We decided to return to Evelyn's room.
There might be clues there— perhaps a hidden exit to the outside world, or even answers about whether Laine and Vivienne had successfully escaped together.
However, when we arrived at the door of Evelyn's room, something felt off.
"It's locked," I whispered, trying the doorknob.
We pushed with all our strength, but it wouldn't budge. Even the entrance to the room seemed to be blocked from the inside by something heavy.
At this moment, I subconsciously glanced at my watch.
"Qin Yan…" I said with rising tension, "It's already 11:58 at night."
He looked up sharply. "We have to go back to our respective room immediately. Now!"
We turned and ran, rushing towards the stairs. But as soon as we stepped onto the platform
Midnight. 00:00.
The air suddenly grew heavy, as if some invisible force had tightened its grip around us. A low-frequency hum filled our ears.
Then the corridor below began to warp, as if something in the darkness was slowly taking shape.
They were here.
The "staff" we hadn't seen all night began emerging one by one.
But now they are no longer human, they may be monsters.
One was pitch black, as if he had just crawled out of a fire...
The other one kept muttering "So hungry... so hungry...";
A third was unrecognisable, with melted burn tissue all over his face and his eyes bulging as if they were ready to pop out.
We froze on the spot.
"Don't move, don't make any noise." I reminded them in a low voice.
We lowered our bodies and moved slowly, keeping close to the wall. Everyone held their makeshift weapons tightly - Qin Yan held a wooden stick, I held a chair leg, and Gu Wenqiang held a metal tray.
But at this moment, an accident happened——
Clang!
Gu Wenqiang accidentally kicked over a small table by the wall.
The noise exploded in the silence, loud and jarring like a flare.
Those "people" all turned their heads, and a beast-like frenzy instantly appeared in their dead white eyes.
"Run!" I hissed.
But it was too late.
They let out a piercing roar and pounced upon us.
One of them rushed towards me with its mouth wide open, full of yellowed fangs, almost touching my face.
I swung the chair leg and smashed it hard on its head. "Bang!" It was knocked back a few steps and fell to the ground.
Qin Yan struck another square in the chest. A sickening crack echoed in the hall.
But Gu Wenqiang was a bit slow to react.
He was tackled to the ground. One of the "staff" bit his arm tightly until his blood sprayed across the floor.
"No!" I yelled, rushed forward and hit the monster's back, while Qin Yan grabbed Gu Wenqiang and dragged him out of the pool of blood.
His face had gone pale, and his sleeves were soaked with blood, but he was still conscious. Qin Yan hoisted him onto his back without hesitation.
Just as we braced for another wave—
The "staff" suddenly stopped.
They stood frozen, staring at us with their blank, dead eyes.
After a few seconds, one by one, they silently receded into the shadows, as if they had never been there at all.
The air seemed to start flowing again.
"Why did they… suddenly stop?" I asked in a low voice while panting.
Before I could think, I heard a quarrel coming from the front.
We turned the corner—
It was Song Yao and the others!