The girl immediately agreed with Nova and proceeded. "I'm Savannah, and this is Lucas. We've known each other since childhood, and we are both pupils," she introduced herself and the young man beside her.
"I'm Bailey, a single parent, and this is my daughter, Elise," the mother said in a somewhat quivering voice. The infant was calm for once, adorably fiddling with her lustrous blonde hair.
"I'm Gerald," the middle-aged man declared, rising from the ground and straightening his black suit and rectangular spectacles. "I work in corporate." He removed the employee ID from his neck and tucked it into his trousers pocket.
"I'm Xerxes," Xerxes nervously blurted out, making sure he wasn't the last one to introduce himself. It would be too much pressure on him, but he also had nothing else to mention about himself, so his introduction ended almost instantly.
"Kai," the boy followed, shortening it even further. He appeared indifferent to everything.
"I'm Nova, a renowned actor. I'm sure you've all seen at least one drama with me in it." The man was dressed in a designer dark emerald suit. The black, untied tie hanging from his white dress shirt's collar had intricate patterns imprinted on it. Everything about him screamed 'rich,' so one couldn't dispute his presence, even though they had no idea who he was—except for the girl.
Savannah eagerly waited to request his autograph. She would have loved a picture too, but since high-tech devices weren't permitted in the dungeons—though there were exceptions if they fit the theme of the dungeon—she wasn't that fortunate and had her phone confiscated. So, she could only gaze with admiration and breathe the same air as a celebrity, hoping to clear the dungeon with Nova.
"Now that we're more acquainted, should we explore the house?" Nova led the way, heading straight for the entrance door—the sole door the house had. Everyone hesitated and followed behind him, one after the other. Nova held the door open for the others to enter first, like a gentleman, even though he was the one who wished to explore the house. He didn't dare enter first. Everyone simply exchanged glances, lacking the resolve to go first. Xerxes also watched the situation from his original position.
In the end, Lucas was the one who chose to enter first, followed by Savannah and the others. Xerxes had felt uneasy ever since his arrival, but now he understood why. The house had a gabled roof and two levels, with two sizable windows—one on the first floor and the other on the second. The upstairs window revealed a dark, unlit room. Only two vivid red eyes of a little girl were peering down at Xerxes.
"Are you coming?" Nova asked, seeing they were the last ones left to enter.
"Coming," Xerxes replied, walking toward the door. He tried to convince himself he was merely imagining things when Kai whispered, "She's been watching us from the start." Xerxes shuddered at the chilling words but, despite that, entered the house, and Nova entered last, closing the door behind him.
The interior of the wooden house was modest. The first room they entered was a dimly lit living room with two three-seater maroon couches arranged opposite each other, with a wooden table in the middle. There was a small open kitchen ahead of the living room with all the essentials, and a wooden dining table with two chairs. Savannah was seated in the middle of the left-side couch, with Lucas on one side and Bailey on the other. This left only the other couch, which Gerald had already claimed. Nova crossed in front of Xerxes and sat in the center of the sofa, patting the only spot left next to him for Xerxes to take a seat.
Xerxes sat down, and Kai climbed onto his lap without throwing another tantrum. Xerxes immediately began removing his shoes after sitting, drawing odd stares from everyone, but he was too engrossed to notice. He took off his white socks, sniffed them, and placed them on the table in front of him. He then put his shoes back on, this time without socks.
He then examined Kai's feet, scrutinizing them carefully. After confirming there were no injuries, he dusted them off with his hand.
"You can have them," Nova offered a packet of tissues to Xerxes, which he accepted.
"Thank you." After cleaning Kai's feet, Xerxes put his white socks back on him and stood up, gently placing Kai back in his seat.
"Wait here," Xerxes instructed, and began walking when Kai tugged at his sleeve with force, stopping him mid-step.
"Where are you going? Let's go together."
Before Kai could rise, Xerxes had already placed him back in his seat. "Stay here. Don't ruin my socks. I'm going upstairs to look for some shoes that will fit you. The girl seemed like she was your age."
The mention of the little girl made everyone confused and uneasy.
"What girl are you talking about?" Bailey nervously asked.
"It's better you don't know if you want to sleep tonight," Xerxes answered candidly. Bailey clearly didn't ask further.
"Would you like me to accompany you?" Nova asked with a grin.
"No," Xerxes blurted out automatically. He would always refuse others' assistance, but deep down, he wanted Nova to go with him. However, it was too late now. Xerxes would rather die than ask him to accompany him, so Xerxes proceeded upstairs alone.
Creak.
Creak.
The stairs groaned with each step. The top of the stairs was engulfed in darkness, making it hard to tell where they were leading.