Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 86
Inside the chest lay a pearl necklace, its beads gleaming white.
Under the Ivory Effigy’s mocking laughter, Bennett’s body convulsed. Even his Blessing couldn’t shield him from the curse’s grip.
Three Human-Headed Spiders now stood on the platform, their soulless forms a stark contrast to the companions who, mere minutes ago, had faced this peril alongside them.
“Fascinating, truly fascinating,” the Ivory Effigy purred, her voice bubbling with unrestrained glee.
“I haven’t seen such a show in ages. I thought your defiance would stoke my rage.”
“But watching you humans crumble in despair, one by one, is far more entertaining.”
“Past outsiders cowered before me, terrified of my wrath.”
“Few dared to challenge me. It’s refreshing, though I savor your despair at the end even more.”
Oliver ignored her, pulling out another cigarette and lighting it.
He was next. A fifty-fifty shot. Decent odds.
If luck held, he might walk away.
But he harbored no illusions. A coin flip meant equal chances of failure.
Unless he was the last to choose, survival wasn’t guaranteed.
He sighed, the fourth day’s task more brutal than imagined, claiming so many, with him teetering on the edge.
He drew deeply on his cigarette, eyes darting between the two remaining chests.
He had minutes to pick one.
“Let me see,” Ethan said suddenly, nodding at Oliver’s cigarette pack.
“Huh?” Oliver blinked, noticing Ethan’s focus on the pack. “Want a smoke?”
He handed it over.
Ethan didn’t take a cigarette. Instead, he studied the pack, turning it over in his hands.
Oliver frowned, puzzled. He’d assumed Ethan, shaken by the losses, needed a drag to steady himself. But this? Interest in the pack itself?
Why now, of all times?
Though confused, Oliver held back. Ethan, the guy who survived Blackwood Castle, didn’t waste moves. There was a reason.
After a moment, Ethan spoke. “I saw you searching for your coin earlier. Didn’t find it, did you? Lost it?”
“Uh, yeah,” Oliver said, scratching his head. “Couldn’t find it. Maybe dropped it yesterday.”
Ethan nodded, pressing on. “Think hard. Since arriving in Weaver’s Hollow, have you taken that coin out at all?”
“And are you sure you brought it into this Dreamplay?”
“This is critical, Oliver. Our lives depend on it. Be certain.”
Oliver didn’t grasp Ethan’s angle, but the urgency in his voice hit hard. His face grew serious as he rummaged through his memory.
“The coin’s in the same pocket as my lighter. I feel it when I grab the lighter, so I know I brought it.”
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