Chapter 44: The Girl and the Witch, Page 3

The group trudged cautiously through the flooded corridor, their lanterns casting a wavering light on the water’s rippling surface. The cold water reached up to their hips, and every step echoed faintly, creating an eerie atmosphere that made even their quietest breaths sound loud.

"This is fine," Heizou said with a smirk, wading ahead confidently. "Nothing to be scared of here."

Just as the words left his mouth, a shadow darted past their line of sight. A loud, ghastly screech followed, and a distorted figure lunged toward Heizou from the water.

"GAH!" Heizou yelped, stumbling backward and splashing water everywhere.

Hu Tao burst out laughing. "Nice one, Detective! Nothing to be scared of, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah," Heizou grumbled, his hand over his chest. "That was just a test to keep you all alert."

"Sure it was," Scaramouche teased.

Shaking off the scare, they continued forward until they reached a locked door with a keypad. Scaramouche stepped forward confidently and entered the familiar "3015" code, but the keypad buzzed in rejection.

"Looks like we’re back to playing scavenger hunt," Heizou said, crossing his arms.

As they spread out to search for clues, Lumine’s voice echoed softly. "Over here! There’s another page!"

The group gathered around her, their lanterns illuminating the water-stained wall where a piece of paper clung, slightly damp but legible.

Lumine began reading aloud:

"The Girl and the Witch, Page 3"

"The dark figure suddenly changed its appearance, somewhat resembling Haichi with its own hat, except everything was coated in black. The demon finally responded in a calm, soothing voice: 'I don’t have any friends. Would you like to be my first?'

Haichi was skeptical of the figure at first, as she had never had a friend, but asked its name out of genuine curiosity. When the figure responded with her not having one, Haichi named it 'Sama.'"

Lumine paused, her brow furrowed in thought. "Hey, what if Sama is the witch from the wooden maze?"

Furina frowned. "It sounded like a trick to me. No way a demon offering friendship is sincere."

Before they could theorize further, an open door caught their attention. Lumine and Furina stepped inside while the others waited in the corridor.

Inside, they found a series of math problems etched into the walls. Furina groaned. "Ugh, numbers? Really? Why can’t it ever be something fun, like riddles or—"

"Got it!" Lumine announced, quickly solving the problems and writing down the code "8079."

"Wait, you solved it already?" Furina asked, impressed but mildly annoyed.

Lumine grinned. "What can I say? I’m good under pressure."

As they turned to leave, Lumine stepped halfway through the door when it slammed shut with a loud thud, locking her inside.

"Lumine!" Aether shouted, pounding on the door.

"I’m fine!" Lumine called back, trying to keep her voice steady despite the panic rising in her chest.

"Stay calm, we’ll get you out," Aether reassured her, though his worry was evident.

On the other side, Lumine backed away from the door, clutching her lantern tightly. The room felt darker now, the shadows deeper and more oppressive. She turned slowly, scanning for any sign of danger, when she heard a soft, raspy whisper.

"Lumine... join us..."

Her breath hitched, and she gripped the lantern tighter. "Guys," she said, her voice trembling. "Please hurry."

ABYSS Lumine anyone?