Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 17
Ethan stared at the card, lost in thought.
He suddenly recalled his conversation with Lily from the night before, when she had seemed troubled. Beyond her thanks, her words carried an unspoken resolve that he couldn’t quite place.
At the time, shaken and tense, he hadn’t pressed her for details, choosing instead to offer some comfort.
Reflecting on it now, he figured she might have gotten a similar card from another source. The warnings on it probably made her hesitant to share with anyone, so driven by a strong sense of duty, she went alone, which led to her death.
Did that mean even carrying the card to the game room wouldn’t spare someone from dying?
Ethan pondered this, sensing it couldn’t be that straightforward.
He tucked the card away and headed to the music room door.
Bella, as if expecting him, opened it but then ignored him completely and walked straight to her room.
Ethan knew her movements were restricted, perhaps even monitored by something like that eerie creature in her space.
Though he had never seen what the thing looked like from start to finish, he was sure it tied back to the painting, which was why he avoided eye contact with it.
He had a nagging feeling that locking eyes would bring far worse than just a racing pulse.
Wisely, he didn’t try to talk to Bella. This visit was simply to signal that he had the item.
Back downstairs, it was lunchtime, and the butler along with the maid had prepared a lavish spread.
According to the butler, breakfast and lunch at Blackwood Castle had no set times, so guests could eat in the dining room whenever they wanted.
Only at six in the evening were guests required to gather there for the host’s family banquet, where the host would issue the day’s order.
After eating, Ethan returned to the third floor. Bella’s room was off-limits now, and there was no need to go back anyway.
He started with the music room, inspecting every instrument and tool, but found nothing unusual. Then he moved to the game room.
The game room intrigued him deeply, whether because of Lily’s gruesome death there or the card’s instruction to come alone at night. It seemed likely to hold the clues he sought.
The room had plenty of toys, and he checked them one by one without success. That left the two rows of dolls standing side by side.
He examined the herbivore dolls first. Drawing from his experience with the kangaroo one, he focused on feeling for hidden pockets in each.
After some time, he came up empty and turned his attention to the creepy carnivore dolls.
Those carnivore dolls remained unsettling, with stitched parts resembling wounds that turned his stomach. At least there was no odd smell.
Unlike before, they were now in the light, yet still radiated an eerie dread. He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt like they were watching him with malice.
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