The rhythmic clatter of footsteps echoed through the darkened corridor, methodical yet oddly unsettling. Then, suddenly, they stopped.
A moment of silence.
Then— Creak...
The sound of a heavy door groaning open filled the air. From the dimly lit operating room emerged a figure clad in a tattered white coat, his face obscured by an eerie, bird-beak mask. The so-called "Plague Doctor" scanned his surroundings as if searching for something—or someone.
His gaze landed on a small object lying on the ground.
"A flashlight…" he muttered under his breath. Slowly, he stepped forward, picked it up, and casually switched it off. Without any further reaction, he turned and re-entered the operating room, closing the door behind him with a dull thud.
Silence once more.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Then, the door creaked open again.
The Plague Doctor stepped out, but this time, he clutched a human skull in one gloved hand. His voice, raspy and indifferent, echoed through the corridor as he muttered to himself, "Not enough bodies left… Time to find a fresh one."
With an absentminded motion, he tossed the skull into a pile of bones heaped in the corner. The sickening clatter of bone against bone reverberated eerily.
Without a second glance, he turned and shuffled down another passage, disappearing into the shadows.
A long pause followed.
Natsukawa Kanade finally exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Moving cautiously, he helped Shinomiya Kaguya to her feet. Up until this point, the two had been pressed against the wall behind the door, barely daring to breathe. The flashlight rolling away had been an intentional trick—a diversion to make it seem as though they had dropped it in their panicked escape. But it seemed their adversary had no interest in pursuit.
He just… went back to work?
Even when he exited again to dispose of his "materials," there was no sense of urgency in his actions. No reaction. No suspicion.
Kanade narrowed his eyes. That means this is our chance.
"We have to move quickly," he whispered. "This might be our only shot at grabbing the mission item."
Kaguya nodded in understanding.
Given the way this level was structured, it was clear that the Plague Doctor's behavior followed a pre-set "mechanism." The way he casually mentioned looking for a "fresh one" was more than just unsettling—it was practically a scripted hint. If we're going to act, it has to be now. If we wait too long, we'll be forced to sit through another loop, and that'll cost us valuable time.
With that in mind, Natsukawa Kanade moved quickly. He propped Kaguya up against the doorframe and gave her one simple job—keep watch. She didn't need to fight or run, just keep her eyes on the hallway. If the Plague Doctor started heading back, she would let him know.
Meanwhile, he slipped inside.
The moment he stepped into the room, the thick, metallic stench of blood hit him. Under the flickering light of the overhead chandelier, the grotesque scene on the operating table came into full view—an open chest cavity, organs meticulously arranged like an artist's work-in-progress. But Kanade didn't let the sight unnerve him. He was here for one thing.
And the mission item was right there.
Sitting in a metal dish, amidst the gore, was a heart-shaped gelatinous object, still glistening with "blood." A ridiculous place to put a key item, but he wasn't about to complain. He grabbed a piece of gauze from a nearby tray, wiped his hands as best as he could, and pocketed the mission prop.
That was almost too easy.
Turning back toward the entrance, he saw Kaguya still in position, her posture stiff with focus. If nothing else, even in her "young Kaguya" state, she was taking her role seriously.
Smirking, he walked up behind her and gave her a light tap on the shoulder. "Mission accomplished."
She turned around, her expression confused. "Huh? What are you doing?"
Kanade raised an eyebrow. "I just finished the job."
Kaguya blinked, then pouted. "I wasn't distracted! I was completing my mission properly!"
A small laugh escaped Kanade before he could stop it. She thinks I was checking on her? He had barely taken any time at all retrieving the item, so she must've thought he was scolding her for not paying attention.
Shaking his head, he ruffled her hair lightly. "You misunderstood. I meant that I already found the item, and we can leave now," he explained, before crouching down with his back to her. " Now let's get out of here before our friendly neighborhood Plague Doctor decides he needs some extra 'materials.'"
"Eh? Already?" Miss Sha Diao blinked in surprise.
But instead of questioning it further, she let out a small, delighted hum and happily climbed onto his back. The moment she settled in, Natsukawa Kanade took off like a gust of wind, bolting through the dimly lit corridor, his surroundings nothing more than a blur of eerie graffiti and flickering lights.
This wasn't about showing off his speedrun skills—it was pure necessity. Carrying someone while running was burning through his stamina fast, and every second saved meant avoiding a potential horror-movie death flag.
===============
Meanwhile, back in the operating room, the bird-beaked doctor returned leisurely, a skeletal remains in one hand, humming a creepy little tune. He was in an excellent mood—finally, after such a long wait, new challengers had arrived! The noises he had heard earlier confirmed it. So, as per his routine, he had graciously given them space to maneuver, even making a show of leaving to bait them into action. Then, as expected, he had doubled back, perfectly on schedule, to block the door at just the right moment.
The thrill of the game was in the chase—not in simply catching them. He wanted to draw out their fear, to keep them on the edge of their nerves, knowing they might be discovered at any second. The build-up of paranoia, the sweat on their brows, the tension thickening the air—that was what truly excited him. The horror wasn't in being caught, but in the looming threat of it.
Yes, a classic game of cat and mouse! He could already picture the panicked expressions, the frantic scrambling—
Wait.
What?
He froze mid-step, his masked face tilting slightly. His eerie presence, carefully honed over countless encounters, flickered with confusion.
Where… where are they?
His gaze darted around the room.
Where are my props??
A sense of existential crisis hit him like a truck. He had been gone for less than two minutes! What kind of maniac finishes a task that fast?! This wasn't how things were supposed to go!
==================
On the other side, Natsukawa Kanade had already blitzed his way into the next classic horror trope—the slaughterhouse. He barely had time to appreciate the dramatic shift in scenery before turning to Shinomiya Kaguya with a serious expression.
"Alright, listen up. This time, we're going full stealth mode. No sounds, no sudden movements. We're taking the royal stealth route."
"The… royal stealth route?" Miss Kaguya tilted her head in confusion. But rather than asking for clarification, she gave an exaggerated nod and immediately made a zipping motion across her lips.
Natsukawa Kanade couldn't help but chuckle. Despite the absurdity of their situation, she was surprisingly obedient.
To reward her enthusiasm, he gave her a thumbs-up before reaching out to ruffle her hair. Kaguya, in turn, leaned into his hand like a satisfied cat, eyes closed in sheer contentment.
"..."
Looking at her like this, Natsukawa Kanade had to admit—young Kaguya was unexpectedly adorable. Way more approachable than her usual self…
For a moment, his thoughts wandered, but only for a moment. Because in this hellish slaughterhouse, distractions could very well be the death of them both.
********************
I'll probably update this one on Tuesday, tomorrow I'll update " In pursuit of happiness"
As you've seen, going forward it's 5 chapters per update. Someone's putting pressure on me, iykyk.
Drop your comments on your thoughts, errors and/or if you just want to talk to me.
Have a good week ahead!!!!!!!!!!