Without any second thought, Alex ran from the place, quickly racing toward the room. Time to time, losing his balance on the stairway. Despite the struggle, he didn't stop; he wanted to reach the room as quickly as possible.
The words heard at the basement echoed in his cloudy mind, "RASER is remaining; it's his time for sacrifices." These were like a warning sign, no, a distressing message to his psyche, encasing his survival instincts.
What would happen if they caught him? Would they put him in one of those circles? Would they disassemble his body one by one and offer his organ for sacrifice?
He instinctively imagined his own body parts placed on that ritualistic circle in every corner of the square that previously contained unknown eyes and heart.
His own golden eyes are placed in one corner, with his ear in another corner, his decapitated tongue in yet another, his own head with eyeless sockets accompanied by tears of blood from the inner cavity,earless head...with opened and a cracked skull
_Don't imagine such things, Alex._
_These sick people want to sacrifice their own brother for a weird-ass ritual. Now I understand why Shilla was concerned about Raser's health; if something happens to him, she will be unable to complete her offering._
Grabbing the door handle, swinging it open, and then thud! Closing it intensely, putting his back on the surface of the door,
Securing a safe place in the dimly lit room, the air around him hung heavy with the scent of aged wood and a distant hint of decay.
Shadows played on the peeling painting, creating eerie patterns that danced with the flickering light of a solitary table lamp.
His thoughts, though still clouded, began to clear as he surveyed his surroundings taking a deep breath.
Uf, the sound of heavy breathing resonated in the room, mingling with a beating heart pulsating with vitality.
His forehead felt cool that sent nervous chill down his spine.
A solitary drop of sweat traced a path along his cheek, a visible manifestation of his escalating anxiety.
"Damn, why did I choose this room? I should have run outside, escaping this cursed building."
He eyed the charging pod, its feeble glow barely illuminating the room's details.
"Wait, I can call the police emergency line. "
That was the most secure approach he could think of. He remembered a case from a previous world where a fanatic family killed their children just to satisfy an evil god, although they weren't aware it existed. When interviewed and asked about it, they simply said, "It's a matter of faith..."
Unwilling to confront any type of fanatic, he quickly ran toward the charging pod, grabbing the phone that was at 3% charge.
A distant sound of footsteps walking in the hallway echoed, coming from outside the room.
In this moment of catastrophe, his perceptions heightened. He could see in dim light, hear the sound of his ticklish clock, and sense the ever-increasing coldness around him.
He went to the call log, dialling... 911... Putting the phone to his ear, ignoring the ever-closing sound of footsteps, eyes deeply staring at the surface of the closed door.
[The number you have dialled does not exist...]
Realising the standard 911 is not working, he tried another emergency number.
"Wait, 112."
[The number you have dialled does not exist...]
Step, this time the sound of a foot meeting the ground triggered his memories; he remembered another set of numbers. "100."
"Shit, I forgot I am in another world."
_Shit, shit, shit... Can I search for the number... how the hell I can forget about the search engine?_
He quickly went to search engine, typing emergency numbers. Tip, tip, tip... he could hear his finger typing sound on the screen of the phone.
Fucking shit!! The page is taking an eternity to load.
Knock, knock...
The sound echoed indicating someone is at his doorstep, waiting for a response.
Ignoring the knock, he went to the contact list, searching for anyone. Seeing the recent call log,
_________/
Impact:- A slap on the bald head,
Benzo:- Owner of bald head...
Anna:-The nurse
Melissa...
_________/
"Open the door, Raser," a voice carrying a heavy mature tone echoed from outside of his door.
The footsteps stopped.
Alex stopped what he was doing. feelings the menacing gaze from the outside, a lady standing at the door, her body tainted with blood droplets continuously trailing from her head to toes, scarlet cloth dripping with crimson fluid, having a chilling smile on her face, eagerly eyeing the other side of the door.
The gaze seemed to pierce the wall of wooden texture, entering deep into his soul.
"I know you are awake." Her voice echoed in the room, penetrating every fiber of his body, sprouting goosebumps in his being.
His hand shook, vibrating heavily, shivering.
He instinctively thru the phone in his hand on the door. That bounced back, coming near his bed.
"What was that, Raser? Will you come out or not?"
Alex's voice stuck in his throat, he struggled for an answer , eventually replying with a shaky voice…
"I'm not feeling well," his tone was heavy and deep.
"well, it's not much work. Can you open the door for a bit? It's just a minute's work,time is also good. We can't miss the opportunity."
_Sure, sure. It's a very good time for you to offer this body. I am not going to open the door._
"Raser, are you listening? You can help me; you can be free from your guilt by just opening the door." Her shaky voice with a shivering tone, accompanied by the sound of biting teeth echoed.
"Raser!"
He could imagine the palpable disappointment an concerning look on the lady, afraid she will lose a timely opportunity.
Then suddenly it click in his mind.
_Hold on,_
_why does Shilla's voice sound so different?_