𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕗 ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕧𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤....? (𝚁𝙴𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙴)

Ċḧäṗẗëṛ 21 | Ḷüċḳ Ṛüṅṡ Öüẗ

In a desperate attempt to escape punishment, Claire noticed a blue door with "Exit" written on it. A glimmer of hope ignited in her chest as she sprinted toward it, praying for an escape. But as she entered the room, her teachers, who had been hot on her heels, abruptly stopped, their faces twisted in horror, as though they were terrified of what lay beyond that door.

Insight: "Something's wrong... they wouldn't stop like this otherwise."

Confused, Claire glanced around. The room was dark, an endless void stretching in every direction, filled with an unsettling silence. She looked down and realized, with a shiver, that she appeared vivid, glowing in full color, as though she were the only thing alive in this strange, colorless dimension.

Her surprise quickly twisted into dread as a figure appeared in the distance—a brunette girl, her eyes blazing with fury, glaring at Claire with a hatred that felt almost personal. Before Claire could process what was happening, the girl launched herself forward, striking with ferocious speed. Claire barely dodged, but a sharp, searing pain across her right eye told her she hadn't completely escaped. She stumbled back, clutching her face as blood trickled down her cheek.

Rush: "Claire, you need to run. Now! This isn't safe. This was a trap all along!"

Realizing her only chance was to escape, Claire bolted for the door, but the girl followed, her steps relentless and unnervingly swift. Claire fled through the hallways, which had transformed into vibrant, shifting landscapes, surreal in color and movement. The familiar world she'd been in mere moments ago felt like a distant memory, replaced by a nightmare that made everything she had endured today seem almost mundane.

Serene: "Just keep moving, Claire. Focus on your breathing, one foot in front of the other. Don't look back."

Woe: "We have to get out before... before she reaches us again." Woe's voice trembled, her usual melancholy spiking with a fear that sent shivers through Claire's spine.

As Claire's vision blurred with panic, her voices guided her, their presence grounding her as she tore through the strange, vibrant hallways. Every corner seemed to pulse with the threat of that furious girl closing in, each step drawing Claire deeper into an unfamiliar, surreal nightmare.

Claire's heart skipped a beat when she saw it—the exit. The double doors, bathed in the glow of a fluorescent "EXIT" sign above them. Hope surged through her chest, a light at the end of a terrifying tunnel. She rushed toward it, hands shaking as she tried to pull or push the doors open, but no matter how hard she struggled, they remained locked in place. Panic surged within her, choking her breath.

Fury: "No! You can't just leave now!"

No, no, no...!

Her mind spun as the walls seemed to close in around her. Cold sweat broke out across her skin, and her pulse quickened. She remembered then. The key. Mister Marsh had given it to her. It was her only chance—she could feel it. It's the key. It has to work.

With trembling fingers, Claire fumbled at her pockets, heart pounding. But when she reached inside, her fingers met nothing. The weight of that realization hit her like a thousand bricks.

Rush: "No, don't tell me you lost it!"

I can't find it...!!!

Desperation clawed at her chest. Her breath was shallow, erratic. Alice was getting closer. Claire could hear her footsteps, each one a drumbeat of doom. There was no time.