Chapter 13: The Moving Statues and the Hotel

The group hesitated at the threshold of the villager’s old, creaky house. The dim glow from their flashlights barely illuminated the eerie interior, dust swirling in the stale air.

“We should split up to cover more ground,” Aether suggested, though his voice lacked confidence.

“Typical horror movie mistake, but sure, let’s live the cliché,” Scaramouche quipped, earning an eye roll from Lumine.

Upstairs, Lumine, Aether, and Hu Tao ventured into one of the rooms. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and the walls bore faint scratches, as if someone—or something—had tried to escape. Hu Tao rummaged through a drawer, her expression unusually serious.

"Found a key," she announced, holding it up just as a faint, unsettling noise echoed through the house—a mixture of groaning wood and a low, guttural hum.

“Okay, okay, get your asses out! Let’s go. Nothing important here but scary noises,” Heizou’s voice rang from downstairs.

Scaramouche added, mockingly imitating a warning tone, “Don’t explore. Don’t investigate. Just leave. That’s the smart move.”

As they descended the stairs, Lumine muttered under her breath, “Annoying indigo,” with a side glance at Scaramouche, who merely smirked in response.

Back in the woods, the group found themselves standing before two dark, ominous caves. Each yawned open like a beast’s mouth, ready to swallow them whole.

“Two paths. Guess we’re splitting up again,” Furina said, pulling out her flashlight.

The team divided, Aether, Lumine, and Hu Tao taking the left cave while Scaramouche, Heizou, and Furina went right.

Inside the caves, the air was damp and heavy. Statues lined the walls, eerily identical and staring blankly ahead.

“These are creepy,” Hu Tao whispered, her voice echoing faintly.

“They’re just statues,” Lumine said, though her grip on her flashlight tightened.

Suddenly, one of the statues shifted—its head turned, and its eyes locked onto them.

“It moved!” Aether exclaimed, backing up as the statue stepped forward.

In the other cave, similar chaos erupted as Scaramouche and Heizou froze, their eyes wide as statues began to move toward them.

“Run!” Scaramouche barked, taking off down the narrow path with Heizou close behind.

The two groups collided at the mouth of the caves, chased by a small army of shifting statues.

“Look at them while running! They’ll stop!” Furina shouted, turning her gaze toward one of the moving figures.

The others hesitated but followed her lead. Sure enough, the statues froze whenever they locked eyes with them. With hearts pounding, they slowly backed toward the door at the end of the path, the statues looming just out of reach.

Hu Tao fumbled with the key, finally unlocking the door. They all rushed inside, slamming it shut behind them.

Panting heavily, they turned to find themselves in what appeared to be an abandoned hotel lobby. The air was still and unnervingly clean compared to the damp caves they had just escaped.

“Great, from creepy caves to a haunted hotel. What’s next, a ghost buffet?” Scaramouche muttered, brushing dirt off his sleeve.

“I wouldn’t mind some food,” Hu Tao joked, but her grin faltered as she spotted a shadow flicker across the far wall.

“Stay together,” Aether said, gripping his flashlight tighter.

As they cautiously explored the lobby, a faint melody began to drift through the air—the haunting sound of a biwa.