SURVIVAL 24: SPECULATION

The scenery changed into Pyramids of Egypt

I'm going to Black Street now. I can say the landmarks here are replicas, but close to reality. It's not snowing here anymore. There are still people, cars, houses, and establishments. I observed that the people here are quite unapproachable.

"They're virtual people. Everything here is virtual except you.”

First read my mind again.

I think it's afternoon because the heat of the sun is striking. I took off my jacket, gloves, and bonnet.

"Stop!" I was startled at First. "They're here, but only six of them.”

As I slowly turned onto the so-called Black Street, I saw six more minions. Where are the two? They didn't hesitate to attack me, so First and I didn't hesitate to fight back too. That was rather a faster battle than expected.

I returned to the hotel around 6:00 PM to take a night’s rest. When I enter the hotel lobby, there seems to be a commotion inside. There were some police, and there was a police tape marked ‘keep out’ around the hotel.

I approached one of the hotel’s janitors whom I happened to bump into.

“Hi! Excuse me. Did something happen?” I inquired.

He turned to me. "Ah. Hello, Ma'am. There was an incident here.”

"What is it about?”

He looked at the surroundings first, then he whispered. "A woman died on the 6th floor.”

"What? When?” I gasped at what I heard from him.

He made a pause for a few seconds. "It was midnight… They said it was Zarod.”

Z-Zarod?!

I became curious and inquired a police detective. I was lucky because he gave me some information. After all, he said I was a resident of the hotel, and I might have been a witness, so he shared some information.

I entered my room. The reported victim of Zarod was on the 6th floor. I faced Zarod, killed 13 minions, and kept looking for two more, and now a murder has happened in this hotel.

"You have 73% life percentage. Probably, because of the minions. Are you ready for our next mission?"

"Mm," I agreed.

"Our next mission is to avert the killings.”

***

It's now morning. I peeked out the window. The Great Wall of China is today’s view.

The police officer told me that Zarod kills someone at midnight. He might be the suspect because his victims are usually bloodless. I remembered that just by his stare, one would die. There was a sign that the victim was strangled due to redness and tanning of the neck, and there were two small holes in their neck. They thought that Zarod might be a vampire, but the victim's blood was not depleted, and no saliva was detected in the tests and autopsies. He’s really not a vampire because the stab he uses in the neck is his sharp nails, which he also did to me, but luckily it was not that deep.

What they only know is that he wears a black cloak and has quite long dark hair. Whoever Zarod sees at night will get a taste of death from him. That explains why there are no people outside at midnight and Zarod tried to kill me at the convenience store.

First has planned on something, so we are waiting for what will happen tomorrow.

***

It's morning again. First and I waited to see what Zarod would do next. I am amazed that the Leaning Tower of Pisa was the landmark.

*tok**tok**tok*

"Come in," I said.

"Good morning, Ma'am. I'll clean the room and change your bedsheet," a chambermaid greeted and smiled at me.

"Oh, all right.”

I saw several people getting out of the elevator. The policemen again!

"Good morning, chief. How are things going?" I inquired.

He looks tired. "Another thing has happened.”

I frowned. "What is that?”

"Someone died at your hotel again. There were two.”

"Really?”

"Yes. After all, it's not new. Zarod kills someone almost every midnight, but only one at a time. Now there are two.”

The one who died the other day was a woman in room 605. Last night’s victims were a woman and a man. The woman is in room 505, and the man is in room 405. No blood spillage was found.

"Three of them died. This can be no coincidence. That monster must have killed them." First concluded.

"Yes, it looks like this is his target area," I agreed.

"I assume that this evening, room 305 will be the next victim.”

"Hm, that's what I'm thinking too. What are we going to do?”

"Why not protect room 305? You still have your sword here in inventory. We can use it to avert the killings and kill Zarod.”

I nodded.

Not long after, it's afternoon.

“To avert the killings, we must avert yourself from being killed." First warned me.

I went down to the lobby. I saw the beautiful receptionist, she smiled at me.

"What can I do for you?" she greeted me.

"Miss, who lives in rooms 805 and 705?" I wonder why Zarod started killing in room 605.

"Pardon me, Ma’am, but that information is confidential.”

Seconds after she replied. “A man lives in room 805 and a woman at room 705. May I know why you asked, Ma’am?”

"Just got worried about the murders that have happened in here.” I acted innocently.

"But those two, they haven't come back for more than two days. Surprisingly, someone has been in those rooms lately. Maybe they've come back.”

“By the way, who lives in room 305?”

"Why, Ma’am?”

"U-Um, well… I’m just concerned about my neighboring resident above me… I promised the police officers to give out information to them when I knew something.”

"If I tell you, will you keep it confidential?” she whispered.

"Sure, you got it!"

"The truth is... I live there," she said softly as if she was too scared that others might hear our conversation.

"Okay? And?"

"The truth is, I-I'm pregnant because I don't have a husband to recognize my child. I ran away from and hid..." She caressed her belly. "So, I thought of staying at this hotel for a while. No other workers or staff here know of my situation.”

I looked at her pregnant belly, which is not visible when she sits at the reception desk.

"I'll tell you something too.”

"What is it, Ma’am?”

"The reason I asked you who lives in room 305 is that-”

"Hey, Riza, someone's calling!" shouted the janitor I talked with the other day.

"I'm sorry, Ma’am. We'll talk later."

I left the lobby and went back to my room.

***

"Hey, Second. Wake up. It's already 7:00 PM. We need to guard that room 305.”

I twitched my body to sit and went down. The receptionist was not there. I approached the chambermaid who cleaned my room and changed my bedsheet earlier, and the janitor, but they don’t know where she is.

I have no choice. I went up in the elevator. I knocked on room 305 several times.

She was wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and slippers.

"I just wanted to say something. We stopped talking earlier, right?"

"Ah, yes. Come on in,"

Her room is about the same size as mine. I sat on her little red sofa while she prepared snacks. The curtains weren't fastened properly, as if they had been pulled forcefully. The window was also open, so it was cold. The air conditioner was turned off.

"Here,"

I looked at the snacks she gave me. A soda in a can, chips, and cookies.

She smiled at me. "Ma’am, what are we going to talk about?" she sat on the edge of her bed opposite the sofa I was sitting on. She took a goblet with her left hand and filled it with wine.

"Oh, your window is open. Aren't you getting cold?”

She stood up. "I'm sorry. I think I left the window open, and I just arrived here." She closed the window with her left hand.

"Miss, do you like sweets?"

"Yes, so much”

"Did you just buy them?" Then I pointed out the bag of snacks.

"No, it's already in stock. I really like sweets, don't I?" she chuckled.

"So, how is your baby?"

She caressed her stomach. "It's okay, very healthy.” She smiled.

I looked around. Red small sofa, small single bed, table, lampshade, and bathroom. The sofa is only good for one person, so it is not possible. As for the bed, I didn't see anything under it because the bed sheet wasn't hanging on its side. The only possible place is… the bathroom!

"Miss, can I use your bathroom?”

Her eyes widened for a moment, and she blinked. "I'm sorry, it's under maintenance. You can go to the lobby’s comfort room.”

I suddenly felt nervous. "About my real purpose here..."

Are we still going to proceed with our original plan which is to protect her? We have an idea that the one who lives in room 305 will be the next victim of Zarod. His victims have room numbers 605, 505, and 405 so the next one is 305. An obvious killing pattern that Zarod did.

"Second, get out of that room, now!"

He could control me right now to leave this room but he’s giving me my free will. Even without an attacking enemy, he can still do it, but he strongly respects my decisions.

"You won't get anything out of pretending... Zarod. “

She raised her eyebrows. "What are you saying?"

"You're not the receptionist I talked to this afternoon before I went to sleep. You used her body to imitate what she looked like.”

"What're you planning? That guy is vicious. You don't know what'll happen when you anger him!" First panicked.

"Prepare me for a battle, First," I requested.

"Are you crazy?" She clung tightly to the goblet with wine.

"Do you want me to tell you that you are the serial killer named Zarod? You are already wearing your sleepwear, but you said you just arrived? Every day, there is a chambermaid who checks every room for the residents’ safety, especially since Zarod has been killing people in this hotel. But why is your window still open? Your air conditioner wasn’t warm; it wasn’t turned on. The real receptionist hadn’t come to her room yet because she was still working. You stroked your stomach with your left hand, but when I talked to the real receptionist earlier, she stroked her stomach with her right hand. Zarod is left-handed. You do eat a lot of sweet, salty, and junk food for someone who’s pregnant. You drink alcohol right now, which is bad for your baby. Last, the reason why you don't want me to use the bathroom is that you're hiding a corpse inside…

You killed the real receptionist this afternoon after we talked. Maybe, you were the one who called her that cut off our conversation. You told her something that she would believe and fall for. She went to her room. She saw you and was about to be killed. She ran and opened the window to ask for help, which is why it was open, and the curtain was broken. She can’t run outside to ask for help using the door because you probably hid behind the door waiting for her. You stashed her body in the bathroom for a while because you overheard us talking that I had something to say to her, so you thought I might visit her.”

I flinched when I saw her smile. "Bwahahaha!"

"B-But I don't understand the pattern of your murder is," I stated dubiously.

Because apart from 605, 505, 405, and 305, which all have numbers 05, the other night, Zarod only killed one and last night there were two. I'm expecting three now, but why only 305...?

"Haha! You askin’ why?” He scoffed. “Because my killing pattern is three! I killed 805 and 705 at once, along with 605. 805 and 705 don't have their remains because I fed them to my two pets!”

The police stated that they went missing on the same night 605 was killed. They’re nowhere to be found.

"Last night, 505, 405, and 305 were supposed to be killed altogether, making it three murders in one midnight, but the janitor and maid came to visit 305, so I didn't go through with the plan.”

The janitor and chambermaid?

"Yes, you're right! I killed those two, too! I only managed to kill two last midnight. But I’m back on track from making it three this time.”

Who is the janitor and chambermaid I talked with?

"Second, behind you!” First exclaimed.

I saw no longer the receptionist’s copycat but Zarod! He was wearing black clothes, and his bright red eyes were cunning. I stepped backward but reached the dead end.

“Let him attack you. To control you, a war must start. Don’t worry, I got you, Second,” First reassured. We need the system to detect an enemy attack so that First can fully utilize me.

Zarod looked up at the open window. "It’s almost midnight, my favored time. The next ones I'm going to kill are rooms 205, 105 and basement’s 005. The janitor and the maid live in 105 and 005. Too bad, I killed them too early. Another ruined plan for me but they made my job quicker because that leaves me killing you, 205!"

How bad this can be! First and I had plans to protect them, but we were too late.

“Get her,” Zarod commanded his two minions—the remaining ones out of his 15 minions.