Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 29
After finishing the diary, Ethan headed straight back to room 201. He needed to grab the red wine from the table.
That line about the lazy pig craving fine wine had stuck with him, and in this castle, the only thing that qualified as such was probably this bottle.
From Albert’s condition after drinking it, he could infer that anyone who consumed the wine would eventually turn into wine themselves.
In other words, the wine was brewed from humans.
That tied into the chef’s earlier comments about treating people as food, which made his desire for this wine perfectly logical.
Ethan opened the door to 201, and a heavy wave of alcohol hit him.
Truth be told, the scent had a hallucinatory pull. At least for him, it triggered an involuntary swallow and an overwhelming urge to take a sip, no matter what.
He felt like the wine was a light in the darkness, drawing him in like a moth to the flame.
Ethan took a deep breath, clearing his mind of distractions. He’d prepared himself mentally, staying fully alert and relying on sheer willpower to resist the temptation.
By now, Albert lay slumped over the table, his body noticeably thinner, with pools of dissolved wine from him scattered across the floor.
A closer look revealed his chest still rising and falling slightly, a sign he was clinging to life.
Ethan let out a sigh. He lacked the resources to save the man now, and he didn’t even dare touch him, unsure what contact with that wine-soaked skin might do.
After sealing the wine bottle and slipping it into his pocket, Ethan left the room and made his way to the music room.
Earlier, while rummaging through the toolbox there, he’d spotted some pre-cut wooden blocks, ideal for crafting keys.
He pulled out the soap with the impressions, measured the dimensions with a tape measure, and began carefully carving the wood into key shapes using the fruit knife.
Without proper carving tools, the task proved much harder than expected.
By the time he’d finished all three keys, dusk had fallen.
He tucked them away and returned to the dining room for the evening banquet.
Compared to the previous nights, this one felt far more subdued. Only the master attended from the hosts’ side, while the guests were just Ethan, Serena, and Lucas.
Albert was practically one foot in the grave, so he couldn’t join, and Grace remained holed up in her room, ignoring everyone’s calls.
The atmosphere hung heavy throughout the meal, especially with Rosie’s ashen face, as if his anger might erupt at any moment.
Once dinner wrapped up, the maid arrived carrying a paper box.
“Draw lots.”
Rosie spat the words coldly, his icy tone sending chills down the guests’ spines. He’d stopped hiding his murderous intent, clearly devastated by Bella’s death.
Under that immense pressure, the three had no choice but to reach into the box and pull out their slips.
When Ethan unfolded his and read the message, his expression shifted.
[Head to the winery to brew wine]
Even a quick thought told him this was an Order he absolutely couldn’t follow. Whether it was the unheard-of winery or the brewing itself, combined with the eerie nature of the wine here, it spelled certain death.
Looked like he’d have to reject this one.
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