Chapter 15: Heated Exchanges

The elevator creaked and groaned as it descended, the dim light flickering above them. Everyone was catching their breath after narrowly escaping the biwa player, but the tension in the small space was palpable.

“Seriously, what were you thinking, wandering off on your own?” Scaramouche snapped, breaking the silence as he glared at Lumine.

Lumine shot him an annoyed look. “I was finding us a way out! Not my fault you were too busy being chased.”

“Oh, how noble of you,” Scaramouche sneered. “Except the whole ‘splitting up’ thing almost got everyone killed. Again.”

“You’re one to talk!” Lumine retorted, stepping closer. “If you hadn’t been so loud earlier, maybe the lady wouldn’t have focused on you in the first place!”

“Oh, so now it’s my fault?” Scaramouche scoffed, crossing his arms. “You’re the one who can’t seem to stay with the group without getting ‘lost.’”

“Lost?” Lumine’s voice rose. “I was trying to help while you were probably busy being scared out of your mind!”

“Scared?!” Scaramouche’s voice was dripping with sarcasm now. “Please, the only thing scary here is your decision-making.”

“Enough!” Aether finally stepped in, placing himself between them. “Both of you, calm down. We don’t have time for this.”

Furina, leaning against the elevator wall with a dramatic sigh, muttered, “If you two are done flirting, can we focus on not dying?”

The comment earned simultaneous, indignant responses.

“Flirting?!” Lumine and Scaramouche exclaimed, their faces flushing slightly.

Hu Tao, still grinning despite her earlier encounter with the biwa player, chuckled. “You two are better entertainment than the ghosts.”

Heizou chimed in with a smirk. “I mean, she’s not wrong.”

Lumine glared at them before turning back to Scaramouche. “This isn’t over,” she muttered, stepping back to lean against the wall.

“Looking forward to it,” Scaramouche replied smugly, earning another annoyed huff from her.

The elevator finally came to a halt, the doors creaking open to reveal another dark and ominous hallway.

“Great,” Heizou said, peering out cautiously. “What fresh nightmare awaits us here?”

“Hopefully one where these two don’t kill each other,” Aether muttered under his breath as they stepped out, ready to face whatever horrors lay ahead.