see himself standing still.
His head lay on the floor, blood quietly spilling from it, smiling back at him.
"...How did you find this place? I'm s—"
Seth didn't wait for Myles to finish.
The moment he turned his head away from the reflection, he lunged in Myles's direction, grabbing his body with both hands before tossing him to the side.
BANG!
-x-X-x-
BANG!
I felt little as my hand smacked against his face, the flesh rippling as a result of my action.
I'd normally have felt joy in such action.
I had dreamed of this for days on end. When it finally happened, I felt nothing. Just a simple emptiness that I couldn't get rid of.
BANG! BANG—!
Myles didn't even react as I punched down.
I saw the surprise on his face in the dim light. He tried to struggle, but it was too late. I was mounted over him, punching down as hard as I could. My knuckles stung, and warmth spread across my palms. I moved to strike again, but someone grabbed my arm and yanked me back, pulling me off him.
"What's going on? What has gotten into you?"
"Squad Leader!"
I tried to punch more, but I was stopped before I could do so.
In the end, I stopped moving once I felt Min's strong hands pressing onto my forearms. I knew that the struggle would be futile.
That was also when I turned to look at my team.
They were all staring at me with a mixture of different expressions. I calmly took in their gazes before speaking.
"Why did you all stop me?"
"That's because you were punching him. He's on our side..."
I sighed and shook my head.
"You should all know better. I don't do things randomly. If I do something, there's a reason behind it. Stopping me could very well have ruined the entire situation."
The room turned silent right after that.
Nobody spoke, though the silence said enough. They knew I was right, even if they couldn't accept the way I acted. I could see why they'd stopped me. Myles wasn't an anomaly, nor was he currently brainwashed. He was sane, painfully sane, and they could all tell.
That was probably why my actions appeared confusing to them.
"It's... alright."
A certain voice shattered the silence.
With all heads turning in the direction of the voice, Myles slowly sat up, pressing his hand against his cheek. A dimple appeared right after.
"I'm fine. I... am just... a little surprised. I'm sure he also didn't do it on purpose. He most likely got spooked by me. I also got a little spooked. You're the same, right?"
Myles turned his eyes on me.
He was giving me a way out. Of course, I knew that it wasn't going to be this simple. I understood Myles with every fiber of my being and knew that he was planning something. In fact, it was clear that he was enjoying this situation.
From his expression, it almost felt as though this was something that he clearly wanted from the start.
That's why—
"No."
I shook my head, keeping my gaze fixed on Myles.
"...I wasn't spooked by you."
I reached for my glasses and slowly pulled them out. The moment they were off, the biting cold faded, replaced by a subtle warmth. The dim candlelight sharpened, and the room came into clearer focus.
The feeling of being watched vanished as well.
It was also in that moment that the strange isignia on the floor vanished.
It didn't surprise me. I bent down, letting my finger glide over the wooden floor, tracing its surface before stopping.
"What are you doing?"
I ignored the question that was directed at me before moving forward to reach for one of the candles on the floor.
Then—
I spilled the candle onto the floor.
"....!?"
"Are you crazy? Are you—Shit!"
Swooosh!
A large fire raged on.
Everyone's faces changed, but I stayed still, watching the fire die down. It didn't take long for the fire to completely die down. Just several minutes, as the wooden floor charred, revealing the insignia for all to see.
It was a unique symbol with all sorts of lines, loops, and angular shapes arranged in a compact pattern. It was hard to make out what it was.
And yet, staring at it, for some reason, it felt familiar.
Where had I seen it before...?
"Huh...?"
"Wait... wait, what is this?"
Seeing the confused looks on everyone, I pointed at the insignia before looking at Myles.
"This is why I attacked you. Not because I hold anything against you, but because your body was about to be taken over."
It wasn't a lie. When I saw Myles standing above the insignia, it flared with a faint light. Something dark and sinister crawled up from the charred wooden floor moments later, writhing as it reached toward him.
Although I didn't hold good feelings for Myles, I wasn't going to let him get possessed.
That would make him even more troublesome.
"...I don't know if I managed to shake you out of it." I turned toward the group and nudged toward Myles. "For now, keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't do anything... strange."
I didn't punch him because he was being taken over. I punched him exactly because I wanted a good reason for the others to keep an eye on him. I could tell from the sunglasses that he wasn't possessed.
However, I couldn't trust him at all.
Given the situation with the team, this was the easiest way to make them watch him and stop anything out of the ordinary. The fact that he was here, separated from his group and standing right in front of me, was concerning in itself.
'I'll need to check up with Kyle later. I'm sure this isn't a coincidence. Not when it involves him. There's nothing about this person that I can trust.'
Focusing my attention back to Myles, I watched as he stared at me in the silence. For a brief moment, I felt a chilling coldness coming from his eyes. Enough to make me pause. However, such a gaze was quickly replaced by a pair of dimples as he raised both of his hands.
"You got me."
So he said, albeit the meaning of his words felt different for me compared to the others.
"I won't move. You can have everyone keep an eye on me. I'm just extremely grateful that you saved me. I would've been in trouble if not for you."
I grunted and turned my attention away from him. A hesitant voice came from behind me, but I ignored it.
"S-squad Leader..."
I was in a state of hyper efficiency. I didn't know how long it would last, and as such, I needed to make the best out of my current situation.
"Wait, Squad Leader, I—"
"Stop. Let him be. It's clear that he doesn't want anything to do with us at the moment."
I tuned out the conversation around me.
The first thing I did was turn toward the bookshelf in the corner. There weren't many books left. Several were burned, barely holding together, and just barely enough to still be called a book.
I looked through all of them, hoping to find something.
'I'm on the 'eighth' floor. The key to solving the scenario is here. I just need to find it.'
I knew it had something to do with the insignia on the ground. But I didn't know anything about it, and it was too faded to see clearly. The answer had to be in one of the books. It had to be—
"Hm."
My hand suddenly paused on a certain book.
The moment I touched it, my whole body went cold. The voices from before returned, louder this time, scraping at my mind. A chill ran down my spine, though I couldn't feel anything. My hands began to tingle, and I glanced back.
All I saw were the gazes of everyone around me. My lips parted instinctively, then I shut them tight as the chill in the room deepened.
Then—
I froze at the mirror. My reflection shifted, almost imperceptibly at first, until my lips stretched unnaturally, curling toward the edges of my eyes. My breathing stopped. And just when I thought it couldn't get worse...
Fwap!
The book slammed open on its own, making my heart leap into my throat.
An empty page stared back.
No, not quite.
One mumber.
[71]
That was all the page said.
One number.
-x-X-x-
Something stirred in me the moment I stared at the number.
I didn't know why, but the longer I stared at the number on the paper, the more my chest tightened. My breath grew heavier, each one heavier than the previous, and my throat went dry as I struggled to make sense of its meaning.
'Why do I feel like the number is familiar? I have certainly seen it before, but I can't remember.'
It felt as though the answer was at the tip of my tongue.
Fwip!
Flipping towards the next page, I tried to see if there was anything else written. However, all the remaining pages were empty. The only thing that was written in the book was that one singular number.
I turned back, trying to see if the others might have an idea.
But—
"Huh?"
Gone.
Everyone was gone.
"Wait, what's going on?"
Even in my current state, I couldn't help but feel my heart twitch.
'Just what in the world was going on?'
The room was exactly the same. The dim, flickering candlelight, the thick smell of dust, the plain mirror against the wall. Everything was as it had been. Except this time... I was alone. Something about the silence that took over felt incredibly unsettling as I looked around, trying to make sense of the situation.
I didn't understand how everyone had left all of a sudden.
I was sure that they had all been standing right behind me just a moment prior. Not even a second after I turned away from them to check the book, and they were gone.
Did they leave in the time that I turned away?
'No, that doesn't make sense. Even if they did, I'm sure they would make some noise, and I would've figured it out. Something is not adding up.'
I continued to scan my surroundings.
The silence pressed in from every direction, squeezing me into a restless, unsettling sensation I couldn't shake off.
I continued to scan my surroundings, hoping to get some clues.
And then—
"Huh?"
I saw it.
No, them.
My heart came to a sudden pause.
From the plain mirror, I saw them, all of them, standing within its reflection, their eyes fixed on something just out of my view.
"How did they get in there...?"
I moved closer to the mirror.
Creaaak!
The floor creaked under my step, my arms shivering under the sudden cold that took over.
Creaaaaaak!
I took another step, edging closer. With each movement toward the mirror, the sense of wrongness grew, crawling over the back of my spine and stopping right at the edges of my neck.
Soon, I reached the mirror, and it was there that I realized what was happening.
They weren't the ones that were stuck in the mirror.
'It's me...'
I was the one stuck in the mirror.
Looking in the mirror, I could see myself in it. All eyes seemed to be on me as I kept my focus on the book, slowly closing it before turning back toward the others. My reflection seemed to say something, but I couldn't hear a thing.
I pressed my hand against the mirror.
"Wait, that's not me."
I spoke, but it didn't look like anyone had heard me.
'What the hell is going on?'
My heart pressed tightly against my chest as I struggled to grasp the current situation.
"...Can you guys see me?"
I waved my hand, trying to grab anyone's attention.
But as if I were invisible, no one looked my way. It wasn't that they ignored me. It was more like their attention was locked on the version of me within the mirror.
I tapped on the glass again, trying to get their attention, but—
Nothing.
'This isn't working. It looks like they can't hear me at all.'
I gave up shortly after. It seemed useless for me to keep trying.
Moving back, I started to ponder over my situation.
'I don't know how, but I'm somehow stuck inside the mirror. All of this happened the moment I touched the book.'
I looked down at the book in my hands. There was nothing remarkable about it. The red leather cover was blank, and some pages were slightly charred. Apart from that, it was empty, except for a single number.
"Still, I'm certain that this is a big and important clue about the situation."
I looked around.
Thinking for a moment, I turned my attention towards the exit of the room.
A thought struck me.
What would happen if I were to leave here?
Wait...
Another thought struck me.
"What if this is the true eighth floor?"
My heart began to race, even though a strange calm lingered inside me. I gripped the book and glanced back at the mirror, then slowly shifted my gaze to the stairs leading upward. Although slightly hesitant, I ended up walking towards the stairs.
Creaaak!
The wooden floor creaked under my steps as the silence around me lingered.
With every step I took, a strange sensation settled over my mind. It felt as if I were sinking deeper into an ocean, the pressure building around me, slowly suffocating my breath.
I paid this no mind and walked all the way up, stopping before the door that led out of the room.
And then—
Clank!
I pushed the door open.
The moment I stepped inside, I found myself in a familiar storage room. Yet something was different. The dust that had once coated every surface was gone, replaced by neat order and a bright lamp hanging above.
'What's going on?'
The layout and everything were the same, and yet—
It all felt so different.
"This doesn't make sense at all."
I scanned my surroundings, hoping to get a better understanding of what was happening, but the more I walked, the more confused I became.
Eventually, I stopped by the entrance of the room.
That's when I heard muffled voices from inside. Frowning, I pressed my ear to the door, straining to make out what was being said.
'....I... see.'
'Over... here too...'
'....Gone...'
I felt a strange sensation upon hearing the voices. I couldn't quite describe it, but they felt familiar.
Almost like...
'The voices from the eyes.'
My breath paused, a certain thought occurring to me as my body tensed.
Briefly after, I heard several soft 'thuds' coming from outside. My body tensed further as I strained to hear the steps, feeling them coming closer and closer to where I was.
'They're headed straight to me...'
I pulled my head back and scanned the room. Metal racks filled with boxes stretched in every direction. My eyes settled on one in the distance, and I moved toward it, crouching low to hide behind it.
I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't want to get caught before understanding what was happening.
And soon—
Clank!
The door opened, and two tall shadows appeared before my vision.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
The air thickened with the presence of the two as I crouched behind the metal racks, the unsettling sensation from before crawling up my spine. Every shadow seemed to stretch, and the silence pressed in from every direction.
Then...
A voice slithered through the room, soft and close, my ears tingling for some unknown reason.
"Someone has been here."
A pause followed.
One that made the very skin on my body tingle.
"No... they're still here. Somewhere."
-x-X-x-
I held my breath, trying my best not to make a single sound.
I didn't know what was going on, but I understood that I had to be extremely quiet.
Creak!
The floor creaked, my heart slowly starting to race.
I could feel the side effects starting to wear thin as my emotions began to return, and the fear and warning signs that my body was giving out were starting to register within my mind.
'Keep it steady. Keep it steady.'
"Hoo. Hoo."
I forced two shallow breaths, trying to stop the tremor in my chest. My throat felt dry, the air thinning around me.
"...Hm, yes, I can definitely tell that someone was here."
The voice continued to whisper in the air, this time closer. My skin started to prickle as I hunched my body lower, trying my best to minimize my presence.
The cold of the floor beneath me stuck to my cheek, sending a soft chill down the back of my ear.
'Just what in the world is happening? Who are the people in the room? What should I do if they find me...?'
All sorts of thoughts started to cross my mind. I knew that I was in the world within the mirror, and I also understood that this was most likely the real 'eighth' floor. I needed to find some sort of answer.
At the very least, I needed to understand what the '71' in the book signified.
'Yes, that must be the reason why I'm here.'
Creak!
The sound moved again. Closer. My stomach knotted as I forced myself lower against the cold floor, pressing into the shadows.
At the same time, my nose started to twitch. The dust on the floor was starting to get to me as my toes began to curl.
'No, no...'
"....."
It suddenly grew quiet.
I held my breath, holding my sneeze in. My nose scrunched up further, a dizzying sensation filling my nostrils.
My chest rose up, and my eyes started to water.
I bit my lips, trying my best to force myself to keep steady.
And—
The sensation soon passed away.
I didn't feel any relief from that, feeling the presence lingering around my area. Trying my best to keep it together, I reached for my phone. My hand shook as I unlocked it, thumb clumsy against the screen. I turned on the front camera and raised it slowly, angling it at the gap above me.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
Unknowingly, a shadow cast over my area.
The narrow gap framed only a sliver of it, yet it was enough to make my stomach twist. It was tall and lanky. Where a face should have been, there was nothing. Only hollow caves where its eyes and mouth ought to be.
My hands trembled despite my effort to keep them still, nails biting into my palms as my breath caught in my throat.
I could feel its gaze sweeping over the area I was in, searching, as if it were trying to detect any sign of me.
I had long stopped breathing, trying my best to keep my heartbeat steady.
The moment seemed to last for an eternity. I pressed myself against the floor as much as possible, minimizing myself to the best of my abilities. The eyes continued to sweep the surroundings until they stopped.
The head moved away shortly after, and the soft creak of the step echoed once more.
A heavy silence followed right after.
Despite this, I remained tense, holding onto my breath for as long as possible.
'Not yet. Not yet.'
I didn't know what the creature was or if it was still lingering. Nonetheless, I still decided to remain cautious as I lowered my head to stare at the camera positioned over my breast pocket.
Huh?
That was also the moment that I came to another realization.
'It's off.'
The light switch that usually indicated the camera was on was off.
'...Right. That makes sense. I'm not technically in the 'real' world at the moment. It would only make sense for the camera not to work.'
In that case—
That changed a lot of things.
I didn't have to limit myself like I did before. As the realization dawned on me, my body started to relax. The shadow beneath me wiggled, and a small creature appeared.
'Go ahead and check the surroundings. See if there's anyone.'
The Dreamwalker stared at me in its miniature form. Although it didn't say anything, I could feel its gaze say, 'Not again...'
I rubbed my nose.
I couldn't help it if it died. At least I could revive it after its death. I couldn't do the same for myself. If I died, it would be gone for good.
This was within both of our interests.
As if understanding my point, the Dreamwalker shook its head before fading into the darkness. I waited in the same spot, trying my best to remain patient as the silence around me left me unsettled.
I didn't know how much time had passed. Perhaps a few seconds, or perhaps several minutes. Every second felt like it stretched on for a very long time, and just when my patience started to run thin, I felt something.
'...Good. The way is clear.'
With time, my connection with the Dreamwalker had improved. I had now reached a point where I could more or less communicate with it from a distance.
The moment I felt a sudden tug within the node in my mind, I knew it was time for me to move, as I quietly stood up while scanning my surroundings before finally coming out from my spot and heading towards the entrance of the storage space.
'The coast outside should also be clear.'
I pushed the door open and stepped into a long corridor. The moment I did, I paused.
As expected...
'This place is no doubt different than before.'
Lights appeared above, illuminating the soft red carpet beneath as paintings lined up the side of each wall. Cautiously staring at my surroundings, I tried to see if the things from before were still present. However, as if they had vanished into thin air, the corridor was left empty.
I didn't feel any relief from the realization as I cautiously stared at my surroundings before walking forward.
'I've been in this path before. It was dark, but I more or less know where I am.'
The carpet cushioned my steps as I walked ahead, the silence around me stretching as I moved past all of the paintings.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
My heart drummed inside me as I continued, each step soft and cautious.
'I don't feel anything. Why is this place so empty?'
The quieter the surroundings were, the greater the sense of suffocation became. It was as if the walls were starting to close down on me, slowly suffocating my breath.
I continued like this until—
'It should be here.'
I stopped before a certain area, my hand pressing against the side of the wall.
'As expected. This is hollow. It feels different than the other walls.'
On the other side was the room where Sa—
I bit my lips, trying to push all my emotions away. To cling to that one side effect that was currently keeping me sane.
I didn't want to think about what had happened to her. Not yet. I couldn't afford to do it. At least, not in my current situation.
Taking a couple of breaths while clenching my teeth, I pressed my ear against the side of the wall. I didn't know why I was doing this, but it felt like the correct choice.
'Move... slowly.'
'One mi... sing.'
'It... should... soon.'
'Listening.'
"....!?"
And it proved to be the case as I heard muffled sounds coming from the other side. I couldn't quite make out what the voices were, but there were multiple, all whispering and talking as I also heard the sound of steps. The wall trembled slightly.
Were they dancing?
I pressed my ear further, trying to get a better listen to what was happening within as I kept a check of my surroundings.
'...Face...'
'Make sure... not dance...'
'Sacrifice.'
The voices grew louder. I could make them out better this time. I pressed my ear closer, straining even harder to listen.
'They're talking about some sort of sacrifice? Yes, now that I think about it, this has been the theme of the hotel the entire time.'
I thought back to everything that had happened. From the strange dance, the weird faceless creature that was painted in the murals, and the strange words that came out of their mouths.
This felt like some sort of cult...
'Wait, cult?'
I suddenly thought about the vision I had seen before, and looked to one of the paintings where a small head peeked.
'Right, she was in the vision.'
Mirelle...
She had once come here in the past. I had seen it using my third node.
In that case, a lot of things became clearer to me. This place was...
Bang!
".....!?"
The side of the wall shattered, a hand suddenly emerging next to me as my heart suddenly stopped beating.
Then—
A faceless face peeked, its gaze twisting from within the gap as it directed its attention toward me, freezing my body cold.
"The final sacrifice has arrived. We can now begin the ritual."
-x-X-x-
The voice whispered slowly, almost hoarse, dragging each word like it wanted them to sink beneath my skin.
The moment the sound reached me, my body locked in place. I couldn't even breathe as a blank face turned and fixed its hollow gaze directly on me.
"...With this one, we should have our last sacrifice."
A heavy and cold feeling settled over me as I stared at the blank face, peeking from the gap before me. Sacrifice? For what...?
All sorts of thoughts ran through my mind as I tried my best to make sense of the situation.
But before I could properly make sense of everything...
BANG!
".....!?"
Another hand shot through the wall, long pale fingers curling out and tearing the gap open as several more figures appeared. My breathing grew even quicker as I stared at the arm poking out of the wall, a large room appearing behind it as several figures with faceless expressions appeared, and equipment ranging from violins to a grand piano.
I didn't have time to get a proper look at the room as I looked behind me.
But...
"Ah, shit."
Several figures appeared, blocking my path.
I knew in that moment that I had fallen into a trap.
'This is bad. This is pretty bad.'
Still, I tried my best not to panic. This was the worst moment possible for me to panic. I needed to remain calm.
And... it wasn't like I was alone.
'It's time you make yourself useful...'
I suddenly turned my attention back towards the room within the wall.
It was there that my gaze fell on the piano again.
WHAM!
The loud clatter of keys slammed in unison echoed across the surroundings. Then, just as suddenly, the noise stopped, leaving behind a heavy silence.
As all heads slowly turned toward the noise, they all settled on the figure at the piano. It sat rigidly, back unnaturally straight, fingers resting lightly on the keys. Its lips were pulled tight across stitched seams, and its stitched gaze seemed to pierce through the eyelids, seemingly making him aware of everything that was happening.
'Yeah..."
I smiled to myself.
'It's about time my newest slave makes itself useful.'
***
Fwap—!
Seth closed the book in his hands, turning his attention back towards the team and Myles.
"...Let's go. I think this is all there is to this room. There isn't anything else that we need to pay attention to."
He began to walk past the group. From his appearance and demeanor, there was nothing strange about him. He acted exactly the same as before. It was such a demeanor that made the others frown.
...Was he really this unbothered by everything?
Did Sarah's death mean this little to him?
'No, he's just being professional.' Joanna repeated to herself, looking at the Squad Leader before sweeping her gaze over the room. It was as he said. There was nothing else noteworthy about the room besides the picture and the strange symbol on the floor.
Taking several pictures of it, she put her phone away.
'It doesn't look like the symbol is active. For now, I'll take photos of it and send it over to the Guild.'
She didn't really have to do this since everything was being broadcast, but her phone provided better quality images, so it wasn't a bad idea to do so.
"....."
While all of this was happening, only one individual remained quiet, the dimples slowly beginning to fade from his face as his gaze fell on Seth.
"I'll contact the Guild and make sure to pass everything to them, including this book in my hands. I'm sure they'll be able to figure—"
"Let me see the book for a second."
Myles suddenly cut Seth mid-sentence, prompting him to pause.
Turning slowly in Myles's direction, the two clashed gazes. The surroundings suddenly turned silent as the dimples on Myles's face returned and he extended his hand forward.
"I didn't get the chance to see the book. Will you give it to me?"
"....."
Seth remained quiet, his expression fixed on Myles.
A strange tension began to settle in the room. One that made everyone pause and turn their attention towards the two.
Just what the hell was going on?
"Squad Leader...? Why don't you—"
"Because he isn't your Squad Leader."
Myles answered matter-of-factly. If there had been any doubt before, it was gone now. The man standing before them wasn't Seth. He was someone else. Someone wearing Seth's face, pretending to be him.
"What? What are you saying?" Nora suddenly interjected, her brows furrowing tightly as she turned in Seth's direction. He stood still, book in hand, while his expression remained unchanged.
Nora's lips pursed for a moment.
"...I don't see anything that is strange about him? Why do you think he's not the Squad Leader? Are you doing this because he punched you?"
"No."
Myles shook his head, the dimples on his face growing while he tapped on his eyes.
"I can just see it."
Blinking once, Seth's appearance warped in Myles's eyes. What stood before him was no longer the look he was used to; Seth's face was wiped clean, smooth and empty, with only shallow cavities marking where eyes and a mouth should have been.
Despite the sudden change, Myles didn't look at all scared.
Instead, his dimples only grew as he turned his attention towards the book in Seth's hands.
"Let me guess..." His voice softly drifted around the room. "That's the key to clearing this scenario, and bringing him back, right?"
***
Outside the Gate.
"The situation inside seems to have calmed down a little. However, we've lost contact with at least seventy agents. This..."
The Section Chief's expression turned extremely somber. This was almost half of the entire members who had entered the Trials. He could see from the comments and the news articles that were popping up that the news of the incident was starting to spread everywhere.
He already tried mitigating the news, but it had reached a point where he couldn't stop what was happening.
'...This is really bad. At the rate that things are going, everything that we've built up until this point will crumble down before my eyes.'
From the numerous talented members to the sponsors, and even their reputation. They were going to lose a lot of things from this one massive blunder.
"Alright, I need to relax. We can still figure this out."
The Section Chief already knew the root problem of the situation. They were being attacked by an external force. Having watched the broadcast, he also understood the situation inside. He had been going back and forth with Zoey to try and see if she could find a way out, but that was easier said than done.
He had also tried breaking into the place, but that was impossible despite his skill.
The ones responsible for all of this had planned it thoroughly. This was a clear attack on them.
Taking a deep breath, the Section Chief steadied himself, lips parting to initiate another attempt at resolving the situation, when—
Clank!
The doors of the monitoring room opened.
All heads snapped toward the figure that had just emerged. The moment they did, the atmosphere froze solid, like ice creeping into every corner of the room.
Only one person moved, springing upright with their back rigid and shoulders squared in respect.
The Section Chief's gaze locked onto the distant figure as he sighed a visible breath of relief.
"You're finally here, Guild Master."