Chika tapped her finger on her nose, striking a pose like Detective Conan. "The key must be the countdown," she mused.
Natsuki couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Wow, thanks for stating the obvious."
Everyone knew the ticking clock was important, but nobody had a clue what it actually meant.
"Maybe it's how long we have left in the game?" someone piped up. "Like, if we make it to zero, we're out?"
"Could be," another voice chimed in.
The group turned to look at a scrawny kid lurking in the corner. He was pale as a ghost, with messy hair and a withdrawn demeanor. His countdown was the shortest – just over two hours left.
Chika, ever the social butterfly, decided to break the ice. "Hey, I don't think we've all introduced ourselves properly. I'm Chika! What's your name?"
The skinny boy hesitated before muttering, "...Just call me Izumi."
Chika's gave Natsuki a subtle wink.
Taking the hint, Natsuki spoke up. "I'm Natsuki."
One by one, the others followed suit:
"Shirogane." "Tsubame." "Yukino."
Once everyone had shared their names, a sense of camaraderie started to form.
"These countdowns are pretty short," Chika observed. "Why don't we all hang out in the hall until they hit zero?"
Kaguya crossed her arms. "I vote no."
"Huh? Why not?" Chika asked, surprised.
Natsuki shivered. "Because it's freezing in here! Haven't you noticed it's getting colder? We'll turn into popsicles before the timer's up if we don't do something."
Chika frowned. "It can't be that bad, right?"
"It's worse than you think," Natsuki said, pointing. "Look at that door – it's starting to frost over."
The group turned to look at the wooden castle door. Sure enough, a thin layer of frost was creeping across its surface.
"Wait, was that there before?" someone asked nervously.
"Definitely not," Yukino said calmly. "If there was frost inside earlier, the outside would be even worse. But the outer door was fine when we came in."
Reality sank in.
"We'll freeze to death if we don't act fast!"
"There's a fireplace over there – let's find stuff to burn!"
As panic set in, everyone sprang into action.
"Stick together, guys!" Chika warned. "In horror movies, the loners always die first!"
[The scene shifts as the group begins exploring the castle together]
No one needed to be told twice. They moved as a unit, never straying more than a few feet apart as they searched the castle.
It was like something out of a medieval fairy tale – all stone walls and soaring spires outside, with fancy wooden interiors. The place was decked out with plush sofas, long tables, candelabras, and intricate tapestries. Talk about living like royalty.
The group cautiously explored the eerie castle, finding only silence and gloom within its walls. Natsuki and Chika brought up the rear, ready to face any supernatural threats that might sneak up on them.
Suddenly, the long-haired girl in front of them stopped abruptly, her eyes fixed on a mural.
"Yukino, you okay?" Chika asked, concern evident in her voice.
Yukino shook her head, composing herself. "I'm fine, don't worry," she replied, continuing onward.
Natsuki examined the mural that had caught Yukino's attention. It depicted a noble lady, her face eerily blurred.
Chika tugged at Natsuki's sleeve, whispering, "Let's stick to the opposite wall. You never know when painted ladies might grab us!"
Natsuki sighed. "Come on, don't be so dramatic."
"I'm not! It's straight out of every horror flick," Chika protested.
As they walked, Natsuki noticed something odd about all the paintings. A thought kept nagging at him: These paintings are strange... but how?
The group's search for warmth proved fruitless until they stumbled upon a library.
"Hey, what about burning some books?" one of the boys suggested excitedly. "Like in that movie, 'The Day After Tomorrow'!"
Natsuki nodded in agreement. "That could work."
The idea quickly gained traction among the shivering group, desperate for any source of heat in the increasingly frigid castle.
Chika took charge, waving everyone towards the fireplace. "Alright, gang, let's get these books moved!"
Natsuki headed for a bookshelf, ready to grab an armful. As he reached for a book, the title caught his eye. He did a double-take.
"'A Manual for Raising a Loyal Boyfriend'? What the heck?" he muttered, bewildered.
"Whatcha got there?" Kaguya walked over, curious. When she saw the book, her eyes went wide.
No way, she thought, panicking. That looks exactly like the book I have hidden in my drawer at home! How is it here?
"You, uh... recognize this?" Natsuki asked, noticing her reaction.
Kaguya froze. If I admit it, how do I explain why I have that kind of book? They'll think I'm some weirdo!
"I... um..." she stammered, desperately trying to think of an excuse.
"Kaguya!" Chika's voice rang out, saving her. "Check this out!"
Grateful for the distraction, Kaguya hurried over. "What'd you find?"
Chika held up a book, grinning. "Get a load of this title!"
Natsuki peered at it and nearly choked. "'Postpartum Care for Sows'? What the..."
[The scene shifts as more players discover bizarre books]
Soon, everyone was finding weird titles:
"'108 Ways for ADCs to Die'?" "'How I Made a Tokyo Heiress Fall for Me in 100 Days'?" "'A Brief History of Time' - okay, that one's actually real..." "'I Became a River Crab'? Is that some kind of metaphor?" "'Miss Su's Guide to Surviving Isekai'? What's an isekai?"
Natsuki tried to read the "Loyal Boyfriend" book, but the text was a complete blur.
[A system message appears]
Natsuki grumbled under his breath. "Yeah, no kidding it's strange. I've got eyes, you know."
He grabbed a stack of books, noticing that some had bits of legible text here and there, but nothing coherent.
"Natsuki!" Chika called out. "Time to go! Grab what you can!"
"On it!" he replied, arms full of books as they all headed back to the main hall.