The food smelled amazing but other than Silly and Xu Deyi, no one had any appetite. Bai Feng even pushed the chicken soup she had to Silly. She detested eating in the nightmare. She’d rather go hungry.
The three bad news made the atmosphere cold. The wind rattled the windows. It was dark outside the manor. Only the stove in the kitchen provided a bit of light.
“This place doesn’t even have a lamp. After the oil lamps go out, does that mean we have to create our own torches?” Xu Deyi felt warmer after he had the meal. He licked his lips as he watched Gao Ming’s untouched bowl of soup.
“Since you know how precious firewood is, why did you waste so much of it?” Yao Yao grumbled.
“Why didn’t you complain when you were eating?” Xu Deyi picked up Gao Ming’s bowl. “Brother, do you want me to warm it for you?”
“If you want it, take it. I’m not hungry.” Gao Ming stood up. He stayed in Room 2009 that was at the end of the second-floor corridor.
“Good brother, I’ll sleep on the floor in your room tonight to guard you!” Xu Deyi didn’t dare to be alone so he said shamelessly.
“I’ve been in many middle-level nightmares. Normally, you should escape within ten hours. The longer you stay, the more dangerous it’ll be.” Zhi Ge didn’t want to eat at first but Xu Deyi was a really good cook and he couldn’t control himself. “I suggest we skip sleep tonight and hurry up to find the truth.”
Qian Jin nodded and suggested, “The owner of Room 3003 will be asleep. I think we can infiltrate his room. The man has to be connected to the dream owner somehow!”
“Newbie, don’t make it sound like you know what you’re doing.” Zhi Ge picked up the axe leaning against the table. “Sister Feng, you’re the expert here. You can make the decision.”
The temperature in the kitchen continued to drop. The stove fire sputtered like a dying man.
“The six of you can do whatever you want. I won’t participate.” Bai Feng scanned everyone. No one knew what she was thinking. She picked up her room key and left.
“Is that the presence of the strongest lone wolf?” Yao Yao grumbled after Bai Feng left. “Her room is Room 2001. That was the room with the broken window. Does she dare to stay there alone?”
“Maybe she thinks we’re just going to hold her back.” Qian Jin smiled helplessly. The way Bai Feng looked at them was similar to how they looked at Xu Deyi.
“Then, we’ll split up.” Zhi Ge swung the axe over his shoulder. He glanced at Silly’s backpack. For the sake of harmony, he didn’t fight for it… yet.
The trio ransacked the kitchen and went to the second floor. They entered Zhi Ge’s Room 2004. The room was in the middle of the corridor and away from the staircase. It was also close to Bai Feng’s Room 2001.
“Gao Ming, the three of us should stay together tonight.” Xu Deyi knew how cunning Gao Ming was and he knew Silly was not a normal person. He was the odd one out. The wind blew and took out the stove. Only embers remained.
“My room is on the first floor, but the front door is not locked. I fear something might come in from outside at night.” Xu Deyi was not dumb. He analysed the situation for Gao Ming after everyone had left. “Silly stays in Room 2002. Why don’t we stay with him and be neighbours with Bai Feng?”
“There’s a chance Bai Feng won’t stay in her room at night. It’s dangerous outside the manor, but how safe is it inside?” Gao Ming lifted his head. “The stairs that lead to the fourth floor are sealed off. I’ve checked each iron bar. They are all welded shut.”
“Do you mean… the most dangerous thing is on the fourth floor?” Xu Deyi reacted quickly.
“I have okay eyesight. I can see through the dark. When we checked the corridors in the afternoon, I noticed the fourth floor is similar to the third floor in the sense that all the rooms on the fourth floor also have no doors. Combine that with the information Tang Qing gave us about the nightmare owner, I suspect the owner is trapped on the fourth floor,” Gao Ming offered.
“Then, who is the violinist in Room 3003?”
“Too few clues to tell for now. Let’s decide where we shall stay tonight first.” As he finished, Silly grabbed Gao Ming by his arm. The silent Silly had his hair standing on end. A ball of light approached them from the lobby. Then, the kitchen door swung open. The man from Room 3003 appeared holding an oil lamp. Different from his casual nature in the day, he was armed with the rifle, and blades poked out of his coat.
“It’s already dark. Why aren’t you in your rooms?” The man’s voice was harsher than it was in the day. He sounded very nervous. The man placed the oil lamp on the table. He picked up the chicken soup Bai Feng didn’t touch and slurped it down. “I smelled this from my room. I didn’t think you’d leave a bowl for me.”
“It’s to thank you for giving us a place to stay. If you want, I can cook more for you.” Xu Deyi tried to befriend the man.
“I won’t eat your food for free.” The man spat out a chicken bone. He resumed his melancholic expression. “I’ll give you some advice. Don’t open the door no matter who knocks on it at night. Even if the person sounds like someone you know.”
“Why not?” Gao Ming couldn’t help but ask, “Has something happened here before?”
Holding the rifle, the man licked the oil stains off his lips. Then, he said, “Since you’ll encounter it anyway, I won’t hide it from you. During last year’s winter, a group of amateur hikers also came here to stay for the night. Then, they all died in an avalanche. Until now, their bodies are still not found.”
The light in the oil lamp danced with the story.
“About several nights ago.” The man’s voice deepened, “I heard knocking at the front gate. I thought it was some animal. However, when I opened the window and looked out, I saw several people in hiking outfits standing there.
“The hiking outfits stood out against the whiteness of the snow. I saw them, and they also saw me.”
The man sighed, and his tone darkened, “I hid inside my room. They disappeared when the sun came up. I thought that would be the end, but I saw them again the night after.
“This time, they appeared outside the manor courtyard wall. They seemed to be climbing over it.”