The silence after Will's death lingered in the air like an invisible barrier that couldn't be broken.Even though they all stood together, something heavier than fear kept them apart — the realization that one of them had to die, and that it could be any of them. This was no longer just a fight for survival. It was something more. Something no one could fully understand.
Everyone had started noticing the dark changes in Mason's behavior, though they still couldn't pinpoint what exactly was wrong. He wasn't the same guy anymore. His gaze was foggy, and his posture tense, as if something inside him was waking up. His lips were pale, and the calm that once defined his face had disappeared. Anyone watching him felt like it wasn't Mason they were looking at anymore — it was someone else, someone unfamiliar.
Nancy felt it the most.She was the one who saw the change. Even though she knew Mason wasn't fully himself, she couldn't believe it had come to this.Noah. The shadow that had taken root inside Mason. A presence he tried to hide within himself. But some things can't be hidden forever. And now, everything was beginning to unravel. In this dark game, everyone had a role to play.
"He's going to kill us all," Olivia said.
"It's not him who killed us. It's something else. It killed our hope. And it won't stop with Will," Nancy replied.Her voice trembled, but the others remained silent, staring at her as if the truth were too heavy to speak aloud.
"What now?" Jake asked, looking around at the others.
Nancy looked at them as if the weight of the world was crushing her shoulders. But she had one solution. One that gave her no peace, but left her no choice. If they didn't stop it now, there would be no hope left.
"There's only one way," she began slowly, squinting slightly."We have to stop him before he kills us all. And I know how to do it."
Olivia furrowed her brow, her gaze suspicious."That's not something we can just give in to. How are we supposed to do that?"
"You know as well as I do — there's only one person who knows how to stop him. And I know I have to do it alone," Nancy said.
Jake stepped closer, looking at her seriously, as if trying to understand something that didn't make sense."Nancy, you can't do this alone."
"I'm ready," she replied, not looking at him, her eyes fixed on the dark windows."But first, we need to find out what's really going on. How Mason became what he is. And how to uncover the truth."
Outside, the rain had grown stronger. Water pounded against the windows, and the wind tore at the branches, howling through the darkness. Suddenly, they all felt something unsettling drawing closer.A shadow moved past the window, and in the flicker of lightning, it looked like the shadows themselves were shifting.They vanished the moment anyone looked directly at them — but when they turned away, the figures were there again. They had the shape of… people.
Nancy shivered but didn't look away.
"Mason…" she whispered, staring at the boy standing beside her."You have to tell me what happened to Noah. You have to tell me what's happening to you. I know there's something inside you. I know you're not the one doing these things."
A shadow crossed his eyes, and a faint smile flickered across his face — a smile that wasn't his.
"Noah," he said calmly, staring off into the distance as if speaking to someone only he could see."He's still here. Standing beside me. This isn't over. And it never will be. Think, Nancy. All of this makes sense. You're part of it. You have always been."
Terror flooded Nancy once again. She stared at him, her uncertainty growing.She knew Mason wasn't talking to her as himself anymore. He was gone — lost in the darkness.
Jake stepped closer.
"Man, this isn't you. What's happening? You need to get a grip before you do something we'll all regret. You killed Daniel, didn't you? You — as Noah — because he started all of this!"
Mason looked at him for a moment, then laughed quietly.
"You don't get to judge me, Jake. You're part of what made me this way. And don't insult Noah. He's suffered enough…"
Nancy felt panic rising.
"Mason… what's happening to you?"
And then, for a brief moment, the darkness lit up. The shadows scattered around them, and dark figures began to materialize in the room. They looked like bodies left behind, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
Nancy felt a cold shiver run down her spine.
"You'll destroy all of us if you don't stop this now," one of the shadows said.Its voice was quiet but bone-chilling."This ritual already has its price. And you will all pay it."
Nancy looked at the others. Their faces were pale, their eyes filled with fear, but there was no turning back.
"We have to go through this together. I know what to do, but I need to convince you."She looked at Jake, Betty, Jennifer, and Olivia.
Silence settled for a long moment.No one spoke.Only the wind howled outside.
*
The darkness that filled the room felt heavier than ever before. The air was thick, saturated with the scent of dampness and fear. Though silence reigned inside the hotel, there was something different about it. The wind still howled through the broken windows, slamming against the doors, and yet it seemed that the emptiness kept growing with each passing moment. And it wasn't a physical emptiness—it was emotional. Everyone could feel it on their skin—that something inevitable was coming for them.
Betty was crouched on the floor, her body reduced to a shadow. Jake tried to comfort her, but his glassy eyes betrayed the panic he could no longer hide. Jennifer stood in the corner, as if trying to make sense of it all. Olivia hadn't taken her eyes off Will's lifeless body, as if hoping he would get up, that this was all just a nightmare. But it wasn't. This was a reality they couldn't undo.
"This... this can't be happening," Betty said quietly, her voice trembling with tears and disbelief. "This is impossible."
Nancy didn't answer right away. She stood still, staring at Will's ruined face. Her mind was racing, but she still couldn't find the answers. The shadow that haunted them was more than just a threat. It was a sign, a warning that something bigger was waking up—something that would devour them all.
"We need to figure out how to stop it," she finally said, breaking the silence. Her voice sounded oddly cold in the dark room. "We need to find out who and what is behind this."
Olivia looked at her, tears in her eyes, but filled with determination.
"If you tell me what's going on, I'll help you. We all will. But we can't just sit here and wait for this thing to kill us."
Nancy closed her eyes, thinking. It wasn't that simple. She knew not everyone had the courage to face what was coming. Each of them had their demons, and now they had to confront them. But she had no choice. She knew only together could they stop this evil.
"There's something in this hotel we can't see. Something that died here but came back for revenge. It's part of a ritual. Only one of us can destroy it and break the curse. However, it requires a sacrifice."
Jake stepped closer to her.
"A sacrifice? Of what? What do you mean?"
"Rituals were once performed here. People died. We know who. But none of us knows how it ended. We need to open those doors again."
Jake moved in, watching her closely.
"Why, Nancy? Why go through all this?"
"It's not just a story," she replied calmly. "It's a curse that won't leave. And now we're part of it. Maybe this is the only way we can save Mason."
Before anyone could say a word, darkness engulfed them like a shadow reaching out with long arms, ready to crush every last bit of hope.
A quiet, sinister laugh echoed out of nowhere. Nancy turned sharply toward the door, which was slowly closing. It wasn't a human hand doing it. She could feel it. Something else had control over this place.
The shadow that moved in the corner of the room was approaching. It was thick, elusive, and its shape resembled nothing they had ever seen. In a split second, it stood before Nancy. She felt a coldness that pierced straight through her body.
"You're getting close to the end, Nancy," came a voice—barely a whisper, yet it thundered in her ears. "Everything you've done has led to this. I know what you're planning, but it won't help anyone. No one can help. Mason is already ours..."
Nancy clenched her teeth, fighting the fear trying to consume her.
"You... won't destroy us. We still have time."
The shadow laughed in response, then vanished. But at that very moment, the door burst open, and a violent storm roared inside. The wind slammed into them as if trying to tear the place apart, and a heavy moisture filled the air.
"We have to go down to the basement," Nancy said, her voice as hard as steel. "It's the only way to stop this. Only there will we find answers."
Olivia looked at her, her face full of worry.
"Let's do it. Whatever it is, we have to go."
Before anyone could react, the whole group moved toward the door, ready to face the unknown danger. The shadow hadn't disappeared—of that, they were certain. And now, more than ever, they were approaching the end of their journey.