Chapter 58 - Shiro’s Mind Games Begin

The tunnel stretched endlessly ahead, damp walls glistening under the dim flashlight beam. Every step echoed, making the silence almost suffocating. Hotaru led the way, her senses sharp, every nerve screaming that something was wrong.

"We should've hit a branching path by now," Sai muttered, his brows furrowed. "These old tunnels always split."

"That's what's bothering me," Tora said, his fingers twitching with the need to type, but there was no Wi-Fi in this stone coffin. "It's like we're being herded."

Suddenly, the lights flickered — not their flashlights, but embedded bulbs lining the walls, hidden under layers of dust. One by one, they flickered to life, bathing the tunnel in a dim greenish glow.

Then came the voice.

"Well, well… look who finally showed up."

Hotaru froze. That voice was unmistakable. Smooth, cold, and amused.

Shiro.

His voice crackled through speakers hidden in the walls, surrounding them from every angle.

"Welcome to my little house of horrors," Shiro continued. "I was starting to think you got scared and ran home. Oh wait — you don't have a home anymore, do you?"

Hotaru's grip tightened on her knife, jaw clenched. Before she could snap back, Shiro's voice turned sweeter — dangerously so.

"Let's play a game," he said. "Since you're all so close now, why not test that trust? Sai, should I tell them about what you left behind when you ran from me?"

Sai's entire body tensed.

"And Mira…" Shiro's voice purred, "did you ever tell them what you used to do before you joined their little crew? Should I spill the juicy details?"

Mira's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing sharply. "You're all talk, Shiro," she snapped. "Always have been."

"Oh, Mira. Sweet, naive Mira." Shiro's laugh echoed chillingly. "You think they'll still trust you after they find out how you—"

Hotaru raised her blade, slashing at one of the speaker boxes, cutting off his voice mid-sentence. Sparks flew, but the damage was done — doubt hung heavy in the air.

"Don't listen to him," Hotaru said firmly. "He wants us to fight each other."

"Yeah," Ryuuji forced a grin, trying to break the tension. "Besides, if anyone here's hiding secrets, it's probably me." He wagged his eyebrows. "But they're all romantic scandals."

"Romantic my foot," Mira elbowed him hard. "You couldn't flirt your way out of a wet paper bag."

Kuro meowed loudly, as if agreeing. The unexpected comedy lightened the mood, if only briefly.

Suddenly, the tunnel floor shuddered beneath them.

"Booby traps?" Tora muttered, already reaching for a small device in his bag.

"No. Worse." Sai's voice was grim. "He's collapsing the tunnel."

Panic shot through them, but Hotaru grabbed Sai's arm. "Which way is the fastest out?"

Sai shut his eyes, quickly mentally mapping the tunnels. "Left at the next fork, then up the emergency shaft."

"Move!" Hotaru shouted, leading the charge.

Behind them, Shiro's laughter echoed again. "Run, little mice. Run."

To be continued in Chapter 59.

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