As the grayish-black gate creaked open, revealing rows of mannequins standing eerily still, spaced just far enough apart to be unsettling, an unnatural silence filled the air.
Ryu let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh man, I've seen a movie like this before. The mannequins definitely move when you're not looking."
Shiromoto, usually confident, took a step back, eyes darting between the figures. "Yeah, nope. If even one of these things twitches, I'm setting the whole room on fire."
Summer hugged herself, shifting uneasily. "Flowers don't work on plastic, guys. And I don't want to find out if these things bleed."
Cibri shivered, creating a small ice shard in his hand. "I swear, if one of them turns its head, I'm launching an icicle straight through it."
Von, gripping his book tightly, muttered under his breath. "I am literally rewriting this story in my mind to delete this scene."
Ryu, still grinning nervously, reached out and lightly poked a mannequin's face. The soft echo of plastic reverberated through the room. "Okay, so far, so good..."
Then, a single mannequin at the far end of the room shifted slightly.
The five froze.
Shiromoto: "I saw that. I SAW THAT."
Summer: "Nope. Nope. Nope. Let's leave."
Cibri: "Can't we just skip to the next floor?"
Von: "That's not how floors work, Cibri!"
Ryu: "Guys, let's all agree—if one of them moves again, we scream and run, okay?"
Just then, another mannequin twitched.
All five of them: "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
As soon as the mannequins twitched again, pure panic took over.
"RUN!" Ryu yelled, bolting toward the massive iron gate leading to the 6th floor.
The others followed, their footsteps echoing through the dimly lit chamber. The mannequins moved in stiff, jerking motions, their plastic limbs creaking as they turned their hollow, featureless faces toward the fleeing group.
Shiromoto pounded on the gate. "OPEN! OPEN! OPEN!"
Cibri formed an ice spear and tried freezing the lock. "It won't budge!"
Von frantically flipped through his book. "There has to be a way out!"
Summer, panting, glanced behind them. The mannequins were getting faster. Their movements were still unnatural—staggering, tilting at odd angles—but their sheer numbers made them terrifying.
"Why do we always end up in horror movie situations?!" Ryu screamed, his legs pumping as they all veered left down a corridor.
Suddenly, walls appeared out of nowhere, shifting like puzzle pieces, trapping them in a moving maze.
Shiromoto turned pale. "No, no, no! It's a freaking haunted maze!"
The mannequins split up, their stiff arms reaching out from the shadows.
Summer grabbed Ryu by the collar, yanking him just as a mannequin's hand barely missed his shoulder. "Move faster, donut boy!"
Cibri slid across the floor, forming an ice path, making it harder for the mannequins to chase them. But then—
One of the mannequins LEAPT through the air.
"IT CAN JUMP?!" Von screeched, using his book to whack it aside. "Since when do mannequins jump?!"
They rounded another corner—only to find another batch of mannequins waiting for them.
"Scooby-Doo formation! Split up!" Ryu shouted.
Immediately, they scrambled in different directions:
Shiromoto vaulted over a mannequin, screaming mid-air.
Von smacked a mannequin with his book while sprinting. "I hate this place!"
Cibri skated along his ice, accidentally crashing into Summer. "AHH—sorry!"
Summer rolled under a reaching arm, then grabbed Ryu's wrist. "Keep moving, no time for donut breaks!"
Ryu tripped, did an awkward somersault, and somehow landed back on his feet. "Totally meant to do that!"
The mannequins kept appearing, their movements more erratic, forcing them deeper into the maze.
Then, the ground trembled. The mannequins froze in place.
A deep, mechanical voice echoed through the dungeon:
"Only those who conquer fear may proceed."
The air grew thick, and suddenly, one final mannequin emerged from the darkness—except this one was massive, towering over them with bladed arms and glowing red eyes.
Ryu gulped. "Oh great. Boss mannequin."
Shiromoto's fists ignited in flames. "Alright, time to burn this plastic nightmare down!"
The battle was on.