Chapter 114
Having steeled my resolve, I slowly stepped down the stairs.
The stairs weren't deep. I reached the door quickly, without descending many steps.
It seemed that this wasn't the basement itself, but rather I had to open the basement door to finally arrive at the basement.
Light streamed in through the crack in the door behind me, allowing me to read the sign on the basement door.
<Gate>
"Gate?"
Of course, it's a Gate. Usually, it would say something like 'Basement' or 'Storage,' wouldn't it?
Feeling puzzled, I quietly turned the doorknob.
Click, click.
I had somewhat expected it, but the door didn't open. Should I ask Zenas? He probably wouldn't tell me, but I should at least try when he gets home.
I quietly climbed back up the stairs. Worried that Zenas might arrive sooner than expected, I looked around and checked outside the window before heading up to the second floor.
The stench was still terrible on the second floor. I blocked my nose and walked down the second-floor hallway because the stairs to the third floor were at the end of it.
With a tense expression, I slowly walked down the hallway. Even though it was a time when the morning sunlight was shining brightly, the second-floor hallway was dark. There were only two windows in the hallway, and even those were very small.
As I had seen yesterday, all the doors were open, and there were no particular anomalies.
I went up to the third floor, and as soon as I reached the top of the stairs, I found a strange door next to the staircase.
"What is this?"
A strong stench emanated from there.
I hesitated for a moment. Was it right to open this door? Right or wrong, I was actually scared.
'I hate horror.'
I swallowed hard and roughly wiped the sweat from my palms onto my clothes. Then, with a very tense expression, I slowly grabbed the doorknob.
Click, click.
The door was firmly locked. I don't know why that made me feel so relieved.
I sighed and stepped back, then noticed the sign on the door. It was covered in dust, so I roughly wiped it off with my hand.
<Chamber of Rest> Seal
That's what the sign on the door said.
"Chamber of Rest? Seal?"
Very suspicious.
"Why are there so many suspicious things here?"
I felt inexplicably spooked, quickly turned around, and looked around the third floor.
Fortunately, the third floor was much brighter than the second floor. The hallway had many large windows, allowing sunlight to stream in.
However, the eerie atmosphere didn't diminish just because the view was brighter. For some reason, the third floor felt colder than the second floor. Feeling cold in this tropical climate, even during daylight hours.
I felt a creepy sensation, as if my hairs were standing on end.
I calmly scanned the hallway. Like the second floor, the third floor was full of trash and very dirty.
"Damn it, all the doors are closed here."
I took a deep breath for a moment. It took a lot of courage to open a closed door because I didn't know what might be waiting for me inside.
There were four doors in total.
The first room was completely empty, with no bed or closet.
I felt relieved, but at the same time, I worried that I might not get any useful information.
"I wish there was some kind of information..."
I took a deep breath in front of the second door and grabbed the doorknob.
Thump.
I stopped moving at the sound from inside the door. Damn it, what was that sound?
I quietly let go of the doorknob. I couldn't open this door. I decided to skip the second room.
And I was opening the third door and confirming that there was nothing special inside when...
Bang!
"Ah, shit! That scared the hell out of me!!"
The second door opened violently, and I was so startled that I fell to the floor.
My heart almost jumped out of my chest. I put my hand on my chest, checked that my heart was okay, and took a few deep breaths.
The second door was wide open.
For a moment, my whole body froze. Fear overwhelmed my mind, and my body trembled.
I could understand why the protagonists in horror movies couldn't run away immediately when faced with a crisis.
'Shit, I'm scared!!'
But fortunately, nothing jumped out through the open door. Only a chilling air lingered in the hallway, and I slowly got up.
It seemed that a strong wind had blown the door open. It seemed better for my mental health to just believe that.
'But I think I should look inside the room.'
I gripped the Wooden Knife tightly in my hand and slowly approached the second door. Then, I cautiously peeked inside from outside the door.
Inside the room, there was a bed, a closet, and a desk in front of the window. There was a window in the room, so it wasn't dark, but it had a very eerie atmosphere.
While the other rooms were dirty and full of trash, this room was very clean. It was just a bit dusty, but it looked like someone had been living there.
As I looked around, I found something lying in front of the desk. It looked like a notebook. The noise I heard a moment ago seemed to have been made when it fell to the floor. I breathed a sigh of relief.
I slowly entered the room. Even though the sunlight was shining in and the room was bright, the air was cool and bleak.
"A diary?"
I slowly picked up the notebook and opened it. It was full of dirt and dust, so I roughly wiped it off with my hand and scanned the contents.
The notebook was filled with notes written in someone's elegant handwriting. And among the unreadable letters, there was a sentence that clearly caught my eye.
I must die.
I was startled for a moment and paused as I was about to turn the page. Another sentence was written below it.
Everyone is dead. Should I have to live? I don't think I can escape the island. Forever. This is not living.
Who wrote this? Did Zenas write it? Or was it his dead companions that Zenas mentioned? I quietly turned the diary page.
I feel like I'm losing myself more and more. So I decided to record it. The things I've experienced so far.
This diary I'm reading doesn't seem to be the recording notebook the author is talking about. It seems that the book used for recording is separate...
I quietly turned to the next page.
Thanks to Zenas, the poison has been completely cured. The reason we were crazy all along was because of that Red Flower. He says it was because of Tentationem.
Thud.
I dropped the notebook I was holding on the floor. And I stared blankly at the fallen notebook.
I didn't see it wrong. First of all, it became clear that the author of this text was not Zenas. And the author clearly mentioned that he was addicted to Tentationem.
Strangely, I keep thinking about the original novel.
The author mentioned that 'the reason we were crazy was because of Tentationem.' My memory was hazy, but I remember Yuanna saying something similar in the original novel.
-The reason we were crazy was all because of this flower.-
I think there was such a line. I don't know why I thought of that, but that's why the sentence written in the notebook made me feel a strange sense of déjà vu.
I slowly picked up the notebook again. And I carefully turned to the next page.
She told me how to undo everything. And I received a Key from her. She said it was a Key that could open all the Gates.
'She? Who is she?'
Could the Key be the same one that Yuanna has?
I keep thinking of Yuanna. Strangely.
I hurriedly turned to the next page.
I'm going to leave today to find the place she told me about. I'm going to rest there. I think I'll be able to finish the book I'm using for recording there too.
I turned to the next page again.
What's more important than survival is not forgetting that I am me. I engraved the words she said to me deeply in my heart.
My legs gave way.
I ended up sitting on the floor with the notebook in my hand.
'What's more important than survival.'
It was the title of the novel I picked up on the street when I was Lee Jin-joo. Is this really a coincidence?
'Who is the she that the author mentioned?'
There are circumstances, but there was no definite clue to confirm that the owner of this notebook was Yuanna.
'Let's take this with me, since I don't have much time.'
I crumpled the notebook into my crossbody bag. And when I turned around, I saw someone's sleeve brushing past through the open door.
'……Shit.'