Tittle - The Descents
Part - 1
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The conversation started innocently enough, a flurry of texts and excited chatter. It was Luca who first brought it up, his message practically screaming enthusiasm: "Guys! New escape room just opened! Escape Nexus! Heard it's super intense!" Toni quickly followed up, adding, "Yeah, they have this new one called 'The Butcher's Lair.' Sounds terrifying, who's in?!"
Sarah felt a familiar knot tighten in her stomach. Her phone buzzed with replies from their friend group, all eager and pumped. But for Sarah, a thrill-seeker she was not. She bit her lip. Escape room? The very idea of being locked in a room, even for fun, made her feel uneasy. She was kind and tried her best to be brave, but her heart always pounded a little too fast, and loud noises made her jump.
"Come on, Sarah! Don't be a spoilsport!" Raj chimed in, his message accompanied by a playful emoji. Hazel added, "It'll be an adventure! Think of the stories we'll tell!" Sarah typed a hesitant reply about maybe just cheering them on from the lobby, but it was quickly ignored.
Then Eunwoo sent a voice note, his calm, reassuring tone softening the excitement. "Sarah, it's totally safe, you know that. It's just actors and puzzles. And we'll all be there. We won't let anything happen to you." Vasi followed up with a funny GIF of someone bravely facing a tiny spider. "Besides," Vasi texted, "you're always saying you want to try new things! This is your chance!"
Their combined efforts, a mix of gentle persuasion and good-natured teasing, eventually worked. Sarah, wanting to be a good sport and not disappoint her friends, finally agreed. "Okay, fine!" she texted back, adding a nervous-looking emoji. "But if I scream, you all owe me one-one ice cream."
The sign above Escape Nexus blinked erratically, a single burnt-out bulb casting a morbid wink over its otherwise playful neon glow. Sarah shivered, pulling her cardigan tighter despite the muggy late-spring air. "Are you sure about this, guys?" she murmured, her voice barely audible over the excited chatter of Luca and Toni, who were already trying to peek through the dark windows. Raj clapped her on the back playfully. "Relax, Sarah. It's just a game!"
Inside, the lobby was a theatrical mess of dusty props and flickering dim lights. Fake cobwebs clung to faux-stone walls, and a mounted plastic gargoyle leered from above the reception desk. A faint scent of stale popcorn and something metallic—maybe fake blood, maybe something else—hung in the air. Sarah's palms felt clammy. She'd always preferred quiet evenings with a good book, not manufactured terror. But her friends had insisted. "You need to break out of your shell, Sarah!" Liam had declared. "Experience life!"
Their names were called, and a figure emerged from a shadowed hallway. He was tall, dressed in dark, unassuming clothes, but it was his eyes that instantly captivated Sarah. They held a disturbing depth, a silent intensity that seemed to peel back layers, as if he could see every hidden fear she possessed. He offered a small, almost imperceptible smirk as he handed them clipboards.
"Welcome, adventurers," his voice was a low, smooth baritone that sent a strange ripple down Sarah's spine. "I am your game master. Tonight, you'll enter 'The Butcher's Lair.' Your objective is simple: escape. Your challenge: surviving the night." He paused, his gaze lingering on curious Sarah's face, who was turning the clipboard up and down, a moment too long. "Our actors are... dedicated. Don't be shy about expressing your fear. It only makes the experience more authentic."
Raj nudged Sarah. "Hear that? Get ready to scream, lil Sarah!" Sarah forced a weak smile, her gaze still locked on the man's unnerving eyes. She signed the waiver, her hand trembling slightly. Just an actor, she told herself. It's all pretend.
They were led down a narrow, twisting corridor, the air growing colder with every step. A heavy, iron-clad door groaned open, revealing a dimly lit room that smelled of decay and damp earth. Chains hung from the ceiling, and crude tools lay scattered on a stained wooden table. The door clanged shut behind them, plunging them into near darkness.
"Alright, team!" Raj's voice, usually so confident, had a slight tremor now. "Let's find the first clue!"
They fumbled around, adrenaline already starting to pump. Maya quickly spotted a cipher etched into the wall, and Chloe pulled out her phone's flashlight. Sarah, however, felt a growing sense of dread, a primal instinct that whispered this was more than just a game.
Then, a shadow detached itself from the darkest corner of the room. It was him – the game master. Jungkook. He moved with an unnerving grace, a heavy, dull thud accompanying his steps. In his hand, he held a thick, knotted rope.
"The first rule," he said, his voice no longer smooth, but laced with a chilling, predatory glee, "is that the game has changed."
Before anyone could react, he lunged. Not at Raj, who was closest, but at the other girl who was unknown to us. The rope whistled through the air, striking her across the back with a sickening thwack. A sharp cry of pain echoed through the small room.
"Hey!" Raj yelled, stepping forward. "That's not cool, man! This is supposed to be fun!"
Jungkook merely smiled, a wide, unsettling grin that stretched too far across his face. He swung the rope again, this time catching Liam across the arm. The sound of flesh meeting rope was undeniable, visceral. Raj gasped, clutching his arm, his face contorted in disbelief and pain.
Sarah's breath hitched in her throat. This wasn't acting. This wasn't part of the experience. The metallic smell in the air suddenly registered, not as fake blood, but as something real, something horrifyingly fresh. The fear she always tried to suppress surged, overwhelming her. This wasn't a game. This was a trap. And the man in front of them wasn't an actor. He was a monster. They had to escape. Now.
The metallic tang in the air wasn't fake blood. It was the scent of fear, of raw, unadulterated terror. The girl whimpered, clutching her back, her face pale as she stumbled backward, eyes wide with disbelief. Raj, cradling his stinging arm, looked utterly bewildered, his earlier bravado completely shattered.