Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 48
Ethan arrived at the dining room for the evening banquet that night.
He was the only guest left, while three figures sat on the host side.
The whole Rosie family had gathered, but unlike the first night, Bella occupied the head seat instead of Rosie.
Flanked by her parents, all three turned to him with eerie smiles.
It felt like they were eyeing prey about to stumble into a snare.
A tightness gripped Ethan’s chest, a chill creeping up his spine, but he steadied himself and approached the table slowly.
The atmosphere hung heavy and oppressive as he ate alone under their watchful gazes.
Deep down, he had a sense of what lay ahead this evening.
This gathering was a trap laid just for him, orchestrated by Bella at the head.
Time ticked by, and the meal soon wound down.
Ethan knew the pivotal moment had arrived when the maid appeared with the paper box.
With him as the sole guest, she handed it straight over.
He reached in, fumbling around, his expression turning odd before shifting to amusement.
They hadn’t even bothered pretending; the box held just one slip.
Skipping the charade, he pulled it out and unfolded it.
As expected...
[Head to the winery to brew wine]
A death sentence of an Order, one he’d already exhausted his refusals on, spelling doom for him.
Follow it or not, death awaited either way.
Ethan rose impassively, only to meet their malicious stares, malice barely contained.
Ignoring them, he headed upstairs.
A cold voice sliced through from behind.
“Guest, where do you think you’re going?”
Rosie stood, his icy glare sharp as a blade, stabbing into Ethan’s back.
Ethan kept walking.
“Back to my room.”
Now Mrs. Bennett rose too, her face twisted and sinister, eyes like glowing red pinpoints that sent shivers through him.
Rosie advanced toward him.
“You haven’t completed your Order yet.”
Ethan stayed silent, quickening his pace.
“Looks like you’re breaking house rules.”
Black mist seeped from Rosie, distorting his form until only crimson eyes gleamed like a specter.
“We treat guests with courtesy, but rule-breakers aren’t guests anymore.”
As he spoke, Mrs. Bennett’s body swelled, her massive, bloated arm reaching up as the ceiling plunged into darkness.
A thick, blood-red chain dropped from above, which she seized.
The floor shuddered; no need to guess, both pursued him now.
Ethan’s heart leaped, but he didn’t hesitate, sprinting upstairs.
At the same time, a glance back nearly stopped his pulse.
Mrs. Bennett dragged her chain, each step quaking the castle, but her speed lagged, escape feasible.
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