Luca searched through each box for more than 30 minutes and had almost finished all of them. He was suddenly filled with desire when what he collected was much more than he thought… This trip was not in vain at all.
In these boxes, he found a family album in which he thought of a happy family. It would have been a normal album until all the photos were torn, and only the convex sides of the husband's and wife's faces were torn, and the daughter's face was in white. Luca could only take it with him so that he could at least think about the past of this rose villa. Luca only continued on the continent when the miscellaneous items, such as clothes and old toys.
...…
Bennett was happily wandering around the dark basements, and the rooms she found were all empty and not only contained items like fertilizers and gardening tools.
Why were these rooms full of gardening tools when there was no gardener in sight?
Bennett found this to be an interesting piece of information, and she really wanted to explore it right now, but her illness was about to relapse. She put down her bag, took out a few pills, and looked at the doctor's note inside.
Bennett gently took out two of her own pills. It was called 'Enis', it was named after the founder of this medicine, although it was unorthodox, but at least it worked.
*NOTE: Enis is a drug that only exists in this world and works quite similarly to Sertraline (Zoloft) and its intended use*
After taking it, she decided to go find more information. After all, she still had about 10 minutes before she needed to return to the warehouse with Luca, but life was not like a dream. She had just taken about 3 steps and stopped right in front of the door of room number 10 when, suddenly, crying could be heard everywhere. Bennett started to use her brain to try to figure out if she had done something wrong and where this crying was coming from. And as expected, she took another step, and the crying got louder.
The drug is still affecting her mind, not yet completely, so she still can't control her curiosity. She decided to run there as fast as she could, only to return to the warehouse with Luca sitting in a corner, trembling.
Huh? This is the cool guy who is not afraid of being looked at by a woman… It's really strange; it's worth finding out.
Bennett approached and patted Luca's shoulder a few times, only to see his face covered in tears from fear. Honestly, this made Bennett want to burst out laughing, but she had to hold back.
But these cute actions were about to be replaced by increasingly loud crying. Bennett was currently the only one who could keep her sane. She turned to ask Luca.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Luca was currently in a terrible state. He couldn't control himself right now; his body and mind were almost being controlled by his emotions. Perhaps the closer he got to the entities, the more he lost control of his body, the more he lost control of most of his body. Honestly, even though he had lost his memories, he could still feel some of the primitive fear. If this continued, he would definitely die.
It goes without saying that Bennett understood Luca's current situation, and for a smart person, the best choice would be to kill Luca. Yes, Bennett understood all the hidden words in the introduction board on the first night Luca saw, but that was not the reason she risked running out.
In other words, both Bennett and Luca, and maybe other players, had a rough understanding of the mechanics, especially the part:
[You can kill people, save people, or explore if you have the courage.]
According to her, she had used her own 'Crystal Memory' skill throughout the game; also, this is her second game, so she knows how this works. Killing people has the possibility of getting some kind of benefit or disadvantage; most likely, the benefit is more, and along with it, saving people and exploring has a high chance of being added points or being rewarded according to the normal game mechanics with the same motif.
But there must be a trap here; it's definitely not possible to kill people normally, but it's still worth trying.
Bennett giggled and was about to strike Luca's neck when she stopped and thought about the common benefit of saving him. Would she get points? If so, it would be more beneficial than keeping him.
While Luca was just looking at the knife, he just wanted to scream and cry out loud to relieve this fear. While Luca was still scared, Bennett forcefully pulled Luca up and sighed.
The basement air was now even more humid than before, like a wet towel covering his face. The concrete walls were damp with mold, the fluorescent lights were flickering, the light was dim and bright as if about to go out. The smell of rotten wood from the old barrels was pungent.
"Let's go."
Bennett whispered, but there was no response. Luca stood motionless in front of her. His eyes were wide open, trembling. His knees were shaking, his hands were cold as ice. Every vibration of the ceiling light was a heart attack.
Bennett looked at him, then looked into the hallway behind him. The crying grew louder, indicating that it was getting closer.
"..Bennett"
"I… can't… move..."
Bennett held Luca's chin, forcing him to look into her eyes.
"Listen to me. If you stand here, you will be seen first. The longer you stand, the louder its crying will be. It uses sound to pull up your emotions. If you let it pull up your emotions again…"
Luca burst into silent tears. His throat tightened. He couldn't take it anymore… Bennett looked and understood that, after all, she was affected too. Luca knew he wasn't the usual cowardly type, but the paralyzed type of fear, the kind that made the body refuse to cooperate, like it was frozen.
Bennett had no choice but to pull his hand away helplessly.
"Go… Stand still for dear life."
Luca staggered. But his legs still wouldn't move an inch.
"Sob… sob… Mom…"
The ceiling light flickered, and he appeared at the end of the hallway. A child is not even as tall as an adult's chest. Its hair was wet and matted in clumps. Its face was pale and distorted, its eyes were cloudy as if soaked by water. Tears flowed from its chin… up, sticking to its eyes like a video recording in reverse.
But the crying grew louder and louder. Bennett realized that the situation was getting worse, so he pulled Luca behind the wooden crate.
"Don't react too strongly. According to my analysis, it has the ability to amplify emotions. The more you fear, the more you will find the right direction. We are the same, you are afraid, and I am losing control and want to go out to die."
It's just that Luca is still the same; he wants to restrain himself, but at this moment, he says it bluntly, it is useless.
Bennett looked around and saw in front of her the door to the 2nd basement, locked with a rotating bolt, and on the right were 6 wooden crates as tall as an adult's chest that could act as a barrier. On the left were shaky metal shelves. Behind was a long hallway, and the child was approaching. Swipe. The light bulb blinked and then went out. In the darkness, the crying sound transformed into a choked sob… then turned into a trembling chirp, like the sound of a broken string when playing a sad song.
The child raised its head, gradually, and its head turned in the direction of Bennett. Bennett brought too many things, and one fell off.
Luca was now trying his best to pull this girl aside into a hidden corner. Bennett noticed Luca's injured hand. Perhaps to save her, he scratched his hand to let the pain overwhelm his mind, but it was probably only temporary because he was still scared. The child took a step, and the sound was as light as falling water. Bennett was the one who dropped it, but Luca was twice as scared as her.
"Your breath is so loud. Control it."
But Luca couldn't. He was shaking so much that his breath shook. The child accelerated as it had never run before, a bright smile on its face. Bennett gritted her teeth. She had to act now, or they would all die.
She pulled Luca to the right, knocking him against the row of wooden crates. Luca couldn't keep his balance in time, falling and hitting his shoulder on the floor, but Luca tried not to make a sound, only shaking even more because of the pain... maybe this pain was nothing compared to the previous pains Luca had experienced. Bennett looked around. Her mind was racing.
Must cover up the sound of his racing heart. Must pull it away. Must open the door downstairs. But Luca can't run. So I have to make Luca... lighter? No. He can't help. So it's all up to me.
Bennett pulled Luca's finger, pressing it three times quickly to signal that Luca's intelligence was enough to understand what she wanted to say, like, Hold on, breathe slowly.
Luca held her breath, her face pale. The child approached when Bennett suddenly pushed the metal shelf on the left. The shelf crashed to the ground, the sound spreading far and wide. The child immediately turned its head towards the sound, running towards it. Bennett didn't miss the opportunity. She quickly pulled Luca up. Luca almost hung all his weight on her and rushed to the door to basement 2.
Just as they arrived, Rune turned the latch, but the latch was stuck.
"Sob…mommy, where are you?"
It was getting closer to them. Bennett was almost motionless. She checked the door last time it wasn't locked. Could it be that the bastard did it… Bennett's brain was running at full capacity, trying to find a solution. While Luca just wanted to cry silently.
The child looked straight at them again. They didn't have much time left. Luca now remembered his own ability, and just as he thought about it, it appeared again.
[God X]
[Have you activated the skill 'Touch Point' to choose to use the big change?]
Luca bit his lower lip this time to calm down a bit and then pressed the big change. There was only one option anyway.
[Current status… Loading…]
[Big Change: Make the door latch work again, or let the entity stop paying attention to you and pay attention to the player next to you, so you can get the props and unlock]
Luca knew when to choose the lower option, but he needed Bennett at this stage to survive, so he quickly pressed the 'Make the door latch work again.'
With the help of the ability, the door was now open and closed. Bennet didn't need to say more as she pulled the door down. Luca fell to his knees as he reached the first step. Bennett almost had to hug him as he walked down. The door closed above them just as the child's shrill cries rang out behind them. The door shook violently. The child was pounding on it. Luca was calmer now, but Luca also felt more tired than normal, maybe because of the skill, but luckily, he was still fine, and Bennett just looked at the door and then at the second tunnel.
"It's not over yet. The second tunnel isn't safer. There are two other people down there. And the demons are stronger."
The knocking gradually faded and then stopped. Bennett pulled Luca down the last step. Luca just sighed. He was calm now, which was better. Bennett just looked at Luca, who was a little more relaxed.
"Hey, where is that fear? You were pretty cute at that time; it was just a bit annoying."
Luca looked at Bennett. He didn't say anything. Anyway, the other girl already knew his weakness; now he just had to follow, hoping that he wouldn't meet these kinds of emotional monsters again. Luca was already scared, but he exaggerated it even more; he was really evil!
Bennett just sat down on the ground with Luca this time.
"Let me rest for a bit, dragging you around is tiring me to death, what kind of man is this?"
"Leave me alone, you're so nosy."
Luca replied, checking her wound and using the bandage that Bennett brought with her in her bag.
Bennett just sighed, looked at the hallway ahead that was covered in darkness, and tied her things tightly; otherwise, it would be tiring again, like the previous situation.
"Just call me Eirene and go ahead, we're in the same boat anyway."
Luca nodded. No matter how polite he was, he could only agree to let it go at this moment.
"Okay, if you want."
Eirene was quite amused by Luca's initiative to change his attitude when he was allowed to talk more freely. After all, the more comfortable they were, the easier it would be for them to work together later.
The two of them were still sitting when they heard the sound of arguing. It was obvious who it was; other than the two of them, it could only be the two of them who had gone to 'clean' the second basement.
"…You idiot, don't go that way!"
"But I'm scared! I heard something…"
"You're always scared! Shut up and follow me!"
Dorian Crestfall and Isolde Mareen were arguing with curiosity. Eirene and Luca walked up to meet the two of them.
"We came from upstairs."
Eirene said in a calm voice while Luca sat next to her and watched. Crestfall looked them up and down with that look on their faces, and the two of them understood, and Luca recounted a few details about the entity, of course, he omitted some details like how he escaped or how he was scared and used his powers, and many other details.
"Upstairs… is there really… that thing?"
Eirene nodded slightly. The half-truth was enough to shut Mareen up. Crestfall crossed her arms.
"Okay. So you came down here because you thought it was safer?"
"No. Because this is the only way to survive."
Luca said it as if it were obvious. Did they need to ask?
The ceiling light flickered once. Then it went out. The sound… disappeared. Not the usual silence. But the silence sucked all the air out of the basement like it had been plunged into a vacuum.
"Crestfall…?"
Mareen whispered, but his voice was distorted as if swallowed by water. Only a thin breath echoed in his chest. Mareen panicked even more.
"I… I can't hear anything anymore… I… can't hear myself…"
Crestfall stepped back, his eyes rolling.
"Be… careful…"
The Child appeared again, but this time it was no longer the strange child it had been before. Its lips curled down, tears that hadn't yet fallen were swallowed by its anger, heaving breaths flying. Its small hands squeezed the air, as if trying to suffocate an invisible being. Its voice shrieked, ringing like stretched metal.
"Mom! Why are you running away from me?! WHY?! WHY?!"
The wall shook as if someone was holding the floor and shaking it. The ceiling lights flickered continuously, and each time they went out, darkness immediately engulfed the space.
Only when the light returned did the child's figure get closer and closer. Luca, despite being scared, instinctively stood in front of Eirene. He was still calm because it hadn't used its ultimate move yet, but the distorted air around the demon made him feel… uneasy. It wasn't his fear, but someone else's fear that was being forced into his body, and it felt very strange.
Eirene placed her hand on Luca's back as if to signal him something.
"It's trying to diffuse the emotions."
Luca gritted his teeth, trying to endure the feeling of someone squeezing his heart. His eyes began to blur a little. No. He couldn't let it control him. But the child screamed louder and louder as if it was about to burst his eardrums.
"Don't you love me? Are you abandoning me? You're SO EVIL!"
The fear that didn't belong to Luca hit him in the chest.
Damn it! I was already scared, you're projecting your fear onto me, all kids are bastards!!!
Just a second ago, he was standing perfectly steady. Next, his legs went weak. Eirene saw it right away.
"It's okay. I'll handle it."
Eirene stepped forward, her voice filled with confidence and danger. Maybe she had a plan, or it was just for show.
"Let me talk to her."
Luca tried to turn his head, but the child roared again, and fear shot through him, freezing his entire body. Eirene was forced to pull Luca closer, keeping him upright. Luca, meanwhile, was still trying to stop his breathing from turning into a trembling sound.
His mind was spinning, not because of himself, but because of the emotions being forced into his body. His vision was blurry. If Eirene hadn't been standing next to him, he might have collapsed to the floor.
Seeing that Luca was affected, Eirene didn't hesitate. She took a large step forward, blocking the child's view.
"Kid,"
Eirene said, her voice strangely calm in the chaos.
"Your mother didn't run. She's just…"
Luca saw the child's expression and understood that if he didn't stop her, no matter how smart Eirene was, she wouldn't be able to predict this child's unusual emotions, so he had to let Luca take action by biting his lips to calm himself down again and then pulling Eirene's sleeve.
"Let me."
His eyes were trembling, but still alert, not as sharp as before, because perhaps this child was surrendering. Luca knew what he had to say.
Luca swallowed, then took a deep breath. His body was still shaking with fear that didn't belong to him, but he tried to keep his voice steady, sounding serious and dignified.
"Your mom just wanted to play hide and seek with you."
The room was silent. The child stopped. It tilted his head to the right, then to the left, like a cat appraising a new toy. Tears stopped falling from the corners of its eyes. Then it chuckled. The laughter sent a chill down Eirene's spine and the others' spines, except for the child, but Luca, alone, felt numb all over as if someone had just pulled the fear out of him, leaving it as if half of it had been removed.
The child took a step forward, no longer angry. Only a distorted joy remained.
"Then hide… I'll find you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, its eyes changed color. Every shade from pink to gray to jet black. Its pupils widened like two deep pits. Eirene reflexively pulled Luca, who was about to fall back to his original state, back.
"Go… We have to find a place to hide!"
Luca felt his legs regain control, but only enough to run without tripping. Eirene grabbed his wrist and continued running, constantly looking back. The child disappeared. No footsteps or breathing, absolutely nothing. Eirene cursed under her breath.
This kind of disappearance was the most dangerous. This brat wasn't even the boss… Sh*t
The corridor in front of them was dark, not because of the lack of light, but because something was sucking all the light in this corridor. Luca spoke softly, his voice still trembling, but he had more control; overall, there was progress, and perhaps the child almost didn't want to use its ability on its 'mother'.
"Eirene, do you feel it is very close to us?"
"I feel it too…"
"The way down the hall."
The old wooden floorboards behind them creaked. Not footsteps, but something crawling, crawling on the wall like a spider.
"This kid… is crawling on the ceiling…"
"Run, don't just stand there…"
Eirene ordered the four of them to run. But the childish laughter spread through the walls as the sound stretched and repeated, creating hundreds of small laughs.
"Mommy! I've finished counting… I'll find you!"
Eirene yanked Luca and dashed down the hall while Crestfall dragged Mareen along. They didn't have any useful abilities anyway, so it was best to follow the ones who were good to increase their chances of survival.
A black shadow swept across the ceiling above them like a streak of ink thrown onto the ceiling.
"We're almost at the stairs! Hurry up, or we'll all be trapped on this floor with that demon!!"
Eirene shouted, knowing it was useless but doing so anyway because she had to warn the other two to hurry. After all, Luca's small and almost weightless body, so it won't be much trouble as she runs very fast, leaving the other two far behind. But just as she reached the top of the stairs...
BOOM!
A strong force slammed into the wall right next to them, causing the plaster to fall like sand. A tiny arm protruded from the wall. It groped in the air as if searching for something, or more accurately, searching for them.
Luca stiffened, and Eirene quickly pulled him out of the influence of the emotions she was controlling, although she had let him go, the influence was still quite strong. If they had just entered and encountered such a monster, what could they do later? The four of them rushed down the spiral staircase. The sound on the ceiling changed from crawling to running like a marathon runner, maybe even faster.
The child was chasing. Basement 2 was much darker; the air was getting heavier. Luca and Eirene had just arrived and had not yet recovered.
"Stop!"
A man's voice from the shop in the darkness. Eirene immediately pulled Luca behind her, taking a defensive stance. Two figures stepped out from the darkness... but from there it had to be Crestfall with sharp and calm eyes and Mareen with a slightly bent, trembling hand. Eirene immediately recognized their personalities in a few seconds, but if so, who were the two people walking with them?
The two, Crestfall and Mareen, behind them started laughing, about to rush in to attack, but Crestfall very calmly held the chair and threw it at the two fake people, and the two fake people immediately screamed before disappearing as if signaling the little child. After hearing that, Crestfall signaled Luca and Eirene to run after her and Mareen.
Just as they reached a quiet place, Luca was about to talk about those children when..
"NO! Don't mention it! NO NO NO!"
Crestfall placed his hand on Mareen's shoulder, gently, then gave it a stunning blow.
"I'm talking."
She turned to Eirene and Luca with tired eyes, as well as the hope that these two would be more useful than her useless teammate, who only knew how to scream.
"The one who just ran down from the upper floor, just looking at it is enough to understand that there is no need to answer."
"Listen here. This floor has its own rules. And if you don't do it right, everyone dies."
"What rules?"
Eirene asked naturally while looking into Crestfall's eyes.
"This floor opens an exit when there are two people who control their emotions properly until something else happens, but anyways…"
"Not three."
"Not four."
"Just two."
Eirene understood immediately, and Luca understood too.
"After… the rioters will pull the door closed."
"Yes."
Where is Luca now, left with this death, nothing left to sob at him!?
"And Mareen is…"
Crestfall moved to the side. Mareen ran as a type.
"Can't control it."
Luca wishes he could chuckle right now. It turns out he wasn't the only one.
I understand you, Mareen.
A halo on the ceiling. The young tree had reached basement 2.
"We have to choose the two people who are the most clear-headed. Otherwise, the door won't open, and we'll die together. I hope no one wants to have a local connection like that, right?"
Crestfall just laughed as the situation was in her hands, while Eirene looked at Luca and Luca looked at Eirene. They both understood that the most important thing was that Luca was heavily affected by children who were emotionally scattered. Luca took a step back gently, and Eirene held his shoulder tightly. After all, Luca had left a good impression on Eirene, so she wanted to help him a little bit.
"It's okay, I can handle it myself."
Crestfall looked at them as if they were watching a survival game. She didn't care anyway; it wasn't something she should care about right now. Luca held Eirene's hand tightly, trying to stay calm, but the childish laughter from the ceiling echoed down, as gentle as the winter wind, enough to make his waist turn cold.
"Mommy… I found you…"
The light in the basement 2 began to form silk fabrics, creating a scene that was the opposite of the situation at that moment. Eirene immediately held Luca as his legs went limp again. Crestfall retreated, and Mareen almost fell to the floor.
From the ceiling, a small, pretty shadow fell straight down in the middle of the four people. The childish smile almost split his face in two.
"Mom, you're a good hider, but the game might have to end here. We have to go home… Dad's waiting for us… everyone's waiting for mom…"
The children looked at Luca with longing eyes, and the person widened even more in the child's extremely dark light.
"This time… I'll hug you SO TIGHT, AND WE'LL BE TOGETHER FOREVER!"