Nikke, something’s seriously wrong with this evacuation point! Chapter 56 56: Golden Footprints

The door opened.

The expected stench, darkness, and writhing flesh of the garbage field, were gone.

In their place stood a massive, spotless full-length mirror.

On both sides, stretching endlessly into the distance, lay a dim corridor lined with thick red carpet, eerily clean.

A faint scent drifted through the air.

Old… but not unpleasant.

A mix of dried flowers and candle wax.

Soft jazz music played sowhere in the corridor, filling the silence just enough to keep it from becoming oppressive.

Charon and Ana stood frozen for several seconds.

They imdiately realized, this was not the sa place as before.

Especially Ana.

By her own account, she had entered through a luxurious double door on a street.

As for Charon, he had fought his way through a shopping district, into an apartnt, through an endless corridor, fallen down an elevator shaft, and barely reached that room covered in blood and rot.

And yet, this place matched neither of their routes.

It was completely new.

Unknown.

"…Where's the garbage field?" Charon muttered.

He glanced at the mirror.

Reflected within it were two figures, one tall, one small, and the door to Room 404 behind them.

Everything looked normal.

He checked both sides.

The doors lining the corridor, fras and all, were identical to Room 404.

The numbers were clearly marked:

403. 405.

"I see…"

Charon lowered his gaze, eting Ana's equally stunned eyes.

"…I don't know how, but this… is where that room was originally supposed to be."

There was no mud.

No trash.

The carpet beneath their feet was soft and clean.

It should have been comforting, but the sudden shift only made Ana more uneasy.

Her grip tightened.

What had started as lightly holding his sleeve beca clutching his hand, firmly.

She was scared.

"It's okay, Ana."

Charon smiled, gently holding her hand in return.

"Don't forget,you have those shoes. No matter what happens, they'll protect you. I might even need your help later."

Ana looked at him.

Pressed her lips together.

Then nodded.

Hand in hand, they picked a direction and walked.

...

Ten minutes later.

Charon stopped.

On the left, the open door of Room 404.

On the right, the sa massive mirror.

He exchanged a glance with Ana.

…Yeah.

Sothing was wrong.

They turned around.

Walked the other way.

Ten minutes later, they were back again.

No intersections.

No turns.

Just an endlessly extending corridor.

"…This is troubleso," Charon muttered, frowning.

"Looks like we'll have to search the rooms for clues."

If the corridor itself was looping, then the solution had to be inside the rooms.

The only question was, how to open them.

Force them?

Would that even work?

"Mr. Charon…"

Ana suddenly spoke.

She tugged at his hand.

"…This way."

"Hm?"

Charon looked down, and saw what she was holding.

[Mirror of Truth · Fragnt]

She tilted it slightly.

And in its reflection, sothing appeared.

A trail of golden footprints.

Invisible in reality, yet clearly visible in the mirror.

They led straight ahead, into the full-length mirror.

And continued walking… inside it.

"…Amazing!"

Charon's eyes lit up.

"This isn't even mine, I didn't think to use it like this… Ana, that's incredible!"

"If you hadn't picked this up, we might've been stuck here forever."

"Mm."

Ana puffed out her chest slightly.

Her expression clearly said she was pleased.

"Then let's follow it, Mr. Charon."

They hadn't tested walking into a mirror before.

But at this point, there was no other choice.

Charon stepped forward first, and walked straight into it.

There was no resistance.

No impact.

They passed through smoothly.

And the world changed.

Before, it had felt comfortable.

Now, it felt real.

Dim, warm candlelight beca the only source of illumination.

The flas didn't flicker, yet the shadows around them twisted and shifted unnaturally.

The dark red wallpaper was torn and decayed.

Through a large crack in the wall–

Charon could clearly see sothing pulsing.

Flesh.

A living wall.

It looked eerily similar to what he had seen in the elevator shaft before.

The music remained, but the jazz had turned into a faint, distant piano lody.

From within the walls, ca the sound of liquid flowing.

The scent changed too.

No longer pleasant, but damp rot, mixed with sothing like disinfectant.

Charon forced a faint smile.

"Now this feels right…"

"…and very wrong at the sa ti."

If he had been alone, he might've already started exploring this obviously dangerous place.

But, he wasn't alone.

Ana was with him.

The crystal shoes were powerful.

But they weren't invincible.

And if they ever had to rely on that three-second shield, that would an things had gone very, very wrong.

"Mr… Mr. Charon…"

Ana pressed close to him, almost clinging.

"Th-this place is really strange…"

"It's okay."

He steadied his voice.

"Stay close. Don't fall behind."

He paused.

"Actually–just focus on the mirror. Guide , alright?"

No matter how twisted this place beca, the Mirror of Truth would show the correct path.

That alone, was enough.

"Mm… okay…"

Ana forced herself not to look at the horrors around them.

Instead, she focused on the mirror.

"…Let's go."

The golden footprints continued.

But their path…

barely followed logic anymore.

They passed through walls.

Crossed impossible angles.

Even stepped into elevator shafts without hesitation.

At first, it felt unnatural.

But soon, they got used to it.

Whoever had left these footprints, they were leading them the right way.

After a while, the footprints entered a guest room.

Then, exited it exactly as they had entered.

And continued forward.

Skip the room?

Or follow the path exactly?

Ana looked at Charon.

He thought for half a second–

Then made his decision.

"…Let's go inside."

"Maybe there's sothing important in there."