Chapter 70

Chapter 70

To make matters worse, the chandeliers in both the makeup and dressing rooms began to flicker uncontrollably, flashing on and off. The eerie music that had sounded when they first entered the "Terrifying Photo Studio" echoed once more. The incessant drumbeats in the music felt like hammering on their hearts, sending shivers down their spines.

Han Dongni's suppressed scream finally broke free, her mouth agape with horror. Instinctively closing her eyes, she lunged at the nearest person, clinging for dear life.

Her panic infected the other two girls present. He Min, after bundling with her, also let out a terrified scream. Xi Can had already retreated into her boyfriend, Yan Wenhe's embrace.

"Help me..."

"Help... Someone save me..."

Amidst the darkness, another frail yet unfamiliar female voice, distinct from anyone in their group, pierced the air.

"Who's shouting for help?" Liu Buhua, having retrieved all the outfits corresponding to their role cards, calmly returned through the door with the hanging head to the makeup room, inquiring, "And what's up with these lights? They started acting up as soon as I collected all the clothes."

"The lighting and music seem to have been triggered when we removed the outfits. As for the cries for help—" Xie Yinxue's voice trailed off momentarily, his gaze landing on the walkie-talkie in Xia Rui's hand, "It seems to be coming from the walkie-talkie."

"That's absurd," He Min interjected skeptically, "Why would the staff cry out for help to us?"

Yet, Xia Rui affirmed, "I too believe the voice came from the walkie-talkie... I'm holding it, I can feel it. But it doesn't make any sense."

As He Min pointed out, if anyone should be calling for help, it would be them reaching out to the staff.

Thankfully, their group, although motivated by the intent of "making the most of the situation" given the premium they paid for this particular theme, weren't inherently selfish. After some consideration, Han Dongni suggested, "Let's check in with the staff."

Of course, she harbored a secondary motive: if the staff indeed faced an urgent situation, they might allow them an early exit. She couldn't bear another minute in this creepy escape room.

"Alright, I'll ask," Xia Rui responded, lifting the walkie-talkie. After pressing the talk button, he inquired, "Hello? Boss, are you there? We're stuck and need some guidance."

This was a common plea—almost 99% of players contact staff for this very reason.

Thus, after posing his question, Xia Rui patiently awaited a response. However, as the room's eerie soundtrack looped a second time, there was still no answer from the other end.

"...Hello?"

Xia Rui repeatedly called into the device, but the other side remained ominously silent.

He lifted his gaze to meet Yan Wenhe, Han Dongni, and others, remarking, "Silent."

Xi Can furrowed his brows and asked, "What's really going on?"

He Min shook her head, "We're not sure either."

"Perhaps the staff went to the restroom and didn't hear," Yan Wenhe paused for a few seconds before telling the group, "We can't leave now. If we want to know what's happening, we should quickly solve the escape room to find out."

At this point, that was all they could do. They hardly had the heart to worry about the staff anymore. If something had happened to them, there would be no further clues provided, leaving the group to rely solely on their wits to get out.

Under these circumstances, if they truly encountered an unsolvable puzzle, then they... would be trapped in this escape room forever.

All their phones were stored in lockers outside. Other than a walkie-talkie, they had no means of contacting the outside world. Aside from a few crucial props in the room, the major items were immovable, so they couldn’t just smash their way out.

The more Han Dongni thought about it, the more frightened she became. Unlike vague tales of ghosts and spirits, this was a tangible threat to their lives.

With her anxiety now overshadowing her fear, she approached a previously locked ornate wooden box and asked, "If you've triggered the mechanism, has this box been opened?"

"Yes, it's been opened," Xia Rui replied, reaching out to effortlessly lift the lid of the carved wooden box.

Inside, there was unmistakably a TV remote.

Xia Rui picked it up, aiming it at the television beside the vanity and pressed the power button.

There was a soft "ding" sound, and the TV turned on, but no immediate image appeared – just a white snowy screen of static.

It took a good ten seconds before an image came into view. The backdrop was the very makeup room they were in, shown in black and white. Yet, within that monochrome scene was a woman dressed in a red bridal gown, her back turned to them, sobbing heavily at the vanity table. Her face was hidden, leaving only her trembling shoulders and crimson silhouette visible.

The haunting atmosphere of her choked sobs, juxtaposed with eerie background music, was unsettling. But what truly sent shivers down their spines were her next words: "There's a ghost... a ghost here!"

The way she emphasized the last "here" was chilling, reminiscent of fingernails scratching on a chalkboard, causing goosebumps to rise on everyone's skin.

"We must hide, inside the changing cubicle."

The woman continued to sob as she spoke. But her words seemed to provide a clue, capturing everyone's full attention. They hung on every word, not wanting to miss a single detail.

"Make sure to lock the door tightly; don't let the ghost outside pull it open... or else—"

Suddenly, the woman halted mid-sentence, her crying ceasing. She slowly rose from her chair. To their collective horror, they realized: this woman had no head!

Her neck was severed from the middle. Despite the video's low resolution and blurry imagery, everyone could clearly see the gruesome, torn wound on her neck, with even the white of the vertebrae visible.

— Without a head, who was speaking?

No sooner had this thought crossed everyone's mind than a head appeared on the TV screen. It looked identical to the one hanging at the door of the makeup room — with the same twisted face, eerie grin, and wide crimson eyes, glaring malevolently. It screeched at them, “You will die!”

“You will die!”

“You will die—!”

After hysterically repeating these words thrice, she burst into maniacal laughter. The flickering lights in the makeup room and the hanging severed head were chilling enough to leave Xie Yinxue and Liu Buhua stunned for a few seconds, let alone the others.

While Han Dongni and He Min screamed, Xia Rui, too, shouted and staggered back several steps. He grabbed Yan Wenhe's arm, cursing, “Damn it! Who made this video? It's terrifying!”

Xi Can lamented, “It's just an escape room, why so intense? It's really frightening!”

Regaining her composure, Xie Yinxue sighed and calmly turned off the TV using the remote.

“Don't be scared, I’m here,” Yan Wenhe comforted Xi Can, rubbing her back. But then he furrowed his brows, “Listen, did the music... stop?”

Everyone went silent, straining their ears to listen—

The eerie background music had indeed stopped. However, in the unsettling silence, the creak of a door opening was heard, followed by the soft but discernible sound of footsteps.

Quiet, yet piercingly loud in the silence.

Everyone wondered: Had someone opened the main entrance of the Xu Photography Studio and come inside?

Moreover... was the intruder human or a ghost?

In that moment, all they could recall was the advice from the red-clad woman on the TV: hide in the dressing cubicle, and ensure the door remains closed.

Without a second thought, Han Dongni and He Min dashed towards the cubicles. Given their limited space, each could accommodate only three people. In the end, Liu Buhua and Xie Yinxue took the middle cubicle, Yan Wenhe and Xi Can the one on their right, leaving Xia Rui, Han Dongni, and He Min squeezing into the farthest cubicle.

Once inside, they understood why the woman in red advised to “pull the door tight” rather than “lock the door.” There were no locks!

The cubicle doors had only an interior pull handle, requiring someone inside to firmly hold it closed.

Worse, these cubicles were completely sealed—lightproof. Once inside, even the erratic lights from the makeup room were invisible. Even if a companion stood right in front of them, all they'd see was pitch black.

Most people, when confronted with such circumstances, not only feel fear but also let their imaginations run wild. They'd start wondering, for instance... is the person in the same cubicle really their companion?

"Whimper... What was that door opening and footsteps sound?" Han Dongni, already in tears, asked in a quivering whisper, "Did someone really come in?"

Although these changing cubicles were lightproof, they weren't soundproof. Just then, the footsteps outside ceased. Hearing Han Dongni sob, Yan Wenhe responded, "No, I wanted to tell you all earlier that the door opening and footsteps were just recordings, just like the eerie background music. They are pre-set and play automatically when triggered."

"That's correct," Xie Yinxue confirmed Yan Wenhe's statement, "No door was opened. The sounds came from speakers."

Surprisingly, after hearing this, Han Dongni's sobbing grew even more desperate.

Xia Rui, who was hiding in the same cubicle, asked with a trembling voice, "If no one came in... then why does it feel like someone's pulling our door?"

Author's Note:

npc: Are you there? Why aren't you answering me?

Xie Lao: Busy.

npc: Doing what?

Liu Buhua: A multi-player thrilling activity.

npc：？