My blood froze. Weariness dissolved into nothing —a mere illusion—as every instinct roared awake. My mind sharpened, preparing me for fight or flight. Hadn't this cell been the one I inspected right before escaping? Shit. It had been unlocked this entire time...?

  The smell seeping out from the narrow crack was terrible, but different from the previous cells. This reeked of stale blood, of viscera, of... death.

  'Thud'

  Oh shit. I closed the door and yanked the keyring from my pocket. My hands trembled so badly that I struggled to hold it. I fumbled for a key and slid it into the steel lock, praying, and twisted it.

  Nothing. The lock didn't even budge.

  "Please, please," I whispered, my voice cracking. Randomly grabbing another key, I jammed it into the lock and turned forcefully.

  Another failure.

  'Hiiiisssss...'

  The sound was getting closer — a wet, slithering hiss that crawled down my spine. I shoved the next key in and twisted. Finall- Shit.

  It only went halfway, the key almost breaking inside the lock.

  A low throaty sound echoed from within. Whatever was in there should NOT be allowed out. I knew it, I knew it deep inside my bones that this thing couldn't get out.

  "Shadam hohem glot'toitili. Rorhein hohem biytilha."

  It was whispering something unintelligible directly into my mind. Something perverse.

  "Tr? uema krer. Tr? uem-"

  Death, death was approaching.

  I was panicking now, my hands slick with sweat. If this key didn't work, I would have to run. Maybe hide in another cell. I had to survive — I had to.

  The fourth key slid in.

  And turned.

  'Click'

  "Huff... huff. Oh, oh thank god."

  It felt like I'd run a marathon; my legs shook uncontrollably and my chest heaved intensely. This had been too close for comfort. My hands and fingers were numb out of fear. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, making a dull sound. I felt like I was... outside of myself, underwater. This... all this... all of this. What the hell was even happening? What was- What the hell was that?

  The whispers were gone, the corridor now filled with an eerie silence. I collapsed right there, on the ground, huffing. I knew it was not smart, but I had no strength in my legs. At least that had been the last door, I thought.

  After a few seconds, I stood up, using the wall for support. Staying here was not it. I had to... I had to get out. Get out and rest.

  My nerves refused to settle the entire way back. This place was a purgatory. The things contained here were abominations. There was simply no way this house was safer than other places.

  I'd have to reread that note later.

  Staggering back to the entrance, I slid the fake bookshelf out of the way and stepped out of the basement.

  The surface was almost as dark as the underground — the fancy dining room took a grim atmosphere at night, it seemed. It reminded me of those haunted houses at amusement parks I used to visit as a kid.

  This basement definitely took the cake.

  Now, where should I hide? I pondered. The plan had been to stay the night here, and while I didn't feel very safe right now, the decision had been made. There was no time to go anywhere else, anymore. It was night already.

  My best bet was staying here and choosing one of the rooms upstairs, far away from both entrances. I also wanted to secure an escape route in case things got too dicey, but that was probably too much to ask.

  Reaching the second floor, I headed for the main room — the same one where I'd found the amulet and the letters. The door was partially busted, which was a big con, but someone would still have to open and cross the entire meeting room to reach me. The other rooms only had a single door separating the inside from the outside, which wouldn't give me enough time to wake up and react if something were to happen. I briefly glanced at the glass ball on the meeting table, but quickly averted my eyes. After everything that had happened, those floating words felt almost normal to me now.

  I entered my quarters for the night. At least the bed had silk sheets. Chuckling, I remembered what my grandma always used to say to me as a kid: "Sleep well. But not too well, else you won't want to wake up". She was one of those witty types. My lips trembled and my eyes stung. Shit. Turning around, I started working. There was a lot to do: the desk had to be moved, the room searched again... I would use all the furniture available to barricade the entrance since the door was broken.

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  After that was done, I went behind the bookshelf and inspected the single window in the room. The curtains covering it were old and dusty, but the window itself was made of normal glass, encompassed in a sturdy, wooden frame. A glimpse through it didn't reveal much, as the outside was totally dark. I ended up leaving the bookshelf where it was, blocking the window.

  "Guess that's it". Placing my knife under the pillow (was this made of feathers?), I emptied my pockets onto the ground and lay down on the bed. I was extremely tired but also too anxious, so I probably wouldn't be able to catch any shut-eye tonight, unfortunately. There was a lot to think about.

  Eight cells, sixty-six steps. Me, the girl, the man, the Komodo dragon, nothing, that swarm, 'Martha' and... some whispering abomination.

  Where is the pattern? Is there even a pattern?

  Within minutes, I was fast asleep.

  ************************

  Shutting the large double doors behind me, I stepped on the slightly wet grass and glanced around. The atmosphere was peaceful. The sun shone softly, its rays touching my skin with a cozy warmth. I took a deep breath and let myself savor this false sensation of freedom and peace for a while.

  I decided to explore in another direction today. Yesterday, I'd gone forward, so today, I'd be going in the opposite direction. That seemed to be the best option, especially considering that 02 might be a zombie nest.

  Besides, what if there had been a road just behind me all along, and I just couldn’t find it because I kept insisting on going forward? That would be embarrassing... Only after exploring in all directions would I be able to make a smart decision.

  The problem was with getting lost, I thought. Last time I almost couldn't find my way back to 01. I'd have to find a solution for that.

  Even though I'd found some supplies in the house, the only things I'd be bringing with me were my knife, one canteen of water, and one flour sack with some supplies. I packed light since the plan was to come back before nightfall. Anything else would only slow me down or make too much noise.

  After preparing and making sure I had everything, I circled the house and headed to the back. Glancing at it, I noticed how comically plain it looked. While the front side was a bit luxurious, the back had nothing, just plain wood. It made the house resemble a movie prop, with one side much more detailed than the other.

  Turning back and looking at the grassy slopes, I began walking. Yeah, this would be another long day.

  .

  .

  .

  The sun burned bright up above, right at its zenith. The clear blue sky didn't provide any cover, so I could vividly feel the sun on my scalp. Tired, I decided to take a breather under the shade of a tree and rest for a little while. My shirt was sticky with sweat as I leaned my back on the rough tree trunk.

  "Damn, why is it so hot today?" I grumbled. "Next time, I'm bringing a shirt to cover my head or something".

  Taking out the metallic canteen, I took a long swig and savored the water going down my throat. It wasn't cold, but it was cool enough to refresh me a bit.

  With nothing to do, I began thinking and listing my priorities. After exploring south, I still had west and east to go. My plan was to map this region in a circular manner, using 01 as the center. After gathering enough information about my surroundings, I'd choose one singular direction and commit. I already knew 02 was north and that the region was infested. It could be that 03 was even further down the same direction or in a completely random location, so exploring was my only option. Urgh, and to think I expected a prisoner to give me a clue.

  After resting enough, I stood up, took out my knife, and carved a mark into the tree. The marking was to show the direction I'd come from and how many steps it took. I also drove sticks into the ground to help me identify the tree and note which checkpoint this was. It was extremely hard to maintain the same direction out in the wild, so the marks on both the tree and the ground would ensure I could roughly remember the general direction of my last stop. Other than that, I was also paying attention to the movement of the sun, so I was mildly confident I could find my way back to 01 if push came to shove — at least in the daytime.

  Continuing my walk for another hour, I finally caught sight of something in the distance. Another construction, passingly similar to the manor in 01. It sat atop a distant slope, looming against the blinding sunlight. Approaching it, the building's full shape came into view. It was rectangular, with clean edges that gave it an air of solemnity. The outer walls were tall, but not entirely featureless. Faint traces of intricate carvings lined the edges, worn smooth by time and neglect. They were smooth, save for the occasional dark frames and the cracks, stark against the grey stone. By how large it was, it probably had more than a single floor.

  The structure was austere, but not to the extent that it seemed too out of place.

  I carefully approached it. The doors looked old, crafted from reddish-brown wood, their once-polished surface now dulled and worn. They also had those old iron knocking rings attached to them, likely to compensate for the lack of doorbells.

  My hand touched the door, palm resting on it but not exerting any force. Should I really... what if there's something inside...

  Yes, I knew that taking advantage of the daytime was crucial. There was a high chance those things appeared only at night, and that talk with "Martha" only reinforced my suspicions but...

  Looking around, no matter where my eyesight went, there was only green. Green, green, green. Everywhere. A whole lot of nothing. My eyes returned to the door.

  I back out and then what? Go back to that monster den with nothing to show for it? Wait for my time to come?

  Nonsense.

  I carefully pushed the door open and peered inside. Not locked, huh. Entering the place and minding my step, I took in the interior. It was a very small hall that promptly connected to a long corridor. The walls were lined with faded paintings and tarnished mirrors, their edges worn, reflecting the dim light in strange, distorted ways. The paintings were of still life and simple landscapes, as far as I could tell from a passing glance.

  Crossing the corridor, a spacious, squared courtyard, stood right in the heart of the place, completely empty. The hallway I was in opened and forked to the right and left, tracing the entirety of the courtyard, with only a low half-wall separating the open area from the corridor. On each side of the square stood a weathered entrance leading directly into the patio.

  There were also three other rooms, each on a different side of the building. The one directly across from me, passing the courtyard, had a big open entrance leading to a set of stairs, while the ones to my left and right were hidden behind closed doors.

  Without dwelling on it too much, I turned right and started walking. Frankly, the central area looked completely lifeless: no plants, no tables, no nothing. It reminded me of those old playgrounds with sandy, harsh ground where kids always scraped their knees.

  I could still remember running back to my mother, face streaked with tears after falling off the monkey bars and grazing myself all over. That must've been, what, 15 years ago? Time sure flies.

  Bah, enough.

  My gaze tilted upwards at the second floor. It was just like the first one, with semi-open hallways directly facing the courtyard, featuring white stone balusters in a balcony style.

  This construction seemed a bit more ordinary compared to the other places I'd seen. Sure, it seemed old too, but the materials were different. There was still wood in the interior — the baseboard, the ceiling, the doors — but it wasn't all wood and stone like before.

  As I strolled along, taking in the walls, something caught my eye: a dark smudge on a corner. Why was this section so dirty?

  On a closer inspection, it wasn't just a smudge. It was more of a splatter, dark and dry. Now that I was paying closer attention, I noticed these blots were everywhere. Even the patio had these darker patches scattered across the ground.

  Walking further, the place became progressively messier, with splatters on the ceiling and cracks on the walls. My calm state quickly gave way to alarm and my mind sharpened. Something had happened here.

  Or is happening, I thought.

  Finally reaching the door on the right, I placed my hand on the handle, only now realizing it was broken.

  I pushed the door open anyway.

  There, in the center of the room, amidst a puddle of dark dry blood, lay two mangled bodies.