Chapter 70: River of Surprises

The air in the cave was thick with moisture, the sound of the flowing river echoing off the jagged stone walls. The group stood at the edge of the riverbank, staring in confusion at the strange landscape before them. The winding river twisted and turned, disappearing into the unknown darkness.

Lumine blinked, her gaze scanning the surroundings. "Impossible... why does the house have a basement that leads here?" she muttered to herself, the strange feeling of déjà vu creeping over her.

"Well," Hu Tao said, her voice teasing, "we are in some creepy place, so I wouldn't be surprised if it just... appeared."

The soft splashing of the river seemed almost serene, but the unsettling silence left a thick weight in the air. Furina’s eyes darted to the river, her brows furrowing. "Look there—mannequins?"

Lumine followed her gaze, seeing a row of mannequins standing eerily along the river’s edge. They were lifeless, frozen in strange, contorted poses.

"I don't like this," Aether said, a shiver running down his spine. "There's something off about all of this."

Just as the words left his mouth, one of the mannequins shifted, its hand jerking forward.

Lumine took a quick step back. "That hand just moved!" she shouted, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Scared to be grabbed, princess?" Scaramouche’s voice was smooth, his smirk playing at the corners of his lips as he stood next to Lumine.

Lumine shot him a glare, but the terror of the moving mannequins had her on edge. "Stop splashing water, you idiot!" she snapped at him, trying to focus on the creepy mannequins that were now definitely alive and moving.

She turned quickly when she heard another noise. "Wait a second... that one moved!" Her heart raced as she watched another mannequin’s hand jerk forward, and the lifeless figure began to stagger toward them.

A voice echoed from behind. "Avoid being close to the mannequins!" Hu Tao yelled, her voice laced with amusement.

"Awww, my Lumine got jumpscared?" Scaramouche teased, his lips curling into a wicked grin.

Lumine clenched her fists. "Shut up, Scaramouche!" she hissed, but her eyes remained on the mannequins, now fully moving toward them.

The atmosphere turned tense as they began to move quickly, trying to distance themselves from the creatures. The mannequins, with their lifeless eyes and jerky movements, seemed determined to follow them no matter how fast they ran.

"We need to get across this river and out of here," Aether said, already scanning for a way to cross. "We can’t let them catch us."

Hu Tao scanned the river. "There’s a ledge over there, but it’s too far. Looks like we need to find a way through the water."

Scaramouche raised an eyebrow, glancing down at Lumine. "Well, I guess you're stuck with me now, princess." He reached out, his hands wrapping around her waist as he effortlessly lifted her into his arms.

"What—!" Lumine yelped, startled by his sudden move. "What do you think you’re doing?! I’m perfectly capable of crossing on my own!*"

"Uh-huh," Scaramouche replied nonchalantly, his grip tightening as he began wading into the water. "I don’t think the river’s as friendly as you think. You’re coming with me."

Lumine’s cheeks flushed in irritation, her hands bracing against his chest to push away. "I don’t need you carrying me like some princess! I can swim just fine! We’re in a cave, for Archons’ sake!"

"Yeah, but can you swim with this going on?" Scaramouche smirked, his voice mocking, as he gestured toward the mannequins still coming after them. "I’m doing you a favor here."

Just as Scaramouche continued wading further into the water, the ground beneath them began to slope downward. The water deepened, flowing rapidly as the current started to pull. Lumine’s heart skipped a beat.

"Scaramouche!" she yelled, clutching tighter to him. "It’s getting deeper—!"

Before she could finish, Aether, who had been following behind them, kicked off his shoes in frustration. "That’s it! Enough of this!" With a furious motion, he flung his shoes directly at Scaramouche’s head.

"Hey!" Scaramouche protested as the shoes hit their target. "What the—!"

The others burst into laughter at the scene. Hu Tao couldn’t hold back her giggles. "Aether, you didn’t just—!"

"I had to," Aether said, his face burning red from both frustration and embarrassment. "That guy is insufferable!"

"Hey, I’m just being helpful!" Scaramouche called back, still holding Lumine with one arm as he waded deeper into the river. "Aether’s just jealous."

"Jealous? Of you? Yeah, right!" Aether snapped, unable to hold back a scoff.

The water continued to rise as they moved farther into the cave, the sound of the river growing louder. It was an eerie feeling, being so deep underground with the constant threat of the mannequins closing in.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, the group reached the end of the river cave. There, standing at the base of the stone wall, was a door—carved with strange symbols and weathered with age.

"Look, a door!" Hu Tao shouted, the excitement evident in her voice. "We might finally get out of here!"

Aether walked toward it cautiously, his eyes scanning for any traps or mechanisms. "This is it," he said. "We’ve come this far... but what’s going on? How are we back at the school?*"

Lumine frowned, her brow furrowing as she stepped forward. "What... wait, is that the door from the school?"

She stared at the familiar wooden design, recognizing it instantly. The very same door that had led them into this strange adventure was now standing before them.

"How did we get here?" she muttered under her breath, a sense of confusion washing over her. "We were just in the cave, and now..."

Scaramouche’s voice interrupted, laced with his usual smirk. "So, the mysterious door has led us back to square one, huh? How convenient."

Lumine didn’t answer. Instead, she reached out to grasp the door’s handle. "I guess we’ll find out when we open it," she said, the tension thick in the air as everyone gathered around her.

As her hand gripped the handle, Scaramouche’s teasing words hung in the air, but for once, they didn’t matter. The door was about to open, and who knew what would come next.