Chapter 41. Secret Game
While Yustar was trying every possible means to destroy the wardrobe that had swallowed Lila, a commotion was breaking out at the Adiak Branch, where Marnak was located.
It was because of Daycock. After speaking with Marnak, he had seemed to regain some composure, but less than an hour later, he took his own life.
“You shouldn’t see this.”
“Don’t say something so ridiculous, Robsker. I’m the one in charge of this branch.”
At Marnak’s firm reply, Robsker backed down. As Marnak rushed to the room where Daycock had been, his long robe fluttering behind him, a groan escaped his lips.
“Oh God.”
Robsker muttered inwardly, ‘Didn’t I tell you so,’ but he kept the words to himself.
Daycock’s body was gruesome. It was hard to believe that a living human could have done something like that to himself. Even someone with no will to live would hesitate to do such things to their own body…
“Chief!”
Robsker banged on the glass and shouted. Marnak, who had instinctively shut his eyes to avoid the horrific sight, opened them and looked inside. His mouth fell open.
“What on earth…?”
Daycock’s corpse was shrinking.
No—he wasn’t shrinking. He was disappearing. Like a sandcastle built with dry, crumbling sand, blown away by the wind, his body broke apart and scattered. The disintegration was so fast they had no time to intervene.
Soon, all that remained where Daycock had fallen was a small handful of sand. A sticky pool of fresh blood was the only evidence that a grotesque corpse had ever been there.
“Robsker.”
“Yes, Chief.”
“Take a sample from what’s left… bring it to the research team. Tell them to analyze the components… and check if it’s connected to the Sync. As fast as possible.”
“Understood.”
As Robsker opened the door, the thick stench of blood spilled out into the hallway.
Marnak suppressed a wave of nausea, bowed his head, and offered a short prayer. That Daycock’s soul may find peace. That his suffering may be over.
“Marnak!”
Marnak, deep in prayer, looked up in shock. It was Yustar. His usual neat and composed appearance was a complete mess, like he had traded it in at a junkyard.
“Sir Yustar! What happened?”
Marnak’s face darkened as he urgently questioned him.
“What about Miss Krislad?”
Yustar said, “Call in all operatives who are available. Right now.”
“Sir Yustar, please tell me what’s going on—”
Yustar raised one hand, either to signal silence or perhaps because he needed a moment to breathe.
Once Marnak fell silent, Yustar struggled to catch his breath, then lifted his head. His bright green eyes were blazing with fury.
“Lila’s gone. No… I think the Sync swallowed her. Gather the operatives immediately. Now!”
Lila was unconscious. She didn’t know for how long, but when she opened her eyes, her whole body was so cold and stiff that her fingers could barely move.
“Ugh…”
She slowly curled her fingers, then gathered strength in her palms, wrists, elbows, and shoulders to sit up.
While she had been lying down, it had felt like cold, damp earth was pressed against her cheek. But now that she was up and looking around, she realized she was in a house she had never seen before.
‘What is this place…?’
Stay calm, Lila thought. Calm down. Don’t panic… She carefully placed a hand on her chest. She could feel her heart beating. Thank goodness. She was still alive. She wasn’t dead.
If she was alive, she could still escape. Lila clenched and unclenched her frozen fists. After a few repetitions, warmth slowly returned to her fingertips.
“I’m alone.”
She murmured softly.
It was a very small voice, but it felt like it echoed all around the walls like a shout. Maybe the walls were whispering back her words, mimicking them…
“I’m completely alone. Yustar isn’t here.”
To shake off the creeping fear, she shook her head and slapped her cheeks. The sting grounded her, bringing a strange sense of relief.
“So I have to do this myself.”
Yustar wasn’t here. She didn’t even have any usable magic… not even a tincture strong enough to knock her out. Suddenly, it felt like it had been forever since she last brewed tinctures.
If I get out of here alive—wherever ‘here’ is—I’ll get an iron pot and herbs and start making tinctures again, she resolved.
The thought of immersing herself in the bitter, fragrant steam made her breathing a little easier.
As Lila looked around carefully, she realized this was someone’s bedroom.
The bed was barely big enough for two adults and had a worn iron frame. The mattress sagged in the middle, and the sheets were yellowed and dirty.
Aside from the bed, there was a small vanity, a dresser, a nightstand, and a wardrobe. Lila flinched, thinking it might be the wardrobe that had swallowed her—but the material, the pattern, even the handles were different.
‘That one had round handles. Coiled, like a snake.’
This wardrobe had ordinary ring-shaped handles. They looked almost like door knockers.
She hesitated for a moment, hand on the handle, then flung the wardrobe open.
Bracing herself for something terrifying, she shut her eyes—but inside was only the musty smell of old clothes and decades-old dust.
“Clothes…”
Several garments hung inside. They were all worn out, but at least looked wearable.
A daisy-patterned dress and a deep red muslin dress were wrapped in thin paper, perhaps reserved for special occasions. The rest were plain, everyday clothes.
Lila searched between them but found nothing. She turned to the vanity and nightstand. On the vanity sat an old hairbrush, tangled with strands of hair.
Other than that, just empty glass bottles. They might once have held perfume or lotion that evoked fond memories—but now, they were just trash.
—Tap tap tap…
As Lila was examining a horn-shaped bottle, she froze and clutched it tightly.
Footsteps! she screamed inside. Her mouth went dry, and her tongue curled. She had definitely heard light, quick footsteps. A child running.
“Is someone there?”
Setting the bottle down, Lila raised her voice and stepped into the hallway. No response. No more footsteps.
“Hey!”
As she called out again, a soft giggle came from behind her.
Chills ran down her spine. She spun around and stumbled into the railing. No one was there. Just a slanted, cheap picture frame on a blank wall.
Inside the frame was a portrait of a child, no larger than her palm. Clearly not professionally done—pencil smudges were everywhere.
One side of the child’s hair was short, the other long. Their features were androgynous, and they were looking intently to the left, as if focused on something amusing.
Staring at the picture, Lila suddenly yelled,
“Enough with the games! Hide-and-seek is over!”
Her voice echoed through the house. The stairs creaked—but it was just her leaning too hard on the railing.
I can’t breathe. Lila shut her eyes and slowly let go of the railing. As she straightened up, her back ached from the earlier impact.
Then she saw it: the portrait was darkening from the edges, like a shadow creeping inward. As if it were rapidly rotting, turning black.
Like someone possessed, Lila lunged at the wall and grabbed the frame. It came off with a jolt.
“Stop it! Why are you doing this? Show yourself! Let me out!”
—No. You’re ‘It’.
Startled, Lila dropped the frame.
The child’s face in the picture suddenly spun around. An impossible sight. The back of the head appeared, then the face returned—this time staring directly at her.
—‘It’ has to find me. You’re ‘It’. That’s the rule.
“Don’t talk to me about rules.”
Lila snapped. The voice echoed all around her—beside her, behind her, in front of her.
Clenching her jaw, she raised her head.
“You’re not playing by any rules. If you want to play, play fair! Follow the rules first!”
—If I follow the rules, will you keep playing with me?
Lila slowly drew in a breath. ‘Keep’. She knew how much weight that word carried.
You should never say words like “forever,” “always,” or “must” to a witch. So many tragic stories came from forgetting that simple rule.
But now, she had no choice.
“…Fine. If you follow the rules, I’ll follow them too. I’ll play with you.”
“Good.”
Lila bit her lip to stifle a scream as a strange sound escaped her throat. She stared down at the child who had appeared before her—then took a step back.
