Grace and Anna each lay on a bed, resting for a while and talking about their own things.
"I feel like I've forgotten a lot of things, but they're all scattered fragments. My parents are very good to me. When I was a child, I didn't like sports, so they took me to art exhibitions and taught me 'Go'. In short, everything was up to me. Now, when I think about it, I'm afraid they spoiled me." Anna thought of the past and smiled unconsciously.
"Later, I did get better at playing chess – not only 'Go', but also chess and other things. I participated in several competitions and won first prize. At that time, they put my trophy in the most conspicuous place in the living room. When guests came, they praised it. I was embarrassed later and secretly moved the trophy to my bedroom."
"Really good parents," Grace sighed.
"Yes, they were also very worried when I went to college. I think... I was probably the kind of child who grew up in happiness. The chess teacher taught me to concentrate, and the calligraphy and painting teacher taught me to cultivate my energy. It seems that everyone has been very good to me."
Anna said, suddenly turning her head, the expression on her face more serious than ever before.
"Sister Grace, do you understand? Even for the sake of my parents, teachers, and friends, I have to stay alive and leave this haunted place. I absolutely cannot die here."
"We all don't want to die here," Grace said affirmatively.
Anna smiled. "Sister Grace, there are things you can't let go of, right?"
"Of course, didn't I say that? Our company is going to be listed. That's a business we started to run slowly when we were college students. So many people left, and so many people came during this period. We suffered so much to become what it is now. Now the fruits are about to be harvested, and I have to go back to pick them."
"If I go back, I want to see the products of Sister Grace's company. What do you do?"
"Communication equipment... We have some cooperation with the military."
Grace's face became more radiant when she talked about this.
"Although it was a coincidence, the connection with the military at that time also demonstrated the strength of our products, and it also saved us a lot of trouble."
"It sounds like Sister Grace was also involved."
"Well, but this is within the confidentiality regulations, so I won't say much. Anna, let's stop talking about going back for now." Grace suddenly interrupted the topic. "Dwelling on the past is of no help to us now. Let me ask you, if it mentions places like ancient houses and foreign-style mansions, and if the owner is hiding some secrets, what will you think of first?"
Anna was stunned, and her brain started to work quickly. "Basement? Safe? Code? Secret room?"
"Yes, we haven't found anything so far except a basement that is in the open. But I don't believe there are no secrets here at all."
"But... shouldn't this be said to everyone? If there are more people..."
"I'm not a selfless person, Anna," Grace interrupted her. "Like everyone here, I want to be one of the last people alive. Gathering everyone, dividing into groups, and leading the team from the beginning is because only in this way can we avoid chaos, and our chances of survival will be greater."
"Did you believe what it said from the beginning?"
"I'm considering it as a real thing; otherwise, I'd be playing with my own life."
"If this is a prank..."
"...I won't lose anything, and now I know it's not, right? Anna, although I've said so much, the pattern of ghosts killing people is still not clear; maybe there is no pattern. I can't guarantee that I won't get into trouble, so I'll try to tell you more, which can also be regarded as passing on my thoughts for the future."
Anna frowned. "Why do you suddenly say such an unlucky thing?"
"Because... things may be more serious than I thought."
At this moment, there were suddenly chaotic footsteps in the corridor outside, and many people were shouting loudly. Grace quickly sat up from the bed, listened attentively, and then sighed.
"Something happened."
The door of one of the rooms three doors down from Anna and Grace's room was crowded with people. Two men dressed as singers in Beom Seok's team were stopping people outside the room. Only when you got closer could you see Beom Seok standing at the end of the small corridor with a gloomy face? His expression was no longer as relaxed as before.
"That woman is dead," The nouveau riche said coldly and was immediately grabbed by the collar.
"You are still making sarcastic remarks when someone is dead!"
This was the last person in Beom Seok's team, a tall boy with some acne on his face. He was not very talkative at ordinary times. When he stood out at this time, Anna found that his face and eyes were red.
"What's going on?"
Grace's voice already had some effect of stabilizing morale. Beom Seok heard it and waved his hand to let the two people at the door allow Grace and Anna to enter. Then they saw what was inside the room.
The only young woman in Beom Seok's team, the young person who had cooked for everyone before, lay on the bed with a terrified and desperate face. She was wearing a large bathrobe provided in the room. There was a huge slit in her throat, and blood was still gushing out. A sharp razor blade lay beside her. There was also a small makeup bag next to her. The lipstick, eyebrow pencil, small mirror, and other items in it seemed to have fallen on the bed and the floor in a panic. It was clear that there had been a moment of struggle.
"Yes, is it this bathrobe that we also wore? Will we die if we wear it?"
"She was fine when she left; why would she be targeted by a ghost!"
"Stop making noise!" Beom Seok suddenly yelled.
After everyone was quiet for a moment, the voices became louder.
"Why are you so fierce! You can't even protect your companions!"
"Who can you blame for your arrogant behaviour?"
"We haven't confirmed that it was a ghost who killed her. How did you determine it so quickly?" Beom Seok's face turned cold. He was very familiar with scaring people with one sentence. Now that he said it, everyone was stunned.
"What... what do you mean?" A follower under the nouveau riche asked tremblingly.
"The door is not locked, and blades are equipped in the bathroom of each room. Anyone can come in and commit a crime. How do you know that it was a ghost? What if someone thinks she has some treasure and wants to kill her to steal it?" Beom Seok sneered. "I didn't let you in to prevent someone from destroying the scene. If a human commits a crime, at least leave some evidence. Let me know when the time comes... I don't need the ghost to do it. I will kill him myself!"
His words were full of cruelty. Even if someone suspected it, they didn't dare to say it now.
"Beom Seok, control yourself."
"Yes, this time it was most likely done by a ghost."
Grace and Anna stopped Beom Seok's impulsive behaviour.
Now only their words could calm Beom Seok down. After a while, he responded in a muffled voice, "What do you mean?"
"Her hair was still wet. She was indeed killed after coming back from the shower. The cause of death was a slit throat. It happened when she was changing into a bathrobe and preparing to put on makeup again. But judging from the wound, it was done by a ghost."
"A ghost? You can tell from that?"
It's not that Beom Seok didn't believe Anna; it's just that the amount of information this time was too much.
"That's not the case." Anna pointed to the deceased's right hand. "Her lipstick fell on this side, and the mirror fell on that side, which means she was right-handed. The blade was also near the elbow of her right hand. The wound on her neck went from deep to shallow from the left side to the right side, and it was cut all the way through. This is more in line with the scars of suicide, but she had no reason to commit suicide, right? Then the only explanation I can give is that a ghost possessed her and drove her to commit suicide, and then left before she died."
"You mean... a ghost will possess a person when it kills someone?"
"Another piece of evidence is that Anna and I had been in a nearby room before, and the sound insulation here is not very good. If it was someone killing someone, it would be impossible not to hear any noise at all – at least there would be screams, right?" Grace added.
"But if you cover your mouth..."
Anna sighed, asked Grace to sit on the other bed, and made a gesture with her right hand. "Even if you want to cover your mouth, if you want to do it easily, you have to approach from behind, cover their mouth with your left hand, and cut their throat with your right hand. Not to mention that the wound formed by this method should go from shallow to deep, it is difficult to attack without being discovered across the half-meter-wide bed, and it is really unlikely to prevent the other party from making any movement."
Unless it is someone who has practiced kung fu or is proficient in fighting, Anna did not say this.
Beom Seok seemed to be convinced.
"My condolences; her death is not meaningless. At least we know that this ghost can possess people and prevent them from making sounds before they die," Grace comforted him.
"So scary? Then how do we deal with it? Isn't it invincible?" The white-collar worker screamed outside.
"Do you still need to ask? Stick together – keep an eye on each other! If anyone moves, hold them down!" The irritable man curled his lips with disdain.
Although the words were rough, this was indeed the way Anna thought of dealing with it.
"Ah... thank you very much." Beom Seok shook his head and let the two people at the door in.
"Let me say something; you seem to have known each other before. If you just met not long ago, you probably wouldn't have done this." Seeing that everyone had a sad look on their faces, Anna couldn't help asking.
"We are alumni..." Beom Seok pointed at the two people. "Soren wrote a lot of songs for their band. I am their investor. Although we are of different ages, we are together because of a common goal. Soren is usually a homebody. She doesn't even dare to listen to the audience's reaction to the songs she wrote, but she really helped us a lot... shit!"
Beom Seok slammed his fist on the table and gritted his teeth.
Watching Beom Seok and others help Soren close her eyes, then wrap the body with a sheet and put it on the bed, Grace and Anna quietly retreated. The tall boy at the door had red eyes, and Beom Seok hadn't introduced him individually, but from this expression, he probably had a close relationship with everyone.
It's just...
"What a pity."
Grace's whisper was only heard by Anna.