Enchanted University of Magemenos

Chapter 102:Explore

"I have to ask this..." I say, stepping over the dusty carpet to keep up with him. "What's the point of checking every vase like it has diamonds inside? And why are you staring at the floor like it's going to confess something?"

He doesn't even bother to look at me.

Not a side-eye. Not a twitch. Nothing.

He just turns away, hands tucked behind his back like some detective from an ancient crime novel, continuing his slow inspection of every corner.

I follow him like one of his minions—honestly that's exactly what it feels like. Me trailing behind him doing absolutely nothing useful, and him acting like he's the God of Strategy whose brain works on a level too divine for us mortals to understand.

I mean... what competition do I even have against God Nathan?

We checked every single room—bedrooms, guest rooms, tiny storage corners, even behind those creepy portraits—but not one of them felt safe enough. Every hiding spot seemed predictable, obvious. This mansion was practically designed for the mafia to win and the citizens to lose.

Six people were already dead. Just like that.
Which meant out of the 36 players remaining, 6 were still mafia... leaving only 30 citizens trying to survive the next four days.

Four days.
In this place.
With killers living upstairs, downstairs, maybe in the room right next to us.

A shiver crawled up my spine.

"Let's go to the second," Nathan says suddenly, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts.

His voice is calm... too calm. Like he's not even bothered that death is literally walking around the same halls we are. He steps toward the elevator without waiting for me, hands in his pockets, like this is just another casual chore.

I take one last look at the hallway full of unlocked doors and eerie portraits, then follow him.

When we reached the second floor, it was the same as before—dim, silent, almost suffocating. This was the floor where we'd had our voting discussions, the conference room glowing like a lonely island in a sea of darkness. Everything else was swallowed by shadows.

But then... something caught my eye.

Far down the hallway, past the long stretch of unlit doors, there was one room—closed from the outside—yet a faint line of light glowed beneath the door. Like someone was inside. Or something.

My breath hitched.

The rest of the floor felt abandoned... but that door looked alive.

When we walked past that door, Nathan slowed—not much, just for a split second—but enough for me to notice. His eyes flicked down to the thin strip of light under the door, the same way mine had. He'd seen it too. Someone was inside.

A wooden board hung crookedly on the door, with the words No Entry burned into it.
Right. As if that ever worked in horror movies.

But Nathan... Nathan of all people... just walked past without stopping. No comment, no sarcastic glare, no over-the-top lecture. Just kept walking like the glowing strip of light and the shifting shadows inside meant absolutely nothing.

Very unlike him.

Meanwhile, my curiosity was doing a full-on tap dance in my skull. I couldn't help it. When I looked again, I swore I saw movement—a shadow crossing another shadow. Someone... or something... was definitely inside that room.

Who were they?
The hosts?
The game makers?
The ones controlling everything?

My feet wanted to move closer. My brain screamed at me not to. But my eyes... they were glued to that tiny, traitorous sliver of light.

Before I could even reach for the knob, Nathan grabbed my hand—both hands, actually—and yanked me away from the door. His grip was firm, warm, and way too sudden. One second I was inches away from breaking the rules, and the next I was being dragged down the hallway like some reckless kid.

He didn't stop until we reached the next room. Only then did he let go.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. Just stood there in this awkward silence, hands still tingling from where we'd been holding each other. We both pulled away at the exact same time, like touching had been an accident neither wanted to talk about.

"There was someone inside," I said finally, my voice low but certain.

Nathan didn't even blink. "It must be some people like us, exploring around," he replied, brushing it off like it was nothing.

But his voice wasn't as steady as he wanted it to be. And I could tell—he didn't believe it any more than I did.

But his face... his face said something completely different.
Nathan's expression had shifted—just for a second.
Like he'd connected some dots I didn't even know existed.
Like that glimpse under the door confirmed something he'd already suspected.

Mafia Rule Book — Identity Protocol: "If a Mafia believes their identity is at risk of being exposed, they are permitted one emergency exchange."

Operation Exchange: A Mafia may transfer or swap their identity with a civilian for a period of 24 hours, but only by sacrificing their right to eliminate a civilian for that night.

During this 24-hour period: The chosen civilian will unknowingly carry the Mafia's identity. After the 24 hours end, the civilian will lose all memory of those exchanged hours...Unless the civilian possesses a Power Card, in which case memory loss will NOT occur.

WARNING:

Operation Exchange is entirely at your own risk. Misuse, miscalculation, or misjudgment may result in irreversible consequences.