NARRATOR
Fasten your seatbelts, dear readers, because we are about to arrive at the moment where the trial actually begins! Well, kind of. It's more of a chaotic mess of conversations, half-baked strategies, and, honestly, a lot of bickering. But, hey, that's part of the fun, right?
Now, before we dive in, let me remind you of one small, insignificant detail: the author of this story? Cruel. The kind of person who seems to take great pleasure in making his characters suffer. Honestly, the guy's relentless. Plans? Strategies? Dreams? Yeah, those don't stand a chance. So buckle up, because nothing's going to be easy for this cast.
Speaking of which, it seems I owe you an update. Some of our dear characters haven't even graced the stage yet! Can you believe it? The nerve. Oh, and as for the ones who have been introduced? Well, let me give you a little refresher, because keeping track of this chaos is no small feat.
First up, we have Lyra Erso. Or, rather, had Lyra Erso. Yeah, she's gone. Dead. A moment of silence for Lyra... or not. Moving on!
Next, we have Sebastian Vale, the cautious one with a knack for overthinking. Harrison Greenleaf, who, let's face it, is as naive as they come. William Winters, our cold and aloof encyclopedia of a human. Ren Ashford—oh, this guy. Keep an eye on him, readers. Trust me, he's trouble in the best and worst ways.
Then there's Lucas Rossington, our resident joker who can't take anything seriously, even when his life's on the line. Marcella De Santos, who has yet to show her full colors. Kaida Katsuragi, who's already trying to fix everyone's problems like a one-woman therapy squad. Ethan Blackwood, the ever-serious voice of reason who's probably losing patience as we speak. And finally, Anna, the mysterious maid who knows just enough to be suspicious, yet not enough to be helpful.
That's it for now, folks. Our cast of chaos—well, the ones still breathing, anyway. As for the others who haven't been introduced yet? Fingers crossed they don't meet a tragic end before they even get a proper introduction. I wouldn't put it past the author, though.
Now, without further ado, let's crash this so-called meeting of theirs and see just how miserably they're going to fail at figuring things out.
Everyone was seated around the dining table, the atmosphere tense but expectant. At the head of the table sat Ethan, his posture composed and authoritative, befitting his role as class representative. His sharp gaze swept across the group, silently urging them to stay focused.
Ethan breaks the silence, his tone firm but calm. "Now that we're all gathered here, I think it's time we start this meeting." He paused, looking at each of them to ensure their attention. "We're all here because we need to figure out a way to beat this trial. Whatever information we can remember—any detail, no matter how small—might be helpful. According to what the one overseeing this trial told us, we can't think outside the box. So, anything you know, anything at all, could make the difference."
He leaned slightly forward, his expression hardening. "But before we get into that, Sebastian mentioned earlier that he noticed something… off. So, Sebastian," Ethan gestured toward him, "do you mind explaining?"
Sebastian, seated near the middle of the table, stood up with deliberate calmness. His gaze swept over the group before he spoke, his voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of unease. "There's been something off ever since we got here. And I'm surprised no one's brought it up yet. Or maybe no one else noticed. Or…" he hesitated for a fraction of a second, "maybe no one dared to ask about it."
That got their attention. Curious glances were exchanged around the table, but Sebastian didn't give them a chance to interrupt.
"If you try to think back," he continued, his tone sharper now, "you'll realize you can't actually remember the real reason why we came here." He glanced briefly at Harrison. "When we were in our room, I asked Harrison, and this is what he told me."
Harrison leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed defensively. "I told him we came here on a school trip," he said, his voice slightly defensive. "And yeah, we did. What's the problem with that?"
Sebastian tilted his head, his gaze narrowing. "Exactly. That's the problem. You're telling me that we came here, to this creepy, cursed place, for a school trip? After everything you just explained about how this place is rumored to be?"
Before Harrison could respond, Lucas leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Uh, yeah, actually," Lucas said, his tone casual but tinged with confusion. "Sebastian, he's right. We did come here for a school trip. Don't you remember? The teacher asked us where we wanted to go. None of us had any suggestions, and Harrison was the only one who spoke up." He gestured vaguely at Harrison. "He recommended this place, and, well, we all just kinda went along with it. So, like… I don't see what's so weird about it."
Sebastian's lips pressed into a thin line. He crossed his arms, glancing between Harrison and Lucas. "You see? That's exactly it. What you two remember… and what I remember… isn't the same."
Ethan frowned, his brows knitting together as he turned to Sebastian. "In what way?"
Sebastian's gaze darkened, and he opened his mouth to answer—but before he could speak, it was as if the very building were eavesdropping on their conversation.
Sebastian leaned forward, his voice dropping slightly as if he was trying to keep the mansion itself from overhearing. "You see, right now, even as I'm trying to point it out… I feel like the mansion is staring daggers into my soul."
The room fell silent, almost as if the house itself was listening. Then, a smooth, taunting voice broke through the quiet.
"I'm sorry about that," the voice said. "That was just me."
Every head whipped around, eyes darting to find the source of the sound, but there was no one else in the room.
"You know," the voice continued, light and almost playful, "since I oversee this trial and all, I have to listen in on whatever you're discussing. So, yeah, sorry about that. It was just me."
Sebastian scowled, his eyes narrowing. "Joker…"
"Ah, yes! It's me!" The voice sounded delighted, as if basking in the attention. "I know what you're all thinking—how is he talking to us? How can he hear us? Because I'm not sitting with you at this table, right? But that's the thing about me." There was a pause, almost like a smirk. "I am everywhere. And I am nowhere. I can appear at any time. Or, at no time at all."
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"So, yeah," Joker's voice continued. "That's the reason. But don't worry. I won't do that again. For now." The disembodied voice chuckled softly. "Let's continue, shall we?"
Sebastian sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to refocus. "As I was saying…" He took a deep breath. "Right now, I want all of you to tell me what you remember. I need to see if I'm the one with the different memory here. Because I don't understand this. If the majority of us remember the same thing, then that's probably the real reason we're here. And maybe I'm just… hallucinating. Or my memory is off."
He turned his gaze to Ethan. "Ethan, what about you? What do you remember?"
Ethan straightened slightly in his seat, looking thoughtful. "Um… what I remember is being at the principal's office," he said carefully. "He mentioned that our class had some kind of project. So, yeah, I just assumed we were here for that. I thought we were only here because of a school project." He hesitated, frowning. "It was kind of weird, though. Why would we do a project here, of all places? But I figured, well, it's a project, I guess. Maybe we're just supposed to… find something? I thought it was like an escape room. You know, testing our intelligence or something."
Before Sebastian could respond, Lucas and Harrison both jumped in.
"Well, Ethan," Lucas said, his tone slightly teasing, "You don't remember what we're talking about because you weren't even in class when we decided to come here."
Harrison nodded in agreement. "Exactly. You weren't there, so we just filled you in, and you went along with it. That's probably why you don't remember what we're talking about."
Ethan blinked, his face shifting into an apologetic expression. "Oh. Uh, sorry about that. I guess that explains why I don't remember much about this."
Ren smirked, leaning back in his chair. "See? Typical honor student. He couldn't think of anything except some school project."
William's voice snapped through the room, sharp and authoritative. "Stop that, Ren. This isn't the time for stuff like that. Just stop."
Ren shrugged, his smirk fading into an indifferent expression as he crossed his arms.
Sebastian cleared his throat, pulling the group's focus back. "Right. So, if that's what Ethan remembers, then…" He glanced at the others, his brow furrowing as the tension in the room built once again.
Before Sebastian could respond further, William interrupted, his voice calm but firm. "Sebastian, wait a second. You haven't told us what you remember yet. Do you mind sharing? It might help us figure out what's going on if we compare everything."
Sebastian looked up, slightly taken aback. "Oh, sorry about that," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "The reason I didn't mention it before is… well, I thought my reason would sound stupid."
"Stupid?" William raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Sebastian sighed, leaning forward slightly. "What I remember is… well, I remember us looking for a haunted place. Harrison suggested this one—not for a school trip or anything like that, but because it was supposed to be haunted." He paused, frowning. "That's what I recall. But the reason I said my memory feels fuzzy is… I can't remember why we wanted to find a haunted place in the first place. It's like there's a gap in my memory where the reason should be."
William's eyes widened slightly as he straightened up. "Wait… Sebastian, that's exactly how I remember it too. I remember us looking for a haunted place, but just like you, I can't remember why we wanted to go to one."
Ren's gaze flicked to William, a sharp glint in his eyes. "So, let me get this straight," Ren said, crossing his arms. "You remember us looking for a haunted place, but neither of you remembers why?"
William turned to Ren, narrowing his eyes slightly. "What about you? Do you remember?"
Ren tilted his head slightly, his smirk faint. "Well… yeah, I remember why we were looking for a haunted place. It's because—" He stopped abruptly, his expression faltering as his lips moved but no words came out.
William frowned, leaning closer. "What? Because… what? Say something, Ren!"
Ren grimaced, his voice strained. "That's the thing. I want to say it, but it's like something is stopping the words from coming out. I can see the reason in my head, clear as day, but when I try to speak it, nothing comes out."
Sebastian leaned forward, his tone growing tense. "What do you mean you can't say it? Are you tryna mess with us?"
"I'm not joking," Ren snapped, irritation flashing across his face. "The moment I try to say the reason, it's like my mouth locks up. The words just… won't come out."
William's expression darkened as he rubbed his chin. "That's strange. If something's stopping you from talking about it, then…" He trailed off, glancing at Sebastian.
Sebastian nodded grimly. "It means we're not supposed to know. Or maybe someone—or something—doesn't want us to know why we came here." He exhaled slowly, his voice dropping to a murmur. "We'll have to figure it out ourselves as we move forward… maybe while trying to beat the trial."
William pursed his lips before turning toward Marcy. "Marcy, what about you? What do you remember?"
Marcy twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, looking thoughtful. "Well, yeah, I kind of remember the same thing as Lucas and Harrison. I remember us coming here for a school trip, like an excursion or something. So yeah, that's what I remember."
Kaida, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up. "I also remember why we came here," she said, her tone measured. "But just like Ren, I can't say it either."
Everyone turned to look at her, surprised.
Kaida nodded, her gaze steady. "I remember that we came here because we were looking for a haunted place. But the reason why? I know the reason we were looking for a haunted place, but just like Ren, I can't speak it out loud. When I try to, it's like… the words refuse to leave my mouth."
A heavy silence settled over the group as they exchanged uneasy glances.
Sebastian clenched his fists. "So that's it, then. The reason is there, but we're being stopped from remembering or saying it. Why?" He shook his head, frustration boiling over. "We need to figure out what's happening. Fast."
Sebastian glanced over at Luna, who hadn't lifted her head from the table since the discussion began. "Um, Kaida, do you mind waking Luna up? I noticed she hasn't even raised her head this whole time."
Kaida turned to her left, nudging Luna gently. "Luna, do you mind staying awake for at least this discussion? We kind of need everyone's input right now."
Luna let out a long, lazy yawn and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Ugh, why are we even here again?" She stretched her arms before resting her chin on her palm. "I mean, it's not like I'm not following, but I don't see what the fuss is all about. You need to beat the trial? Gather information, then. Search the mansion. Maybe you'll find what you need."
Intro: (Name: Luna Marlowe, Age: 16, Origin: Heir to the Order of Luminari (Temple), Talent: Botany).
Sebastian shot her an exasperated look. "Seriously, Luna? Are you going to be like this the whole time?"
Ethan leaned forward, trying to sound more patient. "Luna, can you please cooperate? We could really use your help. Can you at least tell us what you remember?"
Luna blinked, tilting her head slightly. "What I remember? What do you mean by that?"
Kaida interjected, her tone more encouraging. "Don't you remember why we came here? The reason why?"
Luna shrugged. "Well… I was kind of asleep when most of this started, so I don't exactly know the reason why we're here." She paused, frowning in thought. "Oh, wait, now I do! This lovely flower on the table told me."
Everyone froze for a moment before Sebastian's face twisted in disbelief. "Seriously? Are you trying to mess with us? A flower told you?!"
Luna crossed her arms and huffed. "I'm not joking. That's what the flower said. And if the flower says it, then it's true."
Sebastian groaned, pressing his palm against his forehead. "Unbelievable…"
Kaida placed a hand on Sebastian's shoulder, her voice calm. "Don't worry about her, Sebastian. She's… always been like this. I don't know if she can actually talk to plants, but she's always talked to them. And, well… whenever she says a plant told her something, it usually turns out to be true."
Sebastian blinked, caught between disbelief and resignation. "Wait, you're saying she's serious?"
Luna chimed in, her tone nonchalant. "The flower does know the reason why we needed a haunted place. It told me. But here's the thing—it warned me not to say it out loud." Her voice dropped slightly as she added, "It said if I try to say it, I'll probably die right here on the spot. So, sorry guys, but I really don't want to die today."
Sebastian threw his hands up in frustration. "Unbelievable! Seriously?! Always like this…"
As Sebastian prepared to continue his point, someone sitting at the edge of the table finally spoke up. Her voice cut through the room with sharp irritation.
"Seriously? I was wondering when you guys would finally start discussing something important," she said, crossing her arms. "I mean, we've been living in this mansion for, what, like a month now? And nobody has said a word about how we're going to get out or when this nightmare will be over. And now, after all this time, this is when you decide to talk about it?"
Intro: (Name: Evelyn Stone, Age: 17, Origin: Daughter of the Commander-In-Chief of the Argentum Legion (Military), Talent: Weapon's Master).
The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in.
Sebastian cleared his throat, nodding slowly. "Yeah, that was actually going to be my next point." He turned to Harrison, gesturing toward her. "See what I was talking about? You said we've been here for nearly three days, but I think we've only been here for a few hours—maybe half a day. And then there's her, saying she's been stuck here for a month. Imagine what it must have been like for her. Anyone would start losing their mind if they had to endure this place for that long."
Ren leaned back, glancing sharply at the girl. "Wait, Evelyn… are you seriously saying we've been here for a month? What do you mean? Are you kidding me? We've only been here for what, like, half a day tops. And you're telling us it's been a month? Are you losing it or what?"
Evelyn glared at him, her voice steady and firm. "I am not crazy, Ren." She gestured toward another girl seated nearby. "If you don't believe me, ask Vivian. It's even worse for her. Normally, she never stops talking, always running her mouth about something. But look at her now—she's completely quiet. You can tell even she's shaken."
Vivian, who had been sitting in silence until now, finally spoke up, her tone calm but edged with annoyance. "Speak for yourself, Evelyn. I'm not terrified." She sighed, glancing around the room. "But… she's not entirely wrong. I've been here longer than anyone else, and I noticed something was off the moment Lyra's body was found. My sense of time has felt… different. I realized it when everyone started acting like we'd only been here a few hours or so. It didn't add up. If it's only been that short, how has no one mentioned how long we've been here? How has no one even talked about our stay here at all? It's like there's something messing with our heads."
Intro: (Name: Vivian Laurent, Age: 15, Origin: Heir to LIT, Talent: Infiltrator).
LIT = Laurent Innovations & Technologies.
Sebastian nodded again, pointing at Vivian and Evelyn in turn. "Exactly! You see, Harrison? This is what I've been saying. If our experience of time has only been a few hours and it already feels surreal, imagine what it's like for them. They've been stuck here, feeling like it's been weeks. And no one's even noticed how warped this whole thing is."
NARRATOR
Seriously? If they keep rambling about their experiences, they'll never get to the meeting. And as the narrator, I'm in a unique position here. I can speed things along however I see fit. So, instead of wasting time listening to them bicker, let me just sum it up for you.
See, everyone here has a completely different sense of how long they've been trapped in this mansion. Take Evelyn, for instance—she swears it's been almost a month. Then there's Vivian, who's been here even longer than that. On the other hand, Ren and Sebastian? They're certain it's only been half a day. Same with Kaida. But for William and Ethan, it feels like they've been here for about a day or so. Lucas, Harrison and Marcella? They're convinced it's been close to three days.
Confused yet? Yeah, so are they.
And as if that weren't enough, they've all got different reasons for being here. Don't ask me to explain it; they'll probably hash it out later when they start investigating or whatever.
So, let's skip the long-winded explanations, shall we? Back to the actual meeting. I mean, this story isn't going to narrate itself. Peace out.
._._._.
Ethan kinda confused.
"Well, for some reason, I feel like everything just got forwarded. But let's not waste time. Let's get to the beating of the trial. Kaida, do you mind? You're the only one Anna listens to, and she's the only one who knows anything about this mansion's quirks."
Kaida, glances at Anna, who's standing beside her.
"Anna, do you mind telling us about the library? Anything you know could help."
Anna, adjusts her stance, her tone calm but precise.
"You see, most mansions with libraries are straightforward. You find the library, open the door, and pick any book you want. But this mansion? It's different. This library doesn't let just anyone in.
"For the normal library, you'll need to find six keys. The keys are scattered, and each is tied to a specific trial. You'll know the trials by tapping one of the locks on the library door—there are six locks, three on each side. Each lock will give you a hint about the trial you need to complete to obtain its key.
"But that's not all. There's also the Akashic Library. It's even more difficult to access because it only opens to someone deemed 'worthy.' I don't know how you prove worthiness, but if you're not worthy, you won't even get close to opening it.
"As for the normal library, I don't know where the keys are or whether we can gather them all at once or one by one. But the first step is heading to the library and figuring out what the locks reveal."
Kaida, with a warm smile.
"Thank you, Anna. You're such a big help."
Ethan, claps his hands, standing.
"Well, you all heard her. We know what to do now. Let's head straight to the library, check the locks, and figure out these trials. Everyone, get ready. This meeting is over—let's move!"
CHAPTER END.