Throughout the castle, different groups, different players, all of of them were slowly collapsing under the pressure of death.
Some people wondered off alone, some huddled together in groups but they all had one thing in coming.
They were desperate.
This was the first time Lin Qiushi, the last newcomer who had somehow managed to survive, clearly sensed that the others had more than enough; they were all at the end of their tether. The overwhelming pressure of their looming deaths and the noxious paranoia that overcame them became the final straw.
Shi XiaoDong seemed to have already predicted such a situation, so he wasn't in the least surprised. Lin Qushi had been the one to ask at the very beginning where they were and Shi Xiadong had been the one to answer. Somehow throughout the 4 days, they had formed somewhat of a quasi- team and had naturally allied together searching the 4th floor along with two others. Nevertheless the seperate duo beside them had nowhere as much composure as even Lin Quishi. Shi Xiadong nonchalantly found a room to search by himself, ignoring as the individuals within the corridors grew increasingly unstable and agitated. All of a sudden, he parted his lips and softly reminded, "Have you already forgotten that there's still a place with dolls?"
This one sentence was like the first droplets of rain falling on arid land, moisturizing the dry atmosphere at once and cleansing the scorching pressure in the air. Bu Hua asked, "Where?"
Lin Qiushi guessed, "The cemetery? But we also went searching their before. I just don't know where the bodies in this castle are located, and I never found them."
"Of course it isn't the cemetery," Shi XiaoDong said.
"In this world, the place where the dead are buried isn't as simple as it seems."
****
On the other side
Wooden doors of the same color stood before every room in this building. The bulky doors were all of a vermillion shade, and the paint coating the surface had long been mottled. No one knew for how many years these doors had been used. There were stacks of coal and piles of debris haphazardly scattered about the staircase, giving the impression that this place was inhabited.
In this obscuring darkness, the scene before their eyes wasn't quite visible. However, because this hazy sight was still utterly terrifying, both of them had fixed all of their attention on it; they were completely engrossed with what they were seeing.
This was a group of two, in fact they were also the the last two that had stayed behind during the grave search. After being isolated from the rest, they could only team up to search the floors in trepidation
As this moment, they watched on as the relief sculpture inside the the open door began to contort and twist disturbingly, as if something was struggling to break free from it. This state of distortion lasted for a brief moment. They continued to gape as crooked, pale hands dug their way out of the relief sculpture. The two hands were incomparably huge. With curling fingernails painted a brilliant scarlet, the hands aimlessly groped around the empty space and eventually seized the wooden frame nearby.
The instant they grasped the wooden door, these hands seemed to have found a point of focus. The creature began to exert more strength; it tugged on the wooden fence harder and sluggishly dragged its body and its head out of the door.
"AHHHHHHH-"
Snapping out of the disturbing trance the two immediately took flight, running for their pathetic lives as the grosteque hands chased from the open door.
****
The mood of the group was getting worse by the second due to the 5 hour timer imposed on them. By the time the second hour rolled about, another conflict arose between the members of the team. Surprisingly, it was Bu Hua and Xiao Ke who ended up getting into a heated quarrel, simply because of the so-called unfairness. Bu Hua was in charge of opening the door and Xiao Ke was in charge of searching but eventually Xiao Ke, felt that it was too dangerous but neither would Bu Hua regress to opening the door. Xiao Ke lost his temper and angrily grabbed the props in his hands in a fit of pique, and moved to opening the doors by himself.
Cynicism and hostility permeated the atmosphere. A single word, a slight action, and even a quick glance would cause all hell to break loose.
Tick. Tick.
Staring at Xiao Ke's back, Lui Quishi face suddenly faded to a deadly white, mouth gaping in shock and horror. Not too long after, Shi XiaoDong and Bu Hua also turned up their faces in a ugly grimace.
"This-this-this--"
Xiao Ke noticed their faces and immediately panic shrouded his features.
"What is it- What's wrong-- Tell me!!"
"The shadow on your back- we saw ... " Lin Qiushi swallowed, "it was a child."
The man's face was as white as a sheet. Terror stricken, he slowly turned his head around and gaped at the shadow beneath his face.
It was true, it wasnt his shadow that reflected on the floor, it was smaller and thin, almost childlike.
in his ears he seemed to hear little happy giggles.
This wasn't his shadow-
His eyes were filled with sheer horror and despair.
Trembles wracked his body, and jumbled whispers flew from his mouth. He vehemently denied it, "No, impossible, it's impossible, it can't be. How can this be? You two definitely have problems. It's you, it must to be you ... " After saying this, he alertly shifted his eyes around and cautiously observed at his surroundings, as if afraid that the words he had uttered might've been overheard by others.
"No- I have to find the dolls- the Dolls!!,"
Xiao Ke snarled, "You definitely aren't human, I've seen it all! I'm the normal one" He seemed to have broken down completely; his moods fluctuated so fast, he was easily provoked and he was prone to bouts of anger now he was faced with this. He simply lowered his head, grabbed the handle of the door and tore it open.
At his feet dropped a corpse.It had been leaning against the door, eyes wide open as if it had been peeking on the guest on the other side.
The child's body was frozen stiff , but its appearance was as gruesome; the area where the abdomen was supposed to be connected to the waist was severed, and the spilling viscera and spine was fully exposed for all to see. Such a gruesome sight was beyond hair-raising.
If Lin Qiushi had witnessed this scene the very moment he arrived to this world, he surely would've puked his guts out. But after spending so many days here fortifying himself with experience, Lin Qiushi gazed at this scene numbly; his heart didn't give rise to the slightest palpitations. As a matter of fact, he even wanted to examine it from a closer range.
"What is this- "
No one could answer Li Quishi's question because at this moment, the corpse on the floor move. The head twisted 180° sound to face them, a wide bloody smile on its face.
"BOO-"
"Fuck, Shi XiaoDong didn't have time to explain to them only take spitting out a callus, "Run!"
"Kkekekekkeek"
"Let's play shall we-
****
"Let's play another game ok?"
Chu Yi tilted his head slightly, watching the confused and vigilant expression on Peng Qi's and An XueFengs face. It was only when he could see them starting to back away slowly in fear did he speak again.
This time much more normally.
"I didnt mean to scare you- (He did) I just wanted to propose an alliance."
Maybe it was Chu Yi's otherworldly face, maybe it was the sequelae of watching someone being crushed to death right in front of them or maybe it was the threat of death hanging right above them.
So when Chu Yi proposed to search the least likely room, they agreed.
With heavy trepidation, they left the floors, climbing the grand mahogany stairs and up to the only unexplored room in the castle.
Similarly whether it be, by coincidence or not, all the other players were heading towards the same direction.
Not unlike sheep's being here into a pen, from all corners of the tower, footsteps made a straight line towards the center of the castle.
The Madams room.