Doll House(5)

The entire group stepped back in shock, horror seeping into their pupils as they gazed at the humanoid figure standing behind them.

The madam smiled at them kindly, a thin seam on her lip snapping from the unbound pressure. Beneath the flesh, they could faintly see what could only be a flash of white.

Like the cotton stuffing in an old, worn-out ragoll.

There was another sharp intake of air when the madams smile gradually grew wider, stretching until only a narrow Cheshire grin marred her face from ear to ear.

And yet..there was no blood.

Only the tiny sounds of thread snapping from her face, the flesh popping out like tiny strings holding her skin together together.

"Hahaha"

Seemingly satisfied with their horrified reactions, the madam generously pulled out a thick red thread from her pocket and with sharp nails bored a hole in her own lips before threading the string through with ease, yanking her lips close stitch by stitch.

Then as if nothing had happened she continued to look at them with a graceful smile, saying in tandem,

"Oh dear me, what a suprise. Two of your fellow servants decided to dedicate themselves in honor of the festival. The children will be very happy to hear the news."

Their faces turned ugly.

Dying meant your soiled corpse being dragged out and sacrificed in worship to what ever those 104 children represented.

And even alive, they were forced to act there roles in a deadly game of house.

"Alas, I cannot stay too long. My poor son has once again been afflicted with a bout of madness from fright. I must see to it that he takes his medicine. Run along now, a special feast will commence on the 6th"

Dark sockets stared back at them with cruel amusement, leaving the shellshock bunch to revel in her announcement.

Chu Yi looked at her back vacantly, the maid had come through on her promise to inform the Madam it seems.

Night was already descending on the second day and soon they will be forced to go back to their rooms.

Whether the monsters inside were better than the ones outside, they'd have to encounter it to verify

They couldn't stay so passive either. There was only 4 more days to the Festival and the general consensus among player was that the last days were usually the most dangerous.

They had to do something.

"Then let's break into one of the restricted rooms?" someone suggested hesitatantly.

Doing nothing will only lead to certain death, only by chancing the instance would they be given a chance to survive so without any other option, hey agreed.

With only the dim light of the oil lamps to illuminate the quiet night, they walked noiselessly along the medieval staircase, a bloody light reflecting off the polished red mahogany.

Their shadows flickered uneasily behind them, at times, they even seemed to creep up on their bodies maliciously before fading away with the light.

On this almost infinite stairs, they walked and walked in the darkness until finally they arrived on the fifth floor of the tower with doors upon doors of locked room standing before them.

The butler had not explicitly stated that they could not enter restricted rooms , only warning them of the consequence of taking something so they were all extremely careful. After some debating, Pei AngCi, one of the clerks, with some lockpicking experience volunteered to open one of the door.

Zhao Pengyu had thrown a questioning look at Chu Yi when the other had not spoken up about his lock picking ability but quickly threw that doubt behind him.

This was the Nightmare Shuttle, no one was obligated to risk their lives for others.

Chu Yi stared at the pattern on the lock before them, for some reason he found it strangely familiar but no matter how much he tried to recall, the memory was fleeting.

Creeakkkk-

With a rusty creak, the door opened with a slight push. Inside the room looked the same as the others except, the rooms were coated in dirt and dust and the furniture had long deteriorated, leaving behind only a decayed shell.

It was estimated that they had been here for a very long time.

This was rather suprising because although the castle was decrepit and disheveled from the outside, the interior was filled to the brim with riches and wealth.

Just the fact that they could afford 15 servants was enough to show their financial wealth.

So why was it that these particular rooms were both locked and left to rot.

Shortly after, a short exclamation came from Pei Angci who had been the first to enter. In his hands, he held a small picture frame.

The others gathered around him too and after a quick observation, they too let out shocked gasps.

In the frame was a picture of a young, beautiful girl standing beside a bearded, middle aged man. They both looked like aristocratic nobles and even though they were smiling in the picture, they till carried with them, a poised grace.

What had caused them to be suprised wasn't that fact but who the picture was of.

It was the madam or rather what used to be the Madam.

On a small corner of the frame was engraved with the names Elisa Baron and Count Baron.

Signed June 18, 1767

Chu Yi thought of the newspaper article on June 15, 1997 .

230 years has passed since this picture had been taken.

Then how was the Madam still alive or better yet what exactly had she used to sustain her immortality.

Instinctively, the others also came to realize that this was an important clue, and one of them habitually put the frame into his own pocket to examine it later, but with a startled halt, stopped himself.

Face paling with true fright, the man patted his chest with relief, pushing the frame away from him carefully.

No one wanted to find out the consequences of stealing from the manor especially recalling the excited glint hidden in the butlers glare.

Out of the corner of his eye, Chu Yi caught sight of something,

A little doll faced them quietly,hidden beside the rotting wooden cabinet, glassy eyes staring hollowly at their backs.

It was out of place in this crumbling environment.

Anyone else would have have immediately notified the others, pointing out the obvious anomaly in the room.

Chu Yi instead did the unexpected, moving away from the distracted players quietly, he towered over the little doll, staring into its blank eyes.

Then he bent down.

Grabbing the little thing by its legs, he dangled it quietly in front of him, bringing it closer and closer to his lips.

Almost as if he was going to kiss it tenderly.

There was no movement at first but as the doll was almost touching his lips, very quickly, a burning heat traveled from his pocket to all parts of his body. It wasn't enough for it to hurt him but with most of the heat travelling to his hands, he quickly let go of the now struggling doll, dropping it hastily onto the floor.

Chu Yi wasn't frightened though, instead a wide maniac smile crossed his face.

"Ahahahaha"

Beautiful red eyes shedding its gloomy coat, laughing quietly to himself.

He had found him.

Now the true fun has begun