Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 26
In the end, Bella left. Before going, she told him her death would lift the mark that guy had placed on him, so he didn’t need to hold back in his actions anymore.
Ethan felt a tangle of emotions about her decision.
He hadn’t dismissed her as a monster or just an NPC because of the Castle’s weirdness. Through their talks, he knew she was a real girl with feelings.
She grieved over her family’s bloodshed, felt helpless about the guests’ deaths, and was even willing to sacrifice herself for people she’d barely met, all in pursuit of hope.
She might be the kindest person in this entire Castle.
Since she’d chosen this road, Ethan had no right to stop her.
He wasn’t one to dwell sentimentally. All he could do was fulfill her wish.
After Bella left, the hallway stayed eerily quiet, without even a footstep. To Ethan, it felt like the calm before a storm.
He sat in the costume on the chair until dawn, when light filtered into the room.
Ethan slowly removed the costume and went to the window. Outside, the fog remained as usual, with visibility near zero.
This was truly a bizarre world.
No sun, yet plenty of light.
During the day, the window glass didn’t reflect his image, so he couldn’t see his own expression.
Taking a deep breath, he touched the diary tucked in his pocket and stepped out, ready to face what came next.
The maid and butler lived on the first floor, and unless something happened, they probably wouldn’t come up early, so he wasn’t worried about running into them. Still, he treaded lightly.
As he reached the staircase, Ethan froze, his pupils narrowing, and he stopped.
He’d never been a smoker, but suddenly he craved a cigarette.
At the turn in the stairs to the second floor, a lone figure sat huddled in the corner.
She curled up, knees to chest, like a child bracing against crashing waves in helpless pose.
Her once beautiful, intricate Gothic dress was torn and ragged, nothing like its former glory.
She looked much like Lily had that morning, body emaciated, blood drained, her slightly chubby cheeks now ashen and withered.
Yet even in this state, her expression held a serene quality, almost a smile of contentment. Under the light, it struck Ethan as a sacred kind of beauty.
He nearly held his breath, a sharp pain stabbing his chest.
Only then did it hit him fully, this vibrant girl was truly gone forever.
He stood there for several minutes before slowly descending and returning to room 201.
“Holy shit!”
Albert jumped at the sight of Ethan, blurting out a curse.
“I, I thought you...”
He stammered in excitement, clearly thrilled that Ethan had made it back alive.
“Good to have you back, good to have you back...”
He kept muttering, noticing Ethan’s fatigue and not pressing about where he’d been last night.
“I need some sleep, we can talk when I wake up.”
Ethan climbed into bed and pulled up the covers.
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