A scream ripped through the house, jagged and raw, then cut off too soon. Silence swallowed everything.
Pierce's voice cracked as he whispered, "Who was that?" His grip tightened on the broken chair leg until his knuckles turned white.
Aria crawled out from under the bed, her face pale, tears streaking her cheeks. "It wasn't Ryder," she said, voice trembling. "It wasn't Serena." Her eyes darted to the others. "So… who?"
Tango stumbled out of the closet, shaking so badly he could barely stand. "I—I didn't scream," he stammered, voice hollow.
Talia stepped out from behind the wardrobe, her jaw tight, eyes wide. "Then it was—"
The voice cut her off, drifting through the dark like a lullaby:
"Player Three… found."
The floorboards groaned. Footsteps. Slow. Deliberate. Coming closer.
"Hide!" Pierce hissed, panic clawing at his voice.
They scattered again, hearts pounding like war drums. Aria dove back under the bed, Tango into the closet, Pierce pressed himself into the corner. Talia hesitated just for a second, before darting toward the hallway.
She didn't make it.
The hallway lights flickered once, casting a strobe of horror. Something pale and wrong lunged from the shadows limbs too long, joints bending backward, fingers curling like hooks.
Talia screamed as it wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground like she weighed nothing. Her nails clawed at the wallpaper, leaving bloody streaks.
Pierce lunged, grabbing her arm. "Hold on!" His muscles strained, veins standing out as he pulled against the force. For a second, it was a brutal tug-of-war, man against monster.
Then the voice whispered, right in Talia's ear:
"Player Three… found."
The strength doubled. Talia was ripped from Pierce's grip so fast he slammed into the wall, pain exploding in his shoulder. He scrambled to his feet, heart pounding, but she was already sliding down the hallway dragged by something half-seen in the flicker of dying light.
He caught a glimpse as it turned the corner: pale limbs too long, a grin carved into a face that wasn't a face. And eyes black, endless, hungry.
Talia's scream echoed once, sharp and raw then cut off like a snuffed candle.
When Pierce reached the hallway, she was gone. Only a smear of blood led toward the attic. And on the wall, fresh letters dripping black:
PLAYER THREE: FOUND.
The voice sang again, sweet and uncanny
PLAYER FOUR: READY OR NOT