Kaguya let out a soft sigh, her mind drifting back to yesterday's haunted house adventure. The warmth of Natsuki's hand as he helped her up still lingered in her memory...
Thump, thump!
Her heart quickened its pace.
"Cut it out!" Kaguya muttered, pressing a hand to her chest. It was just a simple touch, for goodness' sake. Why was her heart racing like this? How bizarre!
"Hey, Yukino!" Chika called out, turning to the last remaining girl with long black hair. "Want Natsuki to warm you up too?"
Yukino folded her arms, stealing a glance at Natsuki before giving a slight shake of her head. She was about to refuse when something caught her eye.
"Wait... is that a flame in the fireplace?"
"Is that really a fire in the fireplace?" Yukino's question caught everyone's attention.
Natsuki glanced over, surprised to see a faint flame flickering in the dark hearth. The other players crowded around, curiosity piqued.
"Well, I'll be... there is a fire," someone muttered.
"But that's impossible," another chimed in. "No one's been near it."
A sarcastic voice cut through the chatter. "If we're talking impossible, this whole horror game takes the cake."
The group fell silent, eyeing the mysteriously lit fireplace with a mix of wariness and fascination. No one dared approach it at first.
As minutes ticked by without incident, one player finally cracked under the biting cold.
"Look, we're gonna freeze to death here," he grumbled, hugging himself. "There's a fire now. Why don't we chuck some books in and warm up?"
The castle's temperature was still plummeting, with frost crystallizing on surfaces. Natsuki's human heater act clearly wasn't cutting it anymore.
A quick vote saw six in favor, four abstaining, and no objections. Despite their misgivings about the fireplace, the cold left them little choice.
One of the guys cautiously approached, book in hand. To everyone's surprise, the moment it touched the flames, the book caught fire as if doused in accelerant.
"Oh man, it's actually getting warmer," the guy grinned, warming his hands. "Call me the official fire-keeper."
Soon, the others joined in, feeding more books to the hungry flames.
Chika picked up a familiar title, her face a mix of nostalgia and guilt. "Burning books... feels so wrong. Hey, is this Goosebumps? Used to scare the pants off me as a kid."
"Weird though," she added, flipping through it. "Most of it's all blurry. Oh well, in it goes!"
As the fire grew, Natsuki noticed a book among his pile: "How to Raise a Loyal Boyfriend". He picked it up, curious, but could only make out the title.
Remembering their earlier discussion about people seeing different things in the books, Natsuki's gaze drifted to Kaguya. Had she read this one?
Feeling his eyes on her, Kaguya maintained a composed exterior. But inside? Her heart was racing a mile a minute.
Kaguya's mind raced. He's suspicious! That look... he definitely suspects something! But outwardly, she remained calm, even daring to meet Natsuki's gaze.
Stay cool, she told herself. As long as I don't admit to knowing what's in that book, no one will ever know.
Natsuki looked away, setting the book down. In a flash, Yukino swooped in, casually tossing it into the fire.
Kaguya let out a quiet sigh of relief. Good riddance, she thought. That kind of book deserves to burn. If only I could do the same to every copy in the real world!
"Ugh, the Tomato Alien is terrifying!" Rikka exclaimed, clutching a comic book.
Natsuki glanced over, spotting the cover with cartoon girls and the title "Adventures of the Vegetable Alien."
"Isn't that a kids' comic?" Natsuki asked, bewildered. "The tomato alien looks adorable."
"No way!" Rikka protested. "The Tomato Stars are full of evil seeds. If they get inside you, they'll grow and make your stomach explode!"
Natsuki bit back a chuckle. Is she making some weird joke?
"Burn it!" Rikka cried, tossing the comic into the flames.
As more books fed the fire, the castle's chill began to lift.
"Books really are wonderful things," Natsuki mused, warming his hands.
Chika stretched contentedly. "I'm alive! You know, I was planning a ski trip in the Alps this summer, but I think I'll pass now."
"There's enough books here to keep us warm for days," someone noted.
"We're halfway through the countdown. Maybe we just wait it out?" another suggested.
But Kaguya frowned, unconvinced. "Don't get complacent," she warned, eyeing Chika's cheerful face. "I doubt the game will be that simple."
As if on cue, a strange rolling sound echoed through the castle. Natsuki's ears perked up, and he turned to see a bizarre sight emerging from the shadows: a puppet clown, decked out in a red scarf and tiny suit, riding a unicycle.
The group's chatter dissolved into startled gasps.
"What in the world...?" someone muttered.
"It's like that creepy Annabelle doll!" another voice chimed in.
"Since when do castles come with clowns?" a third wondered aloud.
The sight of the eerie puppet struck a chord with most of the players, bringing to mind countless horror films. But one person remained puzzled.
"What exactly is that thing?" Kaguya whispered, her brow furrowed.
Natsuki, fighting to keep a straight face, turned to her. "Oh, that? It's a highly respected educator, known for both its moral character and teaching skills. You'll find it at many horror film locations, bringing screams and joy to all ages."
"Joy? Are you kidding?" someone scoffed. "The only thing that thing's bringing is nightmares!"
As they debated, the wooden clown rolled to a stop before them. It adjusted its bow tie with a jerky motion, then opened its painted mouth. A low, unsettling voice creaked out:
"Welcome, esteemed guests. My sincerest apologies for the late greeting. To make amends, please allow me to—"
Suddenly, Chika stepped forward, cutting off the clown mid-sentence. She thrust out her hand dramatically, her voice ringing through the room:
"Outlaw Zhang San! I summon you! Do you dare answer?"
The puppet froze, its mouth clicking shut. For a moment, the castle seemed to hold its breath. Then, with a creak, the clown's jaw dropped open once more:
"...Zhang San is here."