Enchanted University of Magemenos

Chapter 111:One Sneeze Away From Death

But unlike yesterday, we weren't blindly panicking this time. The entire day had been spent searching for hiding spots, memorizing corners, counting exits, finding places the mafia might overlook.

Mine and Nathan's hiding spots ended up being dangerously close to each other.

I slipped into one of the guest rooms and quietly crawled beneath the bed. Thankfully, it had a drawer-like extension underneath, creating just enough hollow space for me to squeeze inside. It was cramped, dusty, and smelled faintly like old wood and detergent, but at least it hid my body completely.

Nathan was somewhere in the next room.

Knowing that weirdly calmed me down.

The nausea of forced sleep was already beginning to creep into my veins again. My eyelids felt heavier with every passing second.

I curled myself tighter beneath the bed, trying not to panic as the darkness thickened around me.

Few hours passed, yet my eyes refused to shut.

How was this even possible?
It was night. Everyone was supposed to be unconscious by now. But here I was--wide awake, heartbeat loud in the silence, every nerve in my body alert.

Something was wrong.

Then--

Voices.

Right outside the door.

"There is one person in this room. I saw him in the security room camera," a girl whispered urgently.

My blood ran cold.

Him?

Were they talking about Nathan?

...Or me?

Before I could process anything further, footsteps approached the door. Fast.

Panic exploded inside me.

My eyes darted around the dark room desperately until they landed on a ventilation channel near the ceiling.

Without wasting another second, I jumped onto the bed, nearly slipping off the mattress in the process. I grabbed the metal mesh cover and yanked it open with trembling hands.

"Please fit... please fit..." I muttered like my life depended on it—because it literally did.

I shoved myself upward with all my strength, wriggling into the narrow vent like a panicked raccoon entering a pipe. Every bone in my body protested.

Halfway through, my hoodie got stuck.

"Oh come ON," I whisper-yelled aggressively at the universe.

For one horrifying second, I imagined the mafia opening the door only to find my legs dangling from the ceiling like some failed Spider-Man audition.

With one desperate kick, I pushed myself fully inside and pulled the mesh shut just as the door creaked open below.

I froze.

Dust filled my nose instantly. The vent smelled like dead rats, old socks, and betrayal.

And somehow... I could still hear footsteps beneath me.

Surprisingly, through the mess of scattered boxes and broken furniture, I spotted Nathan asleep behind a closet.

Of all places.

Seriously? That was his hiding spot?

The guy who inspected floors like an FBI agent and treated UNO like military warfare chose to sleep behind the world's thinnest wooden closet. One sneeze and he'd be discovered.

"Wow," I whispered to myself. "God, Nathan finally downloaded stupidity."

Before I could even think of waking him, footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Heavy. Fast.

A blonde girl stormed into the room, two messy braids hanging over her shoulders, blood splattered all over her clothes as if she'd walked straight out of a horror movie. Her eyes darted around wildly, searching.

My breath caught.

Mafia.

She began shoving furniture aside aggressively, throwing clothes and broken objects everywhere. My heart hammered as she moved closer and closer to Nathan's hiding spot.

Then--

She stopped right in front of the closet.

A slow grin spread across her face.

"Found the guy," she shouted, turning toward another shadowy figure standing near the entrance.

Oh.

We were so unbelievably screwed.

I tried my best to control my breathing, pressing my hand against my mouth so they wouldn't hear the shaky breaths escaping me. My whole body was trembling. I could practically hear my heartbeat echoing through the dark vents.

There were three of them.

Three.

If I tried helping him and got caught, I was dead too. Simple.

"It seems this guy is very smart," one of the boys muttered. His voice was deep and rough, and from the glimpse I caught earlier, he was built like a freaking elephant.

"Where's our band? Let's take the manny from him first, then kill him," the girl replied casually, like they were discussing groceries.

My stomach twisted.

Suddenly, the huge guy shouted, "Bro, he has a power card!"

"Wooohooo, lottery!" the girl squealed excitedly.

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my skin.

"Let's get our bands first," she said, dragging him farther away.

The second they disappeared into the next hallway, I forced myself down from the metal mesh above, landing as quietly as possible.

And there it was.

The card.

I picked it up with shaky fingers.

SKIP.