Hina's hair stood on end, her body overcome by an indescribable cold she couldn't explain. A lump formed in her throat, stopping her from uttering even a single word.
Her body was paralyzed; she stood completely still, not moving a single muscle. Her mind stilled, but her senses flared—she could discern even the faintest movement.
And that… only worsened the situation.
Because now, she could sense it… a movement that was gradually nearing her. Whoever, or whatever, had called her name in that voice… was slowly making its way toward her.
Time seemed to crawl. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears like a death clock. Unable to move, her helplessness swelled to a degree beyond description.
Step— Step—
Whoever had called her kept advancing. Each slow, deliberate step brought them closer and closer.
Until finally, the footsteps stopped. Hina had already shut her eyes tight—she couldn't bear to see what was behind her.
Yet, in that deepest moment of despair, light shone from afar. Her pitch-black vision turned crimson from the glow.
A spark of hope ignited in her chest, and strength returned to her limbs. She could finally move again.
And the first thing she did was bolt toward the source of light.
She didn't dare look back. Not once.
"Oh hey! Look, there's Hina… Wait—why does she look so agitated? Don't tell me there's another body here?"
Daichi pointed his forefinger at the running Hina. Moisture had clogged her eyes, turning them deep red. She looked as though she was only moments away from breaking down completely.
That alone made everyone tense.
Ryouma quickly dashed forward, stopping her just before she collided with the stairs. In one swift motion, he pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears.
The others hurried after him, voices overlapping in concern.
"Hina! What happened? Are you hurt? Did someone attack you?"
"Hina, calm down first. How about you sit for a bit? Someone grab a chair for her!"
"Her knees are bruised," Ryuga noted steadily, his sharp gaze fixed on her. "Maybe she tripped into some furniture and hurt herself? But no… she's not the type to cry over that."
The bleeding had stopped, the wound already clotted. It was a minor scratch—one among many scattered across her legs, particularly below her right knee.
'But the real issue isn't physical,' Ryuga thought grimly. 'She's suffering mentally. Her hair's standing on end, her body's trembling, and she's gripping the railing like she'll fall without it… was she paralyzed from fear?'
The cogs in his mind began turning, piecing together the possible scene.
'Hina didn't bring her phone or any flashlight. She wanted to "enjoy" the experience raw. Meaning—once she ran out because of the stench, she was completely alone… on the ground floor.'
His eyes wandered around the area. The utter lack of light only made his assumption more solid.
'So, she was wandering around in complete darkness, scraping herself here and there. In this kind of cold, her mind would've easily conjured up things. Especially if she'd heard any ghost stories about this mansion. Which she definitely had, those first years must've used them as the base of the debate.'
In conclusion, Hina had likely spooked herself. The chances of another person being here were slim.
'Still, I can't just turn a blind eye to that possibility.'
The so-called 'haunted' mansion was now a confirmed murder site, and the blood markings around the body still retained a faint crimson hue. Yet the corpse itself was months old.
That meant whoever killed the victim had likely returned to re-draw the symbol. And if that was true, their chances of returning again weren't small.
Daichi brought a chair for Hina, while Sayo pulled out her water bottle.
Hina gulped down the water desperately, even splashing some onto her face. After calming her breathing, her eyes scanned everyone around her. Seeing them all together, a question pressed at her mind.
"Tell me the truth… were you all together before you found me? All of you?"
The voice that had called her came from behind her, on the ground floor. But her friends had all arrived from the first floor. At first, she'd thought one of them was playing a prank… but seeing them all gathered now, her reasoning began to waver.
And to her horror, her suspicion was confirmed.
"Yeah, all of us were together," Souta replied, still holding his camera steady. "Daichi called the police, Ryuga called Detective Naoya-san. He told us to stick together, so we've been moving as one group. Fuyumi, Sayo, and Ryouma were on the first floor. We found them right after. You were the only one who went downstairs—it took a while, but we finally caught up."
He was still filming; he hadn't missed a single frame since they entered the mansion.
Hina's scalp turned numb at his words. Her lips quivered as she stammered, "T-then… who called me? I thought one of you was pranking me, but… you all came from the first floor, and that voice… it was right behind me, on the g-ground floor."
Her fear was palpable. Her arms wrapped around herself tightly, her body slowly curling inward, terrified of whatever might still be lurking in the dark.