SURVIVAL 29: SHADOW AT 1 O’CLOCK

LOCATION: Mansion TIME: Afternoon

Level 2, stage 2 is over. Four have died—Rochedan, Karson, Nadine, and Myriana. Rochedan and Myriana were killed by Seyah. Karson fell on a cliff accidentally because of the fight. And Nadine she was killed by…

Author appeared and the bodies of the four disappeared The agony is excruciating because I’m having a nightmare at daylight.

"Are we really going to live here?" Trake questioned us as he looked up at the whole mansion.

"That's what Author said. It's better than nothing," Brenille replied.

"I checked the kitchen and there was food. On the 2nd floor, there are three rooms for girls. On the 3rd floor, there are four bedrooms for boys. The bedroom door has been named just like in castle." Trake reported to us after searching the said mansion.

After the last game, Author ordered us to live here. Everyone wonders why there is one extra room on the 3rd floor. On the 2nd floor, my room can be seen first next to Rochevel's and the last is Seyah's. On the third floor, L’s first comes first, the next room is for Brenille, followed by a vacant room with no name on the door, and the last room for Trake.

We first went to our rooms. There is a small bed and cabinet. I opened the cabinet, and I had two pairs of replacement uniforms. Everyone will share the common comfort room on the ground floor where the living room and kitchen are also located.

I remember my journal when we were still in the castle. If I could just retrieve that, I would have a memento of my friends.

"The food is here." Rochevel said briskly as the food was prepared on the table.

Rochevel told me that it was Seyah who killed Rochedan. It didn’t shock me when I found out because of what Seyah also did to Myriana. She killed the two in just one game. Who would’ve thought of a quiet girl to have something up on her sleeve? She didn’t apologize to me and Rochevel because we’re Myriana’s best friends. Rochevel cried in front of Seyah and begged for an apology for killing her brother and friend, but the response we got from her was provocative.

"I am not sorry. That was the mechanics of the game, so I have nothing to be remorseful for. I just did what I had to. But those people failed to do something they should have." She responded with a blank expression on her face. And she walked out. No sign of guilt at all.

Brenille also has something to do with Rochedan’s death and Seyah finished Rochedan off. Our leader, whom we trusted the most, also has the drive to kill someone. Trake and L are silent. Sometimes, I catch them glaring at each other. I am wondering about Trake when he helped me during the fight, then L came and punched him.

There was a number name engraved on the dining chairs, so we sat down according to our ordinal number names. I noticed that there were seven chairs in the dining area. There is a vacant room on the third floor and a vacant chair in the dining area.

***

I woke up in the middle of the night to drink water. It was exactly 1:00 AM. I got up and put on slippers. I was about to open the door when something caught my eye in the window. I saw a big shadow in the window. I would have just ignored what I saw when I saw a large figure again.

"Ah!”

It didn't just pass by the window, but it stopped right outside my window. It was about ten seconds before that shadow disappeared. It's like... It's like I saw that figure before. It was also night when it happened. I finally remembered. The figure is similar to Neinuko's.

I shrugged it off in a few days, but now it’s all bothering us. Because of this Brenille has already given a conclusion.

"Why does it exactly show up at 1:00 AM?" Trake commented. “Because of what Cy said, I haven't slept all night to find out what kind of shadow I saw. I opened the window, but there was nothing.” Trake yawned. I notice that he calls me by my second name.

"Me too, I saw it,” Rochevel interjected. “It was at 1:00 AM," Rochevel reported.

It’s been three nights in a row that some of us saw that shadow. What we saw must be real because Trake, Rochevel, and I have witnessed it.

"Why don't we reinvestigate?” Brenille initiated. “At 1:00 AM later, no one will sleep. Guard your respective rooms so we can find out whose window the shadow will show. We will determine if it’s something to be worried about." Brenille suggested.

***

12:59 AM. I stood by the bed and was ready to see that shadow. Only thirty seconds left... 1:00 AM!

I saw no shadow at all. I waited another ten minutes but nothing. I went down to meet others.

"Negative." - ​​First

"Nothing in my room," - Trake

"Not in my room either." - Rochevel

Seyah nodded, saying nothing too.

"Me too" – Brenille

Everyone has the same answer.

***

It's afternoon. We spend our time in the living area talking about our lives now that we remember who we are. First doesn't share his life story with us. He just talks to me, but not about his life.

The long morning and afternoon ended. We are now preparing dinner cooked by Trake. He volunteered to do so.

Our viand today is a tofu stew. At first glance and sniffing, my stomach is already growling.

"Um, by the way, Trake... Why did you help me when I was blown up? We’re enemies then, so why?" This has been bugging me since it happened.

He stopped wiping, so I looked at him while holding the dirty dishes.

"Is that bad?" he smiled.

"It’s not like that. I'm just really curious...”

"Because I want to. I wanted to help you.”

I thought for a moment. "Hmm, thank you very much! I owe you." Then I smiled at him. "One more thing, I still have a question.. Did you and First have an argument or some sort of misunderstanding during that game?”

"Yes”

"What were you arguing about?”

He avoids looking at my eyes. "Not what, but who." So, they were in a dispute because of a certain someone. Who could it be?

"Who is it then?”

He gazed at me. "You”

"Huh?!" I frowned.

"No, no, we were on bad terms because I was your enemy in that game, right? hehe!”

"What?”

"I mean, it's only natural that we're going to fight because we're in a game fight, isn't it?" He scratched his neck.

There was something wrong with their fight. The way they look at each other doesn't seem to be just because they were opponents in that game.

Trake left the kitchen with the viand and rice he had cooked and prepared for us. He started calling out to our friends to start our dinner.

***

long after, it’s already 1:00 AM! I used to think that maybe one of the six of us was just pretending and pranking, but we weren’t. All I know now is that the shadow that strikes every morning at 1:00 AM is real because... I-It’s in front of me now!

I opened the window and even with grilles, I used a broom and slammed it out the window if I hit anything— and there it is! I can feel that I hit a soft, cloth-like material.

"Whaaa!”

I was startled that something had fallen from above. It's a small stuffed toy that looks like Neinuko!

I closed the window frantically. I still wondered about what happened. I sat on my bed for a moment to ponder the mysteries.

First, there is an extra boy’s room. Second, an extra seat in the dining area. Third, there is a shadow at the window. Fourth, that shadow appears exactly at one o'clock in the morning only.

If my answer is right, I need to see it one more time. It must be outside the mansion and can’t get in, that’s why it is sneaking through our windows.

I opened the window again and shouted. "Hey! Show yourself. I know you're the one who did the mysterious shadow!”

"Shhh! Shhh! Don't be loud!" he is shushing me, so I calmed down.

"W-Why are you f-floating?!" I questioned, pointing at him standing in front of me outside my window.

"Floating? Hahaha! Of course, I have a harness. Here it is." And he actually showed me the harness he was referring to.

"What are you doing?"

He took a steel drill from his pocket.

"I'm headin’ into your room," he said eagerly, and the engine started to make noise.

"What?!”

"I should’ve made this a long time ago. I waited for one of you to find out that who’s behind the spooky shadow, hihi," He continued to smash the grilles of my window.

He broke my window grilles with the proper width and length where a person can fit to enter my room. He threw the grilles he broke on my window behind him and stepped onto my bed to enter my room.

"Why are you here?" I interrogated him.

He shook himself first and arranged his school uniform.

"Heh, I'm here to play level 3."