3 Like His Mother's Smile

"Is this everyone?" A jolly voice questioned from above. Everyone in the room looked up to see a man hanging on the chain of the chandelier. He was wearing a similar victorian outfit as Gao Shunyuan, except a lot more extricate and flowy. It didn't at all look like the personal attire of a butler. And when looking closer, Ye Delun spotted a black mascarade mask covering the top half of his face.

The man swung around the chain and counted out loud all of their numbers, "..7, 8 and 9! All 9 participants! Great!" He swung around the chain once more before jumping off. His gloved hands gripped onto the edge of the chandelier and alternated to the dangling centerpiece made of pure crystal. Once his full weight was put onto it, the chain at the top let go and the ceiling fixture dropped drastically.

The man on the sofa across from his stood up from his seat to jump out of the way, while people at the side panicked. Ye Delun watched the falling assemble of crystal above him with his neck cranked up. The waving of the gems and the glimmering it created from the flickering candlelight. He thought it looked cool. It gave him a warm feeling in his chest, which hit the top of his lungs and evaporated into the feeling of excitement he loved so much.

'What was the word again?' He thought. His tongue went dry as it tried to form the word in his head.

"Pretty." He said as the word came to mind. The flapping of the man's clothing the broad smile on his face, the dancing of the fire, and the crystalline rocks reflecting the lights in the room. It reminded him of the way his mother's smile would shine.

The sudden pull on his arm threw him to the other side of the sofa. The arms a lot smaller than his wrapped around his large figure and their hands protected his head. He felt his face buried in something soft and the scent of flowers entered his nose, they smelled strong and hit his sensitive nose hard.

The clang of the chain sounded out as the chandelier's chain contracted once again, stopping mid-air. The man who was still hanging onto the long end of the fixture let go and easily landed the drop of 5 inches off the ground. Upon him letting go, the chain fiercely rolled back up and along with it the chandelier.

The man laughed when he saw his watchers' faces. "Apologies, did I scare you?" His deep, soothing voice reverberated through the room."I'm afraid that was just the quickest way down." He laughed again, making his apology seem insincere.

He took a quick scan around the room to make sure everyone was accounted for and spotted Ye Delun with his face forcefully shoved into another woman's bosom. A small unnoticeable crack in his smile revealed itself at the sight. "Now, now, what's this? Dear lover birds, I don't believe now is the time for such lawless actions, especially in public." He moved closer to the two and pulled on the back of Ye Delun's shirt, freeing him from Yang Lan's grasp. He moved him to the other side of the sofa and dropped him with a plop. "That can wait until I'm finished with my speaking." He said with a sly leer.

Ye Deluns felt himself burn aflame. His face was in another women's privates. How could this happen? What should he do? His father had always told him that he should respect a woman's private space and that he should never get touchy without asking. And that if he did, then he would never be called a man!

"Welcome all participants! Come, come closer. Sit and relax, I have rules to tell and explaining to do. Standing would only waste your precious energy." Several people around the room moved. Manly, the male with a flamboyant amount of shimmering items that sat across Ye Delun before, a large sweaty man in a business suit, and another woman with saggy skin and a pencil skirt that wasn't at all flattering.

Xiang Tingfeng and Kang Meixiu stayed at the side. Xiang Tingfeng had his arm slightly out to protect Kang Meixiu at a moment's surprise, while Kang Meixiu faced directly faced the host with his head raised in defiance.

Yin Meng, the mysterious man, didn't move from his spot and watched the smiling man with the same look he was giving Ye Delun earlier. "Who are you? Are you the writer of that letter?" He questioned. His hand hovered over his side, Ye Delun noted it.

"Me?" The man placed his hand over his chest in a dramatic fashion, "The writer of the letter?"

"I wish I was~" His grin broadened. "But am not. I couldn't be anywhere close on the same level as the one who brought you all here. Now no more questions, those you can leave for each other. But you must first let me explain.

"You all can call me Host. I'm not the actual one to host this party, but am instead, the one who will show themselves. This place is called Nightmare Manor, and rightly so, only shows up in your nightmares. Currently, your body is not actually here and you are just dreaming. But, that does not mean you are safe. Because among all of you, is a murderer, who is also the writer of the letter." Several people in the room gasp. The large man who was taking up a whole sofa to himself stood up, "What is this? You can't do this! Who gave you the right!"

"You did, actually, when you didn't listen to the fine print on the letter which stated 'in which invite can not attend, burn letter'" Host happily said.

"What!" The man hollered, "Such a cheap ploy has no way of counting!" He started to sweat profusely. He held a handkerchief in his hand and dabbed at his face.

"Shut up, you buffoon. Your pig squealing annoys me." Said the man across from Ye Delun. His eyes screamed cold ridicule. And the dazzling rings on his finger reflected light off the man's sweat.

"Why, thank you for the help, Li Yusheng." Host said, giving the other man one of his 'sincere' smiles.

"Just get along with it."

The plump man's chins quivered as he thought about interrupting, but along with Li Yusheng looking at him, Yin Meng also gave him a look of warning. He sat back down in his seat.

"Ah, beginning at where I left off, there is a man or woman here who is planning on murdering you all! For the next week, every time the clock strikes midnight you all will be brought here. And every day you will find another one of your companions dead. You only have two hours of workable time every day, and only an hour left for today. If you find the murderer by the end of the week, then you win, and if not. Then you die. That is all I have to say."

"Can we ask questions now?" Mentioned Yin Meng.

"You may not. Remember what I said? The people you should be asking questions to are the peers amongst you. But thank you for asking."

He took a bow and said with a sinister smile, "I bid you all goodnight, and to the murderer... a good killing." He disappeared with a poof of smoke.

After the smoke dissipated, a panel appeared in front of Ye Delun.

[You are the murderer!]