Chapter 42: The Code and the Crowbar

The group moved cautiously through the ruins, the oppressive darkness making their flashlights seem dimmer than usual. Each step echoed faintly, blending with the occasional creaks and groans of the ancient structure.

As they opened a large, heavy door, Hu Tao started walking backward, her flashlight pointed at her own face. She made exaggerated noises, pretending to be spooky. "What was the doll's name again? Saku?"

Lumine sighed, shaking her head. "No, it's Shaku!"

Hu Tao grinned mischievously, and Furina joined in. Together, they began chanting, "Shaakuuuu..." in mock-creepy tones, their voices echoing eerily through the hall.

The rest of the group ignored their antics, splitting up to explore different rooms. Lumine unknowingly wandered into the left room alone. Inside, the dim light revealed a large statue of Buddha sitting in solemn meditation. The sight startled her, and she jumped slightly.

Before she could steady her nerves, she heard Aether's voice calling from outside the room. "Lumineee! Don't split up with us, or else-"

"You'll get jumpscared again," Scaramouche added, his smirk almost audible even from a distance.

Lumine rolled her eyes and rejoined the others as they entered another room. This one led to a basement door, which creaked ominously as they pushed it open. Inside, the air grew colder, and the room was shrouded in near-complete darkness.

Suddenly, a loud thud echoed through the room, making everyone freeze. A sliding door creaked open slowly on its own, revealing a narrow corridor.

"Great," Heizou muttered. "This just keeps getting better."

The group pressed forward, eventually finding a storage room. A faded piece of paper stuck to the wall displayed a Japanese number.

Scaramouche leaned closer, squinting at the numbers. "三〇一五," he read aloud. "That's 3015."

"It must be a code for something," Heizou suggested.

They continued exploring, with Lumine and Hu Tao leading the way. Hu Tao muttered under her breath, "Nothing scary, nothing scary," as if trying to ward off bad luck.

But as they turned a corner, two glowing white eyes appeared in the distance, staring at them from the darkness.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Hu Tao exclaimed, stumbling backward. "Is that ghost spying on us?!"

Lumine yelped, backing up as well. The glowing eyes blinked once before vanishing into the shadows.

"Let's keep moving," Aether said, his tone firm as he urged everyone forward.

Eventually, they reached a door with a keypad. Aether stepped forward to enter the code, but Scaramouche shoved him aside with a smirk.

"Move over, Sunshine. Let me handle this."

He typed the Japanese code, "3015," into the keypad. With a soft beep, the door unlocked, revealing another storage room. Inside, they found a crowbar resting on a dusty shelf.

"This will come in handy," Furina noted as Aether grabbed the tool.

The group pressed on, finding a door reinforced with wooden planks. Without hesitation, Aether used the crowbar to pry the planks away, each creak echoing through the ruins. The final plank fell to the ground with a loud thud, and they pushed the door open, ready to face whatever lay ahead.