The atmosphere had an immediate shift to a gloomy one. The lamp lights seemed to have dimmed. They even had a tinge of blue in them.
Everyone's hair stood on their end, as somehow, they felt the presence of another being. A being they couldn't see, nor hear, nor touch. But their existence was like a thorn to their mind.
The mind perceived what the body couldn't.
For Nyurta, the sensation was even more realistic. Right now, he seemed to roughly know where the being was.
According to the rumors, the hand sign was meant to restrict the spirit from getting out of the circle made by the four. Yet, right now, wasn't it a death sentence for Nyurta?
Nyurta definitely didn't anticipate this outcome. He was only planning on acting a bit and pranking the others. After all, this game never worked in his hometown. It was just a folklore that children spread rumors of. If it didn't work then, why would it now?
Besides, he still remembered the time he got pranked and had his spirit leave his body. Then, he swore he would do this to another.
Warmth could be felt under Nyurta's nose. It was only now that he realized he felt cold. Cold to the point of shuddering. In comparison, the warm blood was a comfort.
Immediately, Nyurta's body started to shake slightly. The kind of shaking that happened after peeing. The body desperately needed heat, so it generated heat by creating small movements.
Others only saw Nyurta's body shaking eerily. The cold had also spread, and they were starting to shiver too. However, they didn't feel as much cold.
...
My head was dizzy and the world seemed to bind and wobble in a curve. It was almost hard to see anything clearly too. Almost as if a faint fog had veiled the whole place. Yet, in this strange world, one figure seemed to stand out strikingly.
Like a heat source in the arctic. Except, it didn't provide him warmth. Only a harsh coldness.
The presence was faint, but it definitely was there. And it seemed to be getting closer and closer!
My mind was filled with fear by now. Because right now, I could see a translucent white hand reach out to me. The hand was long and thin, and it had long and sharp nails. The hand was inching closer to me by the second.
It wasn't long before it was right in front of me. I wanted to desperately let out a scream - to chase away my fear. Yet, not to mention a scream, I couldn't even let out my breath right now.
To my horror, my breath had been constricted. As if my lungs had been stolen the freedom of air. To have been breathing freely for the last 12 years was a privilege that I never truly understood up until now.
Just at this moment, a light seemed to appear. Even though it wasn't bright, in this dark gloomy world that Nyurta was seeing, it appeared dazzling. In fact, his eyes had been slightly blinded by this light.
"You're playing with the wrong thing" a deep voice rang.
The four reacted in shock. They didn't know this man was coming - no sound, no sight, and no clue. The man had basically appeared out of thin air. His voice was special too. It felt like more than a normal sound.
Of course, they were each experiencing their own horrors. Not noticing details like that was a normal thing.
HUFF HUFFF
At this moment, a desperate gasp for air was heard. It had dispelled the short silence that befell.
The greedy gasp for air was from Nyurta. He was almost on the brink of dying. Seeing a strange ghostly figure, his mind was gripped with fear - and so was his body; the cold still persisted.
It would take him a long while to recover from this experience.
Yet to add to his misery, his throat was somehow feeling dry. Not just dry... it felt like he hadn't drank water for a month!
"Aa.. aa" his voice was gone. Replaced with a meek quiet and hoarse voice. Not to mention, he felt pain every time he tried to use his vocal cord.
"Relax child" a hand wrapped in tight black leather glove reached out. It had a calming effect, and Nyurta indeed calmed down. Even though his throat still felt dry.
"You guys were playing the wrong game"
Only now, did the group of five have time to look at the man.
He was a middle aged man with a light stub of beard, with a monocle on his left eye. He was well dressed, wearing a long black coat, and a tuxedo inside. One look at the man screamed of elegance and upper echelon of society.
His eyes were deep, and though he had dark eyebags under his eye, his face looked sharp and handsome.
One couldn't possibly link his appearance with the horror that just ensued.
Fortunately, soon after his arrival, the gloomy world was no more. They had returned to the old and abandoned corner they were staying at. In contrast to the surroundings, the man's presence was like a firefly in the dark.
Nyurta truly felt lucky to be alive now. 'Otherwise...' fear lingered on his face. The others were no different.
Even though they felt more bewildered than horrified, they knew what was happening just now did not smell of good.
"I- I'm sorry mister. Please forgive us for disturbing your peace." Erika said. The others were too scared to say anything.
The man looked at Erika, his gaze lofty and cold.
"Well, don't play dangerous games anymore. Otherwise, I won't be here to take care of it later"
The man gave one last reminder before leaving. Strangely, Nyurta felt as if the man was talking to him.
"Wait! Mister!! Why were you here?" Jack shouted. In reply, the man simply replied "For investigation"
"Is anything going to happen to us?" a question filled with worry was asked.
"Well, the Dandelion House will be no more"