* * *
"Alright then, let''s go!" Ran said.
Glam, who stood at the front of the door, then pulled out a key. He inserted it into the large bronze padlock that secured the door with a rusty chain. The two men beside him kicked the door open, and as it swung wide, Glam and the other two quickly pulled their shirts up to cover their noses. A cloud of dust erupted into the air, swirling around them – propelled by the gust of wind created by the door''s sudden movement.
"It''s been so long since the last time we used this road…" one of the men remarked, his voice muffled as he held his arm to his face, swiping his hand repeatedly to disperse the dust that clung to the air.
After a few moments, it finally began to settle. Ran was the one who led and stepped inside first, venturing into the dark, pitch-black building. With a sense of familiarity, she moved along the wall until she found the light switch. With a nippy motion, she flipped it down, and the building was illuminated by a dim glow from the flickering white lamp that hung above their heads.
Inside, El surveyed the scene before him, feeling uncomfortable at the chaotic mess that lay within – it reminded him of certain unpleasant memories when he was still a child living under his uncle and aunt rundown house. Chairs were haphazardly piled against broken windows, their splintered legs jutting out like skeletal fingers reaching above. Fragments of tables lay in a mess on the floor, mingling with discarded belongings that hinted at lives once lived within these walls.
"Hmmm, I think everything is fine here," Ran said, accompanied by a casual shrug.
"Dang, it got even creepier than the last time we were here," Sill mentioned, his voice low as he took in the unsettling atmosphere of the hallway.
The building stretched out before them, revealing a long, narrow corridor lined with countless rows of identical doors. Each door, painted with a faded shade of gray, stood in stark contrast to the peeling wallpaper that flaked away in patches, exposing the bare, crumbling plaster beneath. Some doors were slightly ajar, while others stood wide open as if inviting the curious one to peer inside. Yet the oppressive, creepy darkness beyond seemed to also hold secrets best left undisturbed.
The corridor was dimly lit, with flickering overhead lights casting erratic shadows that danced along the walls, creating an eerie ambiance. The air was thick with a musty scent, a nauseating mix of mildew and decay that clung to their senses, making it difficult to breathe.
As they walked down the hallway, the sound of their footsteps echoed eerily, amplifying the unsettling silence that enveloped the space. The sheer number of doors they passed, all so similar, created a disorienting effect – as if the corridor stretched endlessly into the unknown. Some doors bore strange symbols or numbers, obscurely hinting at the possible purposes of the rooms, but the meanings remained shrouded in mystery.
Ran and the others at the front navigated the labyrinthine corridors with an air of confidence as if they knew the path to their destination by heart. On the other hand, Sill lingered close to El, who walked at the very end of the group, his expression showing a mix of concern and vigilance. He seemed worried that El might become lost in the maze of doors or, worse, tempted by something foul and sinister that lurked within this evil, forsaken building.
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As they walked further, El swore to himself that he could feel something watching them, unseen by the eyes.
The feeling was palpable, like the very walls themselves were alive, observing the group''s movements. El knew this sensation very well; it was quite familiar to him. It reminded him of the time when <i>''the man''</i> had performed magic, using that triangle-shaped vial filled with the unknown fluid. The difference he felt this time compared to before was that it came from many eyes – not just from one unknown, oppressive entity lurking in each corner, each side, and every part of the shadows in the room.
With each step El took, following the others from behind, a creeping sensation crawled up his spine, somehow urging him to turn back. But of course, he wouldn''t do that! This wicked, malevolent aura was something he was actually curious about. The vial itself was safely kept with the rest of the money at the house, waiting for when that man came back to teach him how to use it properly, just like he promised.
* * *
As they walked through the narrow hallway, the group approached a door. Ran immediately kicked it open with a forceful shove when she found out it was jammed. A gust of cold wind immediately rushed past them and nipped their faces in uncanny frigidity.
Beyond the door lay a staircase leading upward. With no further words or delay, they began to ascend it.
"So far, so good," Sill whispers to El, his voice barely above a murmur.
"So, what is this actually all about? What do we need to be wary of?" El whispered back, his curiosity piqued.
The group had been on edge throughout their journey, avoiding mirrors, ignoring clothes draped over something no matter how curious they were, and the worst seemed to be dolls and small statues. But he didn''t see anything along the way, except the flickering light that made the situation feel off, and honestly, quite terrifying even for him. Other than the annoying gazes constantly following their backs, El had not seen or found anything amiss so far, even when their footsteps were rather loud in this vacant, hollow building.
"Oh, right! I forgot you''re not from here," Sill replies, his tone suddenly shifting to one of seriousness. "There''s a reason why the underside is called the Downtrodden Region. It’s a kind of remembrance, you see. When—"
Suddenly, their conversation was cut short as Ran, who was leading the group, raised her hand to halt their progress. They had reached the third floor, and Ran stood beside a door marked with the number three, which El had noticed while still on the stairs.
With Ran as the onset who gestured for silence to the rest of the group – by placing her index finger on her lips – the others quickly followed suit, passing the message to those behind them. Glam, at the rear, also mimicked the gesture, reminding El and Sill, who were at the very back, to keep quiet and stay alert, all the while adding a glare of his own.
*Trang tang tang tang*
*Trang tang tang tang*
*Kriek kriek kriek*
*Thud*
*Bang*
A cacophony of sounds erupted from behind the door leading to the corridor of this floor. The clattering of metal, the thud of objects being thrown, and the creaking of rusted hinges filled the air with precarious, hair-raising noises. It was as if a chaotic scene was unfolding just on the other side of their current place. El could clearly feel the emotions radiating from behind that door.
It was fear, anger, and something inexplicably darker.
The group remained silent – tension thick in the air. Their ears listened intently to the crisp of this clamor. After enduring for a prolonged time, Ran finally gestured for them to move, using subtle hand and head movements to signal everyone to follow her lead. They crept forward, their footsteps barely making a sound on the stairs, while the ruckus behind the door continued unabated.
Once they left the third floor behind, an unspoken agreement settled among all of them: no one dared to make a sound. El walked with newfound caution and his mouth zipped tight, his heart pounding inside his chest from that earlier chilling occurrence.
Yet, unbeknownst to all of them, as they ascended the stairs, the door of that third floor – connecting the corridor to the staircase – creaked open slowly. After moments passed in this eerie stillness, it gradually closed again on its own, and the chaotic noises from the third floor fell silent, leaving an unsettling calm in its wake.
* * *