Nawa: "I never thought it would end this brutally… My entire group died before my eyes…"
Youssef: "How could you be the sole survivor out of nine people? And what happened to Safaa?"
Nawa: "She was the most persistent of all, and she died trying to save the others. I'm sorry for what happened to her; I know she meant a lot to you…"
I had known Nawa for many years, understanding exactly when he lied and when he told the truth, and at this moment, without a doubt, he was "lying!"
<…> "Appeared out of nowhere among us:" "Five survivors, surely you are the least wicked among the dead. Therefore, I will reward you by revealing the rules of your next game."
Rules are simple: "Run!" The underworld hounds are roaming the mansion and will chase you wherever you go. Your scents are preserved for them, so anyone who survives until dawn will pass the test. You have two hours until sunrise and one hour to find a hiding place. Now scatter!"
He disappeared again, leaving us confused as usual. One hour to find a hiding place? How could we hide from the hounds for a full hour?
Youssef: "I think our best chance of survival is to stay together. Let's head to a room and close all entrances."
Nawa: "That way, our scents will be together in one place, and dying all at once won't help anyone. I suggest we split into pairs; that will increase the chance of at least one of us surviving."
Mira: "I agree with both opinions. But I think if we separate and spread our scents throughout the mansion for a full hour, we can confuse the hounds, while also securing the entrances to our rooms."
Younes-Louay: …
Nawa: "Since I'm injured, I suggest Mira goes with Youssef and the rest come with me. This will balance the strength between our teams."
Louay: "Three boys in the same team? I have no objection!"
Younes (anxious): "I have no objection either."
I felt a bit bad for splitting from my previous team, but being with Nawa without knowing what happened with his previous team worried me even more. By my own will, I felt I should go to the library to check the books.