Back inside Dami's house, the group sat in stunned silence. The shock of seeing Tom collapse and die right before their eyes had left them shaken. The fog outside remained, swirling with unnatural movement, as if the shadows themselves were watching.
Sofia wiped her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. "He died… because of us."
Ellie rubbed her arms, shivering despite the warmth of the room. "No… he died because he remembered. That thing—whatever it is—hates when people remember Lila."
John let out a frustrated sigh. "This is insane. First, we almost get killed in that creepy school, and now people are dying on the street. What the hell are we supposed to do?"
Barto remained motionless, staring at the photograph of Lila. "We go back. We find that room in the basement."
Bryan crossed his arms, clearly not sold on the idea. "You heard Tom. That room isn't there anymore. It's just a wall now."
Dami glanced up from his notebook, thoughtful. "Maybe it's not a physical door. If the school itself is twisted by memories, it could be like… a mental lock. We might need to trigger something for it to appear."
Ellie raised an eyebrow. "Like what? A ritual? A key?"
Dami shook his head. "Maybe a memory. Something connected to Lila. If the school wants everyone to forget, remembering something important could unlock it."
Barto thought back to the eerie music that had played during their last visit. "That song… the one we heard when the shadows appeared. Was it something Lila liked?"
Sofia suddenly remembered. "Wait… I think it was a song from the school's cultural day. She performed it once, didn't she? A solo performance."
Dami snapped his fingers. "If that song is important, maybe playing it again will trigger the hidden door."
John frowned. "And how do we even play it? We don't have any instruments, and I sure as hell don't remember the tune."
Ellie bit her lip. "I… I think I recorded that performance. Back then, I was part of the media club. I have old videos saved on my laptop."
Relief spread across the group. Dami rushed to get Ellie's laptop from her bag, which she had left in his room earlier. As they waited, Bryan peeked out the window. "That fog's not letting up. It's like it's getting thicker."
A soft tap at the window made him flinch. He slowly pulled the curtain aside, only to find nothing but swirling mist. Just as he was about to let go, a pale face appeared right on the glass—Tom's lifeless eyes staring in.
Bryan yelped, stumbling backward. "What the hell?!"
The others rushed over, but by the time they looked, the window was clear. Ellie returned with the laptop, confused by the commotion. "What happened?"
Bryan rubbed his eyes. "I swear I saw him… right there. He was dead, but he looked straight at me."
Dami shook his head. "The entity must be projecting illusions. It's messing with our minds."
Barto looked unfazed. "It's trying to scare us off. Let's focus on the song."
Ellie plugged in the laptop and navigated through old folders, finally pulling up the video from cultural day. The grainy footage showed Lila on stage, singing a hauntingly beautiful song. As the melody filled the room, a sense of melancholy washed over them.
Sofia whispered, "She was really talented… no wonder everyone loved her."
As the song played, the room seemed to grow colder, and the shadows in the corners stretched and twisted. Barto stayed focused, listening intently. Suddenly, the video glitched, the screen flickering. For a moment, Lila's face on the screen distorted, her eyes hollow and her mouth stretched in a silent scream.
Ellie shut the laptop, breathing heavily. "That wasn't in the original video… what was that?"
Dami jotted down notes, his hands shaking. "The song… it's tied to the curse. Maybe it's what triggered the entity's hold in the first place."
Barto remained calm. "We'll play it again when we get to the basement. If the room exists, this will open it."
John looked skeptical. "And if it doesn't?"
Barto glanced out the window, his gaze unwavering. "Then we'll find another way.
We can't just leave it like this."
Nancy hugged her knees, whispering, "What if the school traps us again? We barely made it out alive."
Bryan grunted. "If it tries, we'll break every door and window to get out. No way am I dying in that place."
Sofia took Barto's hand, squeezing it lightly. "We'll stick together this time. No splitting up."
Ellie pulled out a flashlight and a small knife from her bag. "Just in case," she said, forcing a nervous smile.
Dami closed his notebook. "We need to hurry. If the fog keeps spreading, it might start affecting the whole town."
As they stepped outside, the fog seemed thicker, almost suffocating. The street was empty—no sign of Tom's body. Just as they reached the road, a figure stepped out from the fog—a young girl, about Lila's age. Her eyes were wide, and she clutched a faded doll.
Ellie whispered, "Is that…?"
Before anyone could respond, the girl spoke in a hollow voice. "You shouldn't go back. He'll be angry."
Barto approached cautiously. "Who will be angry?"
The girl looked past him, as if seeing something they couldn't. "The man in the shadows. He's always angry. He never forgives."
Sofia tried to comfort her. "We're trying to help. Can you tell us what happened to Lila?"
The girl's face twisted into a sad smile. "Lila… she wanted to leave. But he wouldn't let her. He keeps her in the dark place… where the walls cry."
John swallowed hard. "What does that mean?"
Before the girl could answer, her face contorted in pain, and she faded into mist, her last words echoing faintly.
"He knows you're coming…"
Barto didn't hesitate. "Let's go. The longer we wait, the worse it'll get."
As they made their way to the school, Sofia couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Every step felt heavier, and the oppressive darkness loomed closer.
Just as they reached the school gates, a loud bang echoed behind them. They turned to see a shadowy figure on the rooftop, its eyes glowing red, watching them with an unnatural stillness.
Barto locked eyes with it, unflinching. "It's trying to scare us. Stay focused."
The figure let out a bone-chilling scream that seemed to pierce through their skulls. John covered his ears, barely able to stand. Ellie clutched Sofia, terrified.
Barto tightened his grip on the photo, determined. "We're not turning back. Not now."
With the entity's wail still ringing in their ears, they pushed open the school doors, ready to face the horrors lurking within.