""That’s... w... what?"
My mind went blank at the sight of the notification. I had no idea how to react, completely thrown off by it. How...? When? Why...?
"H-how is this possible?"
Why was I suddenly haunted? From who...?
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
My heart suddenly raced for no clear reason. The air grew heavy, almost suffocating, as a cold chill swept through the room.
It was the entity itself, announcing with the very change in the atmosphere, that it was coming for me.
’It has to be my imagination.’
I thought it was.
But—
"Hmm."
Noticing the sudden shift in the Conductor’s expression as it scanned the room, the sinking feeling in my chest only deepened. Then its gaze fixed on me, and its lips parted with a slow rip, releasing a voice weighted with an unfamiliar seriousness.
"What sort of sinister presence did you provoke?"
The Conductor lifted its arm, revealing its hand. Slowly, its lips curved into an amused smile as its gaze settled on me.
"...Even I am getting shivers."
I lost my breath.
***
The atmosphere within the Guild grew more heated by the day.
Not just the Guild, but the world outside.
As a Queen-Grade Guild, their actions were closely watched by the entire world. Especially after the recent <S> Ranked gate, where the Section Chief and their team had survived against all odds.
This had not only elevated public opinion, but the Guild was now on the cusp of reaching the King-Grade.
It was only natural that their Department Trials garnered a lot of attention.
Would their island be able to compete against those from the main island in the World Congress?
"This year’s Department Trials will be a lot different than usual."
A meeting was taking place within the Guild. All members of the Containment Department were sitting in front of a large projection as the Section Chef briefed everyone on the rules of the Trials.
"Since we want to test the very best in the Guild, we’ve decided to change things up. This won’t be the usual test where we have individual tests for teams and measure the speed at which they can clear a certain anomaly."
A mysterious smile played on the Section Chief’s face as he looked at everyone present.
Finally, he pressed the remote. The projection flickered, then snapped into focus. A massive building loomed before everyone; its windows were dark, with cracks all over. It looked like a hotel, but there was something about it that felt wrong... Something that made the air grow colder and the room fall unnervingly silent.
"The Trials will be held in VILE — 417, Hotel Claire."
The eyes of many widened at the announcement.
While not everyone knew its full reputation, many present were aware of the Hotel. It was considered one of the Guild’s most grueling anomalies, each floor harboring a different, unpredictable threat.
The Hotel had seven floors in total, and only a handful of teams had ever reached the seventh. No one had ever cleared the final floor, ominously known as the "Gates of Hell."
The silence in the room felt suffocating as the Section Chief continued.
"The goal of the trials is to climb the hotel. The higher your team ascends, the better your score. There will be a set limit, and any team that cannot continue will be forcibly removed. No exceptions."
Clicking on the remote, several pictures appeared.
Pausing, the Section Chief looked at everyone present.
"Keep in mind that this will be broadcast to the entire island. It would be best if all of you didn’t have to be forcibly removed. That wouldn’t reflect very well for your team, and the potential sponsors that it might bring."
Each team had its own sponsor.
Be it on an individual level or a team level. The money provided to the team would range from the competency of the team, with the strongest team getting paid the most money.
After all, there was no better way to advertise a brand than through the Trials and World Congress.
"I’ll now brief you on the details of the anomaly. Each team will be allotted 100,000 Guild Points for the Trial. Choose your items carefully. Of course, these are temporary and must be returned immediately after the Trial."
With a greasy smile, the Section Chief continued outlining the trial to the department. What they were expected to do, and the rules they had to follow.
This continued for an entire hour before everyone was finally dismissed.
As the others gradually filed out, only one figure remained seated. Seth’s gaze was distant, unfocused, and he didn’t react to anything around him.
That was until—
"Squad Leader?"
Joanna tapped him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.
As he looked at his team and saw everyone looking at him, Seth pursed his lips.
"Right."
He thought back to everything that he had heard.
"Joanna, take charge of the team. Use the points as you see fit, and make a solid plan for the upcoming trial. I’m leaving this in your hands for now."
"Huh?"
Not expecting such a request from him, Joanna didn’t know how to react. The rest of the team was also confused.
"Wait, Squad Leader..."
"Are you saying that you can’t do this?"
"Eh, no... I—"
"Then that’s settled."
Seth stood up from his seat, holding onto his head, trying his best to calm his headache.
"I’ll leave all of the planning to you. If you need something, send me a message and I’ll see what I can do. I believe in you."
Seth patted Joanna on the shoulder and walked away, leaving her and the team frozen, staring after his retreating back.
They stood like that for the next minute, until Joanna took a deep breath and silently clenched her fist. Not out of anger, but out of excitement. For the first time, the Squad Leader was relying on her.
This...
She couldn’t mess it up.
"Alright."
Joanna turned around and led the team elsewhere.
"Let’s go."
***
The next day.
One day before the Trials.
I didn’t get much sleep.
After learning I was being haunted, I couldn’t get an ounce of sleep. Every small sound felt eerie, every shadow a possible threat, and every smell reminding me of blood. I was so out of it that I hadn’t even been paying attention to anything about the Trials.
I knew that I was most likely being paranoid, but thinking about the Conductor’s words, I knew that I wasn’t dealing with a normal entity.
But why...?
Why was I suddenly being targeted?
’Is it possibly related to the cult?’
I bit my lip. It made sense when I thought about it: the cult knew my identity. Their inaction until now felt odd. Maybe it was because I had been holed up in my office, but after everything I had done, their silence made no sense.
’...Have they finally started to look for me?’
I swallowed hard, my eyes fixed on the street ahead. Cars drifted past on the left, and the crowd moved along as if nothing at all was amiss.
The path to the Guild wasn’t far.
I clutched my drink and tried to act normal, but every movement felt monitored.
As if a pair of eyes were constantly watching me.
My breathing sped up, and my steps grew quicker. The Guild was very close, only a few minutes’ walk. I just had to—
"....!?"
A hand suddenly reached from behind me, halting me on the spot.
My entire body froze, and slowly, my head turned.
A pair of sunglasses met my vision. The fear that had gripped my heart a moment prior disappeared, and my mouth opened on its own, "Offer me 10,000,000$ guaranteed, and I’ll join."
The smile on Hermes’s face froze.