Enchanted University of Magemenos

Chapter 95:Escape hatch

As the elevator dinged open on the second floor, a heavy silence settled over us again—but this time, it wasn't creepy. It felt...important. Like this floor had secrets it wasn't willing to give up that easily.

To our right stretched a massive library—wall to wall, floor to ceiling, covered in books that looked like they could crumble if you even breathed on them too hard. There was that distinct old-book smell in the air, mixed with faint traces of dust and something herbal, like dried sage. The chandeliers overhead flickered softly, casting golden light that made the shelves look like they'd been plucked from some ancient wizard's tower.

Keith picked up a thick, leather-bound book titled "Psychological Manipulation Through Strategic Uno" and raised an eyebrow.

"Great bedtime read," he said.We moved past the library into a row of tall conference rooms with glass doors Inside, there were long polished tables, dozens of chairs, and giant touchscreen boards that probably cost more than our lives.

"Guys, these are all rigged with mics and cameras," Kate whispered, squinting at a small blinking red dot with cctv screens all over in the corner of one room. so with this room we can basically keep track of all the members in house , but this screen shows only the walking lanes nothing inside the rooms and any other places, but the only room it shows clearly is the room I am standing currently at, the conference room. "This isn't just a hotel. This was built for watching. Planning."

Once we finished scanning the second floor (and deciding we'd definitely not be holding meetings in a glass room with red blinking dots), we headed to the third.

As the elevator climbed higher, the air started getting colder. The doors opened to a much darker space—dusty, cluttered, and quiet. The third floor was nothing like the elegance below. This was where things were shoved and forgotten.

Old broken chairs, unused electronics, large sealed boxes. Shelves were stacked to the ceiling, and spider webs dangled like party streamers. It was a maze of mess—but there was something oddly comforting about it. It didn't try to hide what it was.

"Feels like this place wasn't meant for us," Keith said, eyeing a locked cabinet.

"But this..." Nathan pointed to a narrow metal stairway spiraling up. "This leads somewhere."

We followed him up to a trapdoor. Nathan opened it with a dramatic flourish, and—

Boom. The terrace.

Fresh air smacked us in the face like a cold splash of reality. The terrace stretched wide, with high railings and a panoramic view of the entire ground below. Trees swayed in the distance. The stars were out, silent and brilliant.

"This," Kate whispered, "is our escape hatch. If anything goes wrong. If we need to signal. Or breathe."

We all stood there for a while—quiet for once—realizing that we might've found a hiding place, sure. But we'd also found a lookout. A last-resort. A safe zone... or maybe the final stand.

The game was still on. And the night had only just begun.

The moment the robotic voice echoed through the halls — "It's bedtime. In 5 minutes, all of you are supposed to be sleeping" — the whole place seemed to shift.

Lights dimmed slightly. The flickering chandeliers steadied into a low, warm glow. The walls even seemed to hum, like the building itself was settling down for the night. And just like that, our playful exploring turned into a full-blown scramble.

"Run," Nathan hissed.

And we did.

We dashed back to the elevator, hit the button like our lives depended on it (which honestly, they probably did), and as the doors opened on the second floor, we practically jumped out mid-movement. Keith stumbled into a rolling cart. Kate grabbed my hand and yanked me forward like we were late for a movie premiere.

"Guys," she said between breaths, "for the first night—let's pick the safest spot possible."

"Sofas?" I asked, still panting.

"Safest," she corrected. "But not the actual ones. Think about it. The mafia will be exploring too. Just like us. So we need to be hidden somewhere boring. Overlooked. Somewhere no one wants to look first."

She paused and looked around the hallway.

"The washrooms," she said.

Keith wrinkled his nose. "What is this, hide-and-seek at Grandma's house?"

"No, genius," Kate replied, "it's survival. Who would suspect a whole group of people squeezing into one of those giant utility-style bathrooms on the guest floor? Plus, stalls give us barriers. Doors. Places to duck. Escape route if we need it."