The spiral staircase leading to the second floor was made of wood, creaking with each step—”creak, creak”—forcing Shido Makoto and the other two to tread as lightly as possible to avoid making excessive noise.
The higher they climbed, the colder the air became.
Unlike the physical cold brought by the snow-capped mountains, this was a bone-deep chill.
Beyond that, the three also caught a faint, acrid smell—like something burning and charring.
Shido Makoto led the way, with Shirogane Kei following close behind.
The Artist brought up the rear, her face practically buried against Shirogane Kei’s back, daring only to peek at her surroundings from the corner of her eye.
When the three of them stepped onto the second floor, the sight before them made them all stop in unison.
“This place…
it’s been burned by a massive fire,” the Artist whispered.
The entire second floor appeared to have been ravaged by fire.
The walls and ceiling on both sides of the hallway were scorched pitch-black, with plaster peeling away in large chunks to reveal the charred bricks beneath.
The chandelier on the ceiling had been reduced to a single blackened iron frame, with a few severed branches hanging down in isolation.
The floor was covered in a thick layer of ash that felt soft and cottony underfoot.
Shirogane Kei’s brows furrowed tightly.
She waved her hand in front of her nose, trying to disperse the acrid, choking smell.
At that moment, Shido Makoto’s footsteps faltered.
Shirogane Kei and the Artist, who had been following behind him, immediately stopped as well, following his gaze toward the depths of the corridor.
The light here was even dimmer than the first-floor hall.
The three could barely make out a human figure standing not far down the passage.
That figure was completely shrouded in shadow—they couldn’t discern its face or clothing, only that it had a human silhouette.
A chill shot through them instantly.
A specter?
Or something else?
Shirogane Kei’s breathing caught.
She instinctively took a half-step backward, her body tensing as she prepared to turn and flee at any moment.
The Artist was so frightened she bit her lower lip hard, barely stifling a scream.
But in that moment, a thought emerged in her mind.
No…
I can’t run.
She glanced at Shido Makoto and Shirogane Kei beside her—both several years younger than herself.
How could she let two children stand in front while she hid?
If…
if that thing really came charging at them, then…
then I’ll just have to fight it!
The Artist silently steeled her resolve.
Her legs, which had been trembling moments before, miraculously filled with strength.
She even quietly shifted forward a small step, subtly positioning herself protectively in front of Shirogane Kei.
Yet one second passed.
Two seconds. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Ten seconds.
The corridor remained silent and still, only the faint sound of wind and snow wailing outside the windows.
The attack she’d anticipated never came.
The shadow remained in the same posture, completely motionless.
As their eyes gradually adjusted to the dim light, they finally saw the figure’s true form.
Not some grotesque specter—but the maid!
She wore that same unchanged black and white maid uniform, standing expressionlessly before a room door.
“So it was her…”
The Artist let out a long breath of relief, her tense body suddenly going slack.
She nearly collapsed onto the floor.
Shirogane Kei unclenched her small fists, though wariness hadn’t entirely left her face.
She asked softly, “What’s she doing standing here?”
Shido Makoto didn’t answer.
His eyes narrowed as he contemplated what the maid’s presence meant and why she would appear on this burned-out second floor.
When the keys were distributed last night, she had explicitly warned them not to wander the corridors after ten o’clock.
But it was daytime now—Rule Four wasn’t in effect.
They had come to the second floor without making noise, hadn’t touched anything, and hadn’t violated Rule One or Rule Three.
In other words, their current actions violated no known rules.
If there was no violation, the maid had no reason to attack them.
Her appearance likely had another purpose.
Shido Makoto thought for a moment, then spoke calmly: “You two stay here and don’t move.
I’ll go take a look.”
“Going alone is too dangerous!” the Artist immediately protested.
“Let’s stay together, or…
or should we retreat to the first floor first?” Shirogane Kei was also uneasy.
Though she trusted Shido Makoto’s judgment, she couldn’t bring herself to stand aside and let him face unknown danger while she did nothing.
“No.”
Shido Makoto shook his head and continued: “If there really is danger, there’s no difference between the three of us going and one of us going.”
His logic was sound.
Since the maid hadn’t attacked immediately upon their arrival, it meant their current actions hadn’t violated any rules and they were temporarily safe.
But how long that safety would last was anyone’s guess.
Letting him scout alone meant that even if he triggered some instant-death rule, the loss would be minimal.
Besides, he still had one[Rollback]remaining.
Without waiting for the two to object further, Shido Makoto had already begun walking, heading alone toward the depths of the corridor.
Shirogane Kei and the Artist held their breath, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on Shido Makoto’s back, their hearts in their throats.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
Three meters.
He examined her carefully.
Her eyes were vacant, her body completely still, and he couldn’t even detect the rise and fall of her breathing.
Yet Shido Makoto could sense that her gaze was fixed upon him.
After confirming the maid had no intention to attack, Shido Makoto’s courage grew.
He circled around the maid and turned his attention to the room door behind her.
The door was slightly ajar, revealing a small gap.
“This is…” Shido Makoto thought, puzzled.
He didn’t push the door carelessly.
Instead, he quickly surveyed the entire hallway first.
The second floor’s layout was simple—a single corridor running the length of it with seven rooms total on both sides.
One room had its door wide open with a bathroom sign hanging on it.
Shido Makoto took a quick look and found nothing unusual.
The other five rooms had their doors firmly locked, and no amount of turning the handles produced any movement.
The only exception was this room, which the maid was guarding.
“So…
if you want to enter these rooms, finding the keys is the key?” Shido Makoto mused.
This possibility seemed very likely.
He returned to the slightly ajar door and hesitated for a moment.
The unknown beyond it made him wary, but this appeared to be the only breakthrough point on the second floor.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly reached out and cautiously pushed the door open.
Beyond the door was a woman’s room.
A single bed with white sheets, a vanity, a wardrobe—the furnishings were quite simple.
Yet strangely, there was no trace of fire damage here; it had been preserved in perfect condition.
Shido Makoto stood in the room for a while, confirming there were no unusual sounds, then looked back toward the door.
The maid remained in the same posture, her head not even turned.
Now Shido Makoto was essentially at ease.
He walked to the doorway and waved at Shirogane Kei and the Artist at the far end of the corridor, signaling them to come over.
Seeing his gesture, the two exchanged a glance and quickly walked forward.
As they passed by the maid, they couldn’t help but feel their hearts leap.
They practically hugged the opposite wall as they slipped into the room.
“That scared me half to death…”
The Artist leaned against the wall immediately upon entering, breathing heavily and patting her chest: “What exactly is she?
Why does she just stand there like that?”
“Perhaps she’s guiding us?” Shirogane Kei’s gaze swept across the room before settling on Shido Makoto.
“There should be very important clues here.”
“Mm.”
Shido Makoto nodded: “But don’t touch anything carelessly.
Rule Three might still apply.”
Though he had his suspicions, caution was always the priority until he had definitive proof.