[Breaking News!]
[An hour ago, at Guella Condo in 5256 Lamont Avenue, an unidentified hostile spirit was found! Upon a quick analysis, CHSM determined that it possesses a danger level of rank 3 or above! Nearby citizens were swiftly brought to safety, but the report state that there still remains at least 10,000—]
"...What?"
It was a usual day for Connor Stantine, a 20-year-old college student who was currently enjoying a rest on a sofa with a bag of popcorn and a can of coke.
The day was no different from any other for him. He attended classes, reviewed works, grumbled, poured in coffees, did his part time, and was about to enjoy the best time of the day.
"CHSM? What the fuck is that? Rank 3? Hostile spirit?"
Connor couldn't get a sense of what was going on.
"Guella Condo—that's freaking here! The place I live in! What even—"
[If you are watching this in the condo, turn off the volume of your device immediately but keep it on.]
Filled with panic, Connor threw the bag of popcorn with a pale face and complied. He didn't know what was going on at all, but he did understand the severity of the situation.
[Read the following carefully.]
[1. Make sure that all doors centring the current room you belong in are closed, be it the one that leads to a bathroom or bedroom. Block all transparent windows and walls with curtains or other means. Turn off all the lights and ensure that the only source of light in the room is this screen that you are watching.]
[2. If someone knocks on one of the closed doors, pay attention to how many times the knocking occurs.]
[2a. If once, stay silent. Do not speak. Do not move. Try to hold your breathing as much as you can. In this state, count 22 seconds in your mind. If 22 seconds passed by and nothing happened, check this screen once more. If nothing changed, you may relax. If a change was found to the screen, refer to rule 2c.]
[2b. If twice, do the same as step 2a, but count 44 seconds instead of 22. If a change was found to the screen, again, refer to rule 2c.]
[2c. If thrice, you have nothing but your own abilities to rely on and no one but you can save yourself now. The door will slam open within 3 seconds.]
[3. Repeat step 2 whenever a knock is heard. There will be 30 minutes of wait approximately before the special management team of CHSM arrives, and the timer starts now.]
[Good luck.]
'What in the hell...'
Connor read down the words in confusion.
Why close all doors—
'—Right, shit!'
Standing up, Connor moved as silently as he could to close all doors present. After doing so, he quickly taped an A4 paper to one small window that was located at the small kitchen.
Returning back to the couch and gently sitting down, Connor just realized that he was sweating in nervousness.
'Is everyone safe? Nothing is heard from the outside and no one is screaming. What's the condition for triggering one, two, or three knocks? Is it all RNG? How did that CHSM or whatever find out these rules? No, in the first place, what is going on? Am I dreaming or what—'
A knock resounded throughout the quite room, making Connor's eyes widen as he grew goosebumps. Slowly turning, he saw that the knock came from the door into the bedroom—
—Then, another knock, followed by a third one.
[2c. If thrice, you have nothing but your own abilities to rely on and no one but you can save yourself now. The door will slam open within 3 seconds.]
'...Fuck.'
That was Connor's thought before the door slammed open. Instinctively, he closed his eyes and covered his face with his arms...
...and some time passed, and nothing happened.
In the midst of Connor's quickened breathing, he slowly opened his eyes and peaked.
There was nothing, much to his confusion.
'What?'
Literally nothing. Slowly, the fear dissipated and Connor wondered if this was a prank done by his friends.
Standing up, he looked around the room to check for a camera but found none. He checked the opened door for a possible mechanism, but discovered none.
Groaning, he returned to the couch and sat. Taking a hold of a popcorn bag that was thrown on the ground, he began munching on it with his eyes showcasing tiredness.
Just like that, 30 minutes passed. Just when Connor sighed, the door of the entrance suddenly slammed opened, causing him to jolt in shock.
"WHAT THE FUCK—"
As Connor instinctively yelled and turned, he saw two people, a man and a woman in black suits, standing beyond and looking at Connor, dazed.
"Huh?"
The woman seemed dumbfounded. The man, on the other hand, placed his hand on his left ear and spoke,
"We found a survivor. Potentially the only one."
"...What?"
Connor found himself confused yet again.