The Hunt
...Needless to say, the latest attempt to break free ended in a dead end. Defeated but not broken, we returned to the General Hall by the fireplace. A gut feeling told me something was definitely going to happen today. Perhaps a decisive battle for our lives. Without wasting a minute, we began preparing for the coming night as best we could, utilizing the meager assortment of tools at our disposal. God... If I could look at myself from the outside right now. Back then, just a few days before all this crap... I would have probably shaken my head and thought these guys were out of their minds... The floor is marked with symbols, salt is scattered, and the traps macca managed to set up are in place. We are fully focused and waiting for the show to begin...
...The night passed quietly, hypnotically quiet. But the feeling of unease only grew stronger. Finally, my ears began to pick up on some noise echoing from the corridors. Someone's scream, someone's sob, fragmented phrases in familiar voices. The dim light from the fireplace, reflecting off the ceiling and walls of the hall, began to slice through strange shadows. Looks like it started...
All our plans went straight to hell when a wave of icy air swept over us. All candles and the fireplace extinguished instantly, leaving us in complete darkness. The original plans were forgotten, panic gripped my mind. First light objects, then heavier ones, including furniture, began to fly into the air and crash back down to the floor. I fumbled for the phone passed down to me by ToX in my pocket, and with frantic movements, managed to turn on the flashlight. The light caught several figures, flickering in and out of existence in the air. Among them were the faces of our recent acquaintances.
Crestfallen Ariake,
Nebo and
Neiko, shaking off their shock, rushed to the traps meant for the ghosts. They were not destined to reach their targets. One by one, they fell to the floor, stunned from colliding with heavy objects that materialized before them out of the darkness too quickly to dodge. Neiko took the worst beating; she refused to regain consciousness.
Probably figuring out where this was heading,
Ne Phela ran toward the corridor exit, closing her eyes. This maneuver disoriented the attackers, diverting all their attention to her. The ghosts gave chase, and soon a calm settled around us again. I made sure that
Neiko was under careful watch, then ran toward Ne Phela, hoping to be able to help her. At that moment, all noises and voices in the distance fell silent, thereby worsening my terrible premonition. Reaching the stairs, I saw her body lying on the floor. Her neck was broken, likely from a fall from a height, and her entire body was covered in deep wounds. Blood was everywhere, and in a blood puddle next to the body lay broken glasses, a notebook containing descriptions of some esoteric terms, and three strange cards. It was unclear why she had kept them on her...


Project Participants:4. Nebo
5. Crestfallen Ariake
6. Vicious Glanders
8. Crabby
10. Neiko
11. Count Orlov
12. Mestear
Hunters:7. ToX
9. Morning
3. Fragment
2. Goomer
13. macca
1. Ne Phela