chapter 18
chapter 18
Room 102, The Cursed Room – “The House of Horror” (3)
[User: Han Gain (Wisdom)
Day: 6
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 102 (Cursed Room – House of Horror)
Sage’s Advice: 3]
It was a morning of heavy rain.
When I stepped outside, the butler was already there. He chatted casually—saying hiking would be difficult in this weather, but visiting the church might still be possible.
One by one, the others came out.
But—
Elena didn’t.
Even when breakfast time came—
She still didn’t appear.
At first, we thought she was just exhausted from yesterday.
But by around 10—
The butler used a master key.
And opened her door.
Inside—
She looked like a sleeping princess.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
But—
There was a smell.
Death.
Not shocking.
Not anymore.
Because we already knew—
As long as one survives—
Everyone can come back.
Still—
Song broke down.
Jincheol stood frozen.
Even I—
Struggled.
But we couldn’t stop.
We had to understand.
I approached the body.
No visible wounds—
Except the neck.
Dark bruises.
Strangled.
With something thin.
A rope.
No signs of struggle.
Too clean.
“…There’s more,” someone said.
The bed—
Had two impressions.
Elena wasn’t alone.
Someone had been with her.
Sat beside her.
Lay beside her.
Then—
Killed her.
A horrible thought formed.
But—
Eun-sol stopped me.
“Don’t think too much. Logic won’t help here.”
She was right.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Then—
The butler spoke again.
“There is another problem. Due to the weather… the path across the lake is now blocked.”
We rushed out.
The lake—
Had risen.
The bridge—
Submerged.
Gone.
One night.
One death.
No escape.
Eun-sol’s words came back:
“Doing nothing is the most dangerous choice.”
We were already too late.
And then—
The mansion changed.
Mirrors—
Reflected something wrong.
My own face—
Twisted.
Smiling.
Teeth growing from my eyes.
Worms in my tongue.
I smashed the mirror.
Clocks bled.
Stairs whispered.
Dolls moved.
At first—
Everyone screamed.
Later—
We stopped reacting.
Nothing directly harmed us.
But—
That made it worse.
Fear—
Without release.
We ate—
Barely.
Thought—
Endlessly.
Nothing.
Then—
At 6 PM—
The butler spoke.
“We should visit the church.”
“Why?” Eun-sol asked sharply.
“There may be a way out. Behind the church, there is a boat. It connects to the lake.”
Hope.
Suspicion.
Both.
Was it a trap?
Or—
A path?
I thought.
Then answered:
“Standing still is worse.”
That decided it.
We moved.
Four of us—
Me, Jincheol, Eun-sol, and the butler.
The storm—
Was brutal.
Dark.
Blinding.
The butler led with a flashlight.
Then—
Eun-sol pulled me back.
“We go to the library after,” she whispered.
“What?”
“We need information. Even if it costs a life.”
My chest tightened.
“Someone has to risk it. Otherwise, we all die.”
“…I’ll go with you—”
“No. You oppose it. Stay back. That way it looks natural.”
“…Why me?”
“Because you have to survive.”
Silence.
“You’ve noticed, haven’t you? This place isn’t about strength. It’s about thinking.”
“…Jincheol thinks too.”
“He’s shaken. He’ll die.”
Her voice—
Cold.
Clear.
I couldn’t argue.
“…We need sacrifices.”
The words—
Hung in the air.
Twenty minutes later—
We reached the church.