Chapter 3

The mysterious man and I stood there for a brief moment. The witches were searching through each room, trying to find us. I felt a shiver run down my spine and nervously swallowed, afraid of being caught and sacrificed by those creatures.

“Come this way,” the mysterious man whispered as he led me to a hiding place.

I gazed up at him, only able to see his face obscured by shadows. Despite not knowing where he was taking me, I was ready to follow.

He knelt down and gently motioned for me to sit, treating me as if I were a child. Glancing around, I found myself seated in a corner between two bookshelves.

Raising an eyebrow, I looked at the mysterious man. He seemed to be trying to cover us with something he had lifted, but there was nothing there.

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

“You'll see soon enough, just stay quiet,” he replied as he placed something above us.

Although he tried to be silent, the box made a few muffled thumps. I realized it was invisible, which brought a smile to my face knowing we were hidden from the witches. I remained silent, not wanting to draw attention.

As the voices of the witches drew closer, the mysterious man softly said, “They're coming.”

“I listened to them. No ought to remind me,” I whispered as we both turned to confront the course of the voices.

The door creaked open, casting shadows on the floor as the witches entered. “You search this side of the room,” one witch instructed, pointing to our side, “and I'll search the other.”

The other witch nodded in agreement as they continued their search for me. Despite being invisible, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as they approached. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead, trickling down my face. My heart raced with fear, and my eyes widened in anticipation.

As the witches drew closer, my fear intensified. I tried to calm my mind, but the anxiety consumed me. I just wanted it all to be over, to escape before they discovered me. They moved slowly, methodically searching every corner of the room.

One of the witches neared our hiding spot, scanning the area and sniffing the air. Would she find us? I held my breath, hoping she wouldn't. "Gee, nothing here," she pronounced, moving on.

I let out a silent sigh of relief, my heart still pounding in my chest. After the witches left, the mysterious man revealed himself and introduced himself as Clinn. He assured me that we would leave once the coast was clear.

"Got it," I replied, ready to follow him to safety.

Without uttering a single word, I promptly followed his lead. Upon arrival, we cautiously leaned against the wall and waited by the door for the witches to vacate the hall. We strained our ears to hear their footsteps and caught snippets of their conversation, one of them mentioning, “Alright, looks like he's not here. Let's continue searching in the other direction.”

“Okay!” Another witch responded as they exited the hall with their partner. We waited a bit longer for them to leave the vicinity. We didn't want to risk being caught by those monsters if they heard the door open.

Once the coast was clear, Clinn glanced up at the door and opened it slowly. He peered out to ensure no witches were nearby before widening the door and gesturing for me to follow him in the opposite direction.

“We're safe,” he announced.

“Understood,” I replied before trailing behind him out of the room.

We scanned our surroundings and headed away from where the witches were. “This way.”

As I followed him, I observed his features - curly black hair, freckles on his face, and a scar on his lip. I glanced at his attire - jeans, black sneakers, and a white shirt.

He seemed oddly familiar to me. I couldn't pinpoint why, but there was a sense of recognition. Before my transfer here, I had heard rumors about a boy who had disappeared months ago and he was in the same drama club as I am right now, though I couldn't recall his name. I wondered if Clinn was that missing boy. Despite the uncertainty, I was determined to uncover the truth.

“So, where are we headed?” I inquired.

Clinn glanced at me a few times before answering, “I'm taking you to my secret hideout. I need your assistance to devise an escape plan. How long have you been stuck here?”

“Just tonight. You?”

“A year.”

Gasping, my eyes widened in shock as I turned to face him. "A whole year?!" I exclaimed. Without a doubt, Clinn had to be the one. There was no possible way he wasn't. I was certain of it.

"Yes, a year," he confirmed.

I couldn't offer assistance but inquired, "How did you oversee to outlive this dreadful place for a complete year?"

"I did nothing but hide and eat while tirelessly searching for a way to escape. Unfortunately, every attempt ended in failure. That's why I need your help. The sooner we find a solution, the better our chances of getting out of here."

"I see... So, how did you end up in this world?" I inquired.

"I was called by those same drama members to meet them after my successful performance. I agreed to it and followed them there. It turned out they were not only witches but also cannibals, trapped in another dimension."

"Cannibals?!" I exclaimed, taken aback by the revelation.

"Yes, cannibals. And you? How did you find yourself here?" he asked.

"I snuck in to find out as those same girls were acting really strange," I replied.

"I see," he nodded. "Figures."

As I turned my attention forward, the urgency to escape this world grew stronger. Not only I discovered that I was destined to be sacrificed and devoured, but also my family was worried sick about me and I wanted to go home as soon as possible. There was absolutely no way I could endure staying in this world for an entire year. I simply couldn't bear it.