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The echoes of fast footsteps began to rise near the castle gate. Jude was the first to rush toward the door, his eyes filled with a mix of worry and hope. As soon as he opened it, the faces of Jason, Ray, and Lily appeared before him, panting from exhaustion, their clothes damp with the mist of a light rain. A wide smile spread across Jude's face, one he couldn't suppress, and as soon as they entered, he threw himself at Ray with an unexpected hug—a sincere embrace that made Ray freeze in place.
Ray laughed and said, "Hah… I never thought the day would come when you'd hug me, you reserved man!"
Jude pressed his shoulder with open affection and replied, "What matters is that you're all safe… nothing else matters."
But Lily couldn't contain her excitement; she hit Jude lightly on the arm with playful mockery. "I can't believe it! Jude, you thought we wouldn't come back? You thought we were weak, didn't you, you coward?"
Jude stepped back, trying to dodge her childish blows, laughing as he said, "Wait! I never said that, but you've really become a little monster."
At that moment, Linda had already come down the stairs in a hurry. The moment her eyes fell on Jason, she froze in place. She covered her mouth with her hands as tears began to fall uncontrollably. Half of his face was covered with a thick bandage, and the visible part was marred by deep wounds.
Jason spoke in a trembling voice, trying to calm her. "Linda… don't worry, it's just a wound. I'm fine."
But Jude couldn't hide his shock either. He stepped closer and asked with concern, "Jason… what happened to your face?"
Jason lowered his head slightly, as if unwilling to be pitied, and answered, "A damned ghoul… just a brief encounter, and it ended like this."
Moments later, the rest of the members had descended from their rooms after hearing the commotion.
Their faces first filled with surprise at seeing the twins safe, then their expressions changed when they saw Jason's injury, and silence fell over the room.
But that silence soon broke as they all gathered around the large couches, where Jason began recounting the details of what had happened since they were separated from the group.
His words were heavy, interrupted now and then by Lily's trembling voice or a long sigh from Ray. With every moment, worried glances were exchanged between Jude and Linda—glances unnoticed by anyone else.
When the story ended, Jude pulled Linda away toward the stairs while everyone was distracted, whispering to her in a far corner, "Linda… should we tell them what we read in that letter?"
She pressed her lips together, hesitating, then shook her head. "No… not now. The time isn't right. Maybe later."
Jude exhaled in uncertainty, then said, "Alright, but we have to find out if it's real or just a trick."
She replied firmly, "Yes… we will."
But as they spoke, Dante suddenly appeared, as usual, wearing his sly smile. He put his hands behind his head and approached them, saying, "Hmm, are my eyes deceiving me… or are you two hiding here together? I can't believe it! Are you dating?"
Jude froze, waving his hands frantically, stammering, "W–what? Impossible! We're… we're not…"
Linda's face turned red like a berry as she blurted out nervously, "Dante! Stop this nonsense! It's not what you think."
Dante smirked mischievously. "Heh… I've suspected it for a while. The way you two exchange glances at the table, and the way you keep watching her, Jude… very obvious."
Jude grew more flustered, trying to explain. "It's not… I mean… she's just my type… I mean damn it…"
Linda turned sharply toward him, eyebrows raised. "Your type?!"
He stumbled over his words, "No… I didn't mean… I mean she's… ugh!"
Then he fled, stammering, leaving Dante laughing mockingly. "Lovebirds! What a lovely scene."
Linda burst into laughter despite trying to hide her smile as she watched him walk away.
A short while later, everyone gathered again around the long dining table. It was a precious moment—to share a full meal together once more, without having lost anyone. Smiles, scattered laughter, as if for a fleeting instant they'd forgotten where they were.
Jason broke the silence, saying, "When we were in the village, I searched for any secret door or underground passage. I wanted to be sure… but I didn't find anything."
Elias replied in a confident tone, "Of course you wouldn't find one in a place like that. If there's a real secret passage, it wouldn't be near villages full of ghouls. It must be somewhere far away."
Jason nodded. "Yeah, you're right… but I had to try."
Elias exhaled. "If it really exists, then it might be our only way to survive."
Camellia spoke cautiously. "But… what if the passage is worse than where we are now?"
Karem lifted his eyes toward her and said, "A fair point. Don't forget… humans brought us here. And humans are the ones who turned people into ghouls. Humans are more dangerous than any monster."
Elias pondered their words, running a hand through his hair as he murmured, "Ah… if only all of this were just one long dream, and we could all wake up from it tomorrow."
They all nodded heavily in agreement. A simple wish… yet a dream none of them could let go of.
Suddenly, Vivian broke the silence with childlike cheer. "Guys… if we actually make it out alive, and return to the world… what's the first thing you'll do?"
There was a brief silence, then dreams began to pour out like refreshing raindrops on their hearts. Lily said spontaneously, "I'll run to my parents and hug them as hard as I can."
Camellia laughed. "As for me… I'll run down the main road like a madwoman, all day long!"
Blackwith raised her hand proudly. "I'll hold a free concert and sing at the top of my lungs."
Karem said, "I'll go straight to see my family… that's what matters most."
Dante lowered his head, speaking with rare seriousness. "I… just want to feel something called freedom."
As for Jude and Linda, they remained silent. Both knew the answer… they knew they were just copies of others who might already be dead. The others' dreams hurt them deeply, because they no longer shared that same hope.
While their hearts floated in a rare moment of warmth, the hall suddenly shook with the sound of thunder. The sky outside erupted into a sudden storm, and the deafening rumble echoed so loudly that the windows trembled. Smiles vanished from every face, and the atmosphere thickened with tension.
Vivian trembled the most. She clutched Elias's arm tightly, shaking just like Rosie used to—her name crossing his mind every time he looked at Vivian.
He reached out and gently patted her hair, whispering, "Calm down… I'm here."
But suddenly, the power went out. Darkness swallowed the entire castle, broken only by the flashing lightning through the tall windows. A chilling silence fell over them, the wind outside slapping the walls with furious blows.
After a few minutes, the electricity returned, but the fear did not leave their hearts. They remained alert, as if expecting danger to strike at any moment.
Dante stood up and suggested, "It's best everyone goes to their rooms… before the power goes out again."
Vivian hesitated, fear gripping her. She couldn't bear to stay alone, so Linda stepped forward, patting her shoulder and saying, "Don't worry, I'll stay with you tonight."
Vivian smiled gratefully, then left with her.
The rest quietly dispersed to their rooms. The night was heavy, the storm raged fiercely, the trees groaned under the wind—and every heart trembled within, as if each of them knew that tomorrow would be no kinder than this night.
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