"Which one should we try first?" Rae asked.

"Hmmm..." Syny pondered. "I wonder which one's the closest?"

"Is there a map anywhere? I don't want to get lost..."

Rae sheepishly looked at her boyfriend.

"There's not always a map. I might have to lead the way," he said.

"Let's go this way?"

Syny ignored Keith and pointed towards the right hallway.

"Sure," Rae agreed.

The doorway on the right side was smaller than they expected, but the hallway had ample room for the four of them to walk shoulder-to-shoulder.

However, Syny and Rae, their resolve strong, took the lead for themselves.

The hallway was dark... A bit *too* dark.

"Did our torches get dimmer?" Syny asked.

"I... I think so..."

The torches had barely lit up the lobby, and their strengths only dwindled further.

The tunnel's end was shrouded in darkness, and they gathered the courage to venture into the black void.

Rae and Syny subconsciously latched onto each other.

Step, step, step...

All they could focus on was putting one foot in front of the other.

The soft red carpet muffled the sound of their footsteps.

The torches softly crackled, dropping occasional sparks along the way.

The further they walked, the more rugged their breathing became; the two girls could hear each others' breaths.

Despite never admitting it out loud, both of them knew the other was terrified.

Well, that was fine. They were playing a horror game. It would be strange to not be scared, especially playing for the first time. This was the mutual feeling that would strengthen their bonds!

Syny kept these positive thoughts bouncing around her head. If she filled her mind with good thoughts, there would be no room for bad ones!

Go away, bad thoughts!

*BANG*

""AAH!""

A window on the right side flew open, and a chilling breeze dropped the temperature of the hallway by a few degrees.

The two girls shivered in each others' arms.

"It's okay, it's okay..." Syny mumbled.

"Pfft..."

"What's so funny??"

"Nothing," Rae said, shaking her head. "It's just that... I know you wanted to see me scared. But I wanted to see you scared, too, because I thought it would be kind of funny..."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, nothing..."

Syny stared at Rae, who trembled in her arms despite her brave monologue. This was probably her own way of coping with the fear, right? It wasn't bad.

Seeing someone else feel the same way definitely raised their morale.

In fact, it was so scary that even Jisha and Keith were starting to breathe heavily!

"Haha... Jish, come on, it's too early to be *that* scared!"

...

No response.

The shaky breaths behind them only grew louder.

"Uh...?"

"Syny, I don't think that's Keith's breathing."

"... I don't wanna turn around..."

"I think we have to."

*hhhhh...*

*hhhhh...*

The breaths echoed in a slow, continuous crescendo.

Did they really have no choice but to turn around?

Wait...

"Where's Jish??"

There was no response from her. Even *Jisha* would normally respond in this situation. Something was definitely wrong.

Ugh! How stupid! Only now did Syny realize that being alone with Rae meant Jisha was alone with that edge lord.

The two of them looked each other in the eyes and nodded.

Yes, they would turn around together!

One...

Two...

Three...

Slowly... Slowly...

They twisted their necks backwards, revealing more and more of the hallway behind them.

And...

The breathing disappeared.

Nothing.

There was nothing.

Not even the hallway they came from.

It was completely dark.

"Huh????"

What was going on? Just now, they'd definitely come from a hallway.

Only then did they realize what this darkness was - a fog. The tendrils of the smoke stretched forwards, threatening to drag them into the eternal abyss.

"Ah, nooooo!"

Rae, terrified out of her wits, swung her torch at the fog.

*poof*

Syny and Rae struck strange poses, and a bewildered Jisha tilted her head.

"Um..."

Syny awkwardly steadied herself while Rae's gaze darted about schizophrenically.

"You didn't see that?" Syny asked.

"No," Jisha replied.

The two girls glanced around, and it was true - it was as if nothing had happened.

"This wouldn't have happened if I were in front..." Keith grumbled. "We need to find new light sources soon, otherwise we risk a game over."

"Mhm!"

Rae vigorously nodded, and even Syny could acknowledge this was reasonable advice.

More wind howled through the tunnel, and she looked back at the window that'd swung open.

"Let's close this... just in case."

Their torches' lives were on the line here!

Syny slammed the window shut and breathed a sigh of relief.

With a sense of psychological security, they were free to continue forwards.

*crackle, crackle...*

With every step, the flame evaporated further and further.

"Why's this hallway so long?" Syny complained.

"We can do it! We're almost there... probably," Rae said.

A legion of doors flanked their path. The corridor showcased a myriad of portraits. Interesting decorative pieces sat on top of the tables. However, they were in no position to investigate. 

"Should we run??"

"Mhm."

They didn't want to dive headlong into the unknown abyss, but if they didn't, the abyss would devour them instead. They had no choice but to run.

The quick pace disrupted the torches even further, but Syny did her best at protecting its flame. She'd done it on the way here in much harsher winds; this was nothing!

They reached the end of the hallway, and a large open doorway led them into a vast auditorium-looking room.

The vastness of this new room only accentuated their problem.

"Hurry, look for a light source!"

The two panicked and started overturning the nearest objects. Where were the lights? What were they even looking for specifically?

This was bad. How long did they have until their torches died out? How long did they have before the feared Rosewood spirit showed itself?

*whoosh*

"..."

Darkness.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

What now??? How were they supposed to spot something without their eyes?

"It's okay, stay calm..."

"Wh- Where are you??" Rae stuttered.

"I'm ri- right next to you, am I not?"

"What?"

...

They could hear each other's voices, yet when they reached out, their fingers only grasped air.

"I'm right here! Rae!"

...

No response.

"Where are you?? Rae! Jish...!"

"Here."

 

*>+1 Oil Lamp*

*>+1 Tin Matchbox*

 

"What- Why did you give it to me instead of using it yourself???"

There was no point complaining now. Syny placed a flaming match near the oil lamp, and it roared to life.

Syny breathed a sigh of relief and stared at Jisha.

She'd spoken so quietly, yet her voice resonated with confidence and clarity.

Was she actually not scared at all? How was this possible?

Syny shook her head. There was no telling what that airhead was thinking. Even after being friends for so long, it was difficult to make an accurate guess.

Regardless, she'd been saved twice today... and both times, it was in a similar manner.

"Jishi, you're the light of my life!!!"

"..."

"Get it? You got me another light."

"Um, yeah..."

"Haha..."

For some reason, this time... Keith let out a small laugh.

"What's so funny??" Syny said.

"Nothing, nothing," he said, waving his hands.

Syny narrowed her eyes at him.

That was it! It was confirmed! This man was a homing missile, and his target was obvious!

She ran over and protectively hugged Jisha.

"Come on, you shining sun!"

She dragged Jisha away and they made their way towards the stage.

"Whoa..."

"This is..."

Their lamps unveiled the presence of an elegant harp sitting in the center. As they scrutinized it, it was evident this harp hadn't been played in a while. How long had it been collecting dust?

"The harp... There has to be some clues around here," Rae said.

The four of them scoured the stage area, and with the two of them trying harder than the others, they found a backstage area behind the curtains.

The wooden room was barren except for a chair, desk and mirror along the wall. This desk had a singular small drawer.

Syny pulled it open without hesitation, and sure enough, a note was inside.

"Unoary 17th, 10096. Dear Diary... Agh, this is too long! Rae, can you read it?"

Rae sighed and plucked the diary entry from Syny's hands.

"Merely one week remains 'til my birth celebration. Margaret's affections have been persistent, yet her gaze bears an unsettling shadow. I sense her mind brews with schemes - what nature of astonishment awaits me in the coming week? A frisson of unease stirs within me. Until then, I shall find solace in the comforting embrace of my harp's melody. Its gentle thrum has always been a balm to my nerves."

Rae stared at Syny suspiciously.

"What is it this time?!"

"Hm... Did you not want to read it because there's lots of long words in it?"

"What! Of course not!" Syny harrumphed, crossing her arms. "I'm a language expert! I'll have you know I've conquered the 7 branches of the Frost Tree!"

"Hm... If you say so..."

"Fine, I'll read the next note!"

Rae shrugged.

"I'm not forcing you."

"Grrr...."

Syny looked down at the drawer again, but it was empty.

She looked back up.

What-?

In the mirror, behind her.

"!!!!WHAT IS THAT FAAACCEEEE"

Syny tripped and fell backwards, but before she hit the floor...

"Hm?"

Jisha caught her in her arms.

"Haha, my shining sun saves the day again!" Syny said as she regained her footing.

"What did you see?" Rae asked.

"Um... a scary face..."

"Scion, do your best to remember that face," Keith said.

Syny pouted. She would have a hard time *forgetting* that face!

That ethereal visage. The thin strands of hair. The hollow cheekbones and sunken eyes. The pale blue lips.

Syny shivered.

"Maybe it's the 'Margaret' person the diary talks about?" Rae asked.

"How would I know?" Syny asked, shaking her head. "But it's the only other clue we have, so let's go find this... 'Margaret'."