There was no time to spare.
The moment the doors smacked open, I got ready to move. The others also sprang into action, dashing towards the door.
"Quick!"
I couldn’t care less about the other teams.
The only thing I cared about was my team, and catching a glimpse behind me, my worries vanished when I saw everyone move.
’As expected, all those games hadn’t been for nothing!’
Their reactions were quick, and none of them appeared to be flustered by the situation.
No, it was more like they had pushed all of their panic away.
"Left or right?"
There were two paths to take coming out of the door. Looking at both sides, I wasn’t sure of what path to take. Thankfully, I wasn’t unprepared as I quickly took out a compass and looked at it. With just a look, I immediately dashed towards the right side.
"Here."
Nobody questioned my decision.
They all just followed me without asking any questions.
This was the trust that we had built over the course of the month that we had been together.
To some extent... I hadn’t actually spent much time with them. It was mainly the doppleganger, but this was good enough for me.
Staring at the compass, I continued to run straight.
The corridors before me stretched as far as my eyes could see, twisting endlessly, with new passageways branching off into entirely different areas.
Flick! Flick!
The lights above flickered, swinging from bright to dim, while some passageways were swallowed entirely by darkness.
...It was almost as if something was chasing us.
My heart pressed tightly against my chest.
I wasn’t entirely sure where I was going. I knew the compass could lead me astray; it had done so more than once in the past, but just as often, it had guided me exactly where I needed to be.
If I had to place a value on the things I owned, the compass would rank among the most precious.
While the consequences of going to the wrong place were pretty serious, it was also true that it helped me get out of tough situations, just like in this situation.
In fact, I could also use the compass to help me find the spot where the cult was.
I had plans on doing that, but held myself back, considering that I had time. There was no need to rush for such a quest. The stronger and more prepared I was, the better off I was. This was why I held off on using it.
"Squad Leader!"
Snapping out of my thoughts, I came to a sudden stop as I looked ahead.
’Elevator!’
A line of elevators greeted my sight. My eyes lit up.
I didn’t hesitate about what needed to be done. But just as I reached for the elevator buttons, someone else’s hand got there first.
I stopped to see that it was Sarah.
Fast...
I relaxed a moment later.
"...You got me for a second."
I looked around. Although their breaths were heavy, the entire team was present. Looking back at the corridor, it looked like we were the only ones to have made it to the corridor.
"It doesn’t seem like the others followed us," I mumbled, my gaze locked onto the corridor. The lights were dim, flickering into darkness as a tense silence settled over us.
Just as I began to feel tense, Niel spoke up.
"There were a couple that did, but everyone scattered in different directions. I don’t know where they are now."
I frowned as I listened to Niel, but it was probably for the best. If everyone was scattered, whatever presence had been at the dinner table would have a harder time finding us. Just the thought of that presence sent another chill down my spine.
What in the world was that?
It wasn’t like I had ever encountered a scary and creepy presence in the past. I was used to encountering such things, but this was the first time that I had encountered something that truly gave me the chills.
Not even the Conductor gave me this type of chill.
It was one that seemed to seep directly into my own soul. Almost as if... it wasn’t an anomaly, but something else entirely. Something more sinister.
My throat unknowingly dried up as I thought about it.
And then—
Ding!
A chime rang, and the elevator doors opened.
I looked around, mainly at the empty corridor where the darkness lay. For a brief moment, time seemed to slow down as I stared at the corridor, the outline of a certain figure appearing, staring right at me.
In that moment, it was as if the very air in the area had been sucked away.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t...
"....!?"
I regained sensation quickly, the outline fading from my sight as I blinked.
I didn’t think twice before dashing into the elevator.
"Hurry in."
I pressed the close button, acutely aware of my heart pounding like a drum in my chest.
Click! Click!
Even as the doors closed, I didn’t relax. I tapped the button that led to the next floor, my entire body tensed as I looked around me.
A warm streak ran down the side of my face, my breathing growing heavier with each breath. I didn’t know what was going on, but I could feel it clearly.
I...
I was being watched.
"Squad Leader? Are you okay...?"
"Squad Leader?"
"Is there something wrong, Squad Leader?"
"We should be safe now. What’s wrong?"
"Uh? Ah...!"
I quickly realized that my actions were likely unsettling the team, and that thought forced me to take a deep breath and try to calm myself as I turned to look at them. But just as I opened my mouth to reassure them, my face froze.
A mirror hung at the end of the elevator, and within its reflection, a figure occupied the very spot where I was meant to stand.
Their entire body was charred, save for their eyes, which locked onto mine with their blank yet focused stare.
"H-ha."
Tiny trickles ran down the back of my neck, as if countless little creatures were crawling upward, while sweat slid down my back and my breath caught in my throat.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
It became louder now.
The sound of my own heartbeat.
"H-ha."
My chest trembled, and—
The moment I blinked, it was all gone.
The only thing I saw was my reflection as it stared back at me.
"Squad Leader...?"
The voices of the others faded into the background as I continued to stare at it, a sinking feeling settling inside my chest.
That was no hallucination, was it?
But who...?
Who was the charred figure that stared back at me?
Ding!
The chime rang once more, and the elevator doors slid open. A pungent stench of charred flesh hit my nostrils, making me recoil. My chills intensified as I looked ahead, where several dozen burnt corpses lay scattered, their hollow eyes staring emptily.
But that wasn’t the worst part of it all.
The worst part...
They were all wearing the Guild uniforms.
"....Ah."
I felt it then.
’I need to puke.’
***
Creaaak—!
A creak quietly echoed, a door slowly opening to reveal a certain silhouette.
Greeting him was a dark room. One that looked close to a storage room. It was small, with several boxes within. The smell of dust lingered in the air as the silhouette quietly walked in, his hand pressing against the side of his chest, covering the camera hidden within it.
Tak! Tak—!
The quiet sound of his steps echoed as he moved in, his body coming to a stop before a certain metal rack, all sorts of files and documents appearing within.
As he did, he reached forward with his hand and pushed the metal racking.
Clank!
A harsh metallic screech echoed as he shoved the rack aside. When he finally forced it away, a hidden door revealed itself before him.
A large eye appeared in front of the door.
A pair of dimples formed on his face shortly after.
"...There it is."