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 extrely 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 .
"...Hm, yes, I can definitely tell that soone was here."
The voice continued to whisper in the air, this ti 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 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 ...?’
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 so 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 sa ti, my nose started to twitch. The dust on the floor was starting to get to 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 cara and raised it slowly, angling it at the gap above .
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
Unknowingly, a shadow cast over my area.
The narrow gap frad 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 .
I had long stopped breathing, trying my best to keep my heartbeat steady.
The mont seed 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 cara positioned over my breast pocket.
Huh?
That was also the mont that I ca to another realization.
’It’s off.’
The light switch that usually indicated the cara was on was off.
’...Right. That makes sense. I’m not technically in the ’real’ world at the mont. It would only make sense for the cara 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 , my body started to relax. The shadow beneath wiggled, and a small creature appeared.
’Go ahead and check the surroundings. See if there’s anyone.’
The Dreamwalker stared at 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 sa 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 sa spot, trying my best to remain patient as the silence around left unsettled.
I didn’t know how much ti had passed. Perhaps a few seconds, or perhaps several minutes. Every second felt like it stretched on for a very long ti, and just when my patience started to run thin, I felt sothing.
’...Good. The way is clear.’
With ti, 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 mont I felt a sudden tug within the node in my mind, I knew it was ti for 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 mont 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 stretching as I moved past all of the paintings.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
My heart drumd inside 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 beca. It was as if the walls were starting to close down on , 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 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 ti. I pressed my ear closer, straining even harder to listen.
’They’re talking about so sort of sacrifice? Yes, now that I think about it, this has been the the of the hotel the entire ti.’
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 ca out of their mouths.
This felt like so 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 co here in the past. I had seen it using my third node.
In that case, a lot of things beca clearer to . This place was...
Bang!
".....!?"
The side of the wall shattered, a hand suddenly erging next to as my heart suddenly stopped beating.
Then—
A faceless face peeked, its gaze twisting from within the gap as it directed its attention toward , freezing my body cold.
"The final sacrifice has arrived. We can now begin the ritual."
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