Samy didn't wait anymore.
The moment Elisabeth turned toward the staircase, Samy followed her without hesitation. Her steps were silent, her heart pounding harder with every second, like the place itself was urging her forward. As soon as Elisabeth stepped onto the first stair, the world trembled.
The walls shook.
The air twisted.
Everything began to spin.
Samy reached out instinctively—but suddenly something yanked her backward.
Hard.
She gasped and turned around.
Behind her was nothing but a black, hollow space, endless and empty, swallowing light itself. Before she could scream or resist, the darkness pulled her in. The staircase vanished instantly, like it had never existed.
Silence.
Then—
She was standing in her sister's room.
Samy froze.
The room looked exactly how she remembered it—messy, clothes scattered, books piled carelessly, half-open drawers. The familiar smell of coffee and old pages filled the air. It felt real. Too real.
Elisabeth was there.
She was sitting on the edge of the bed, talking to Nomi.
"I feel like I'm losing my mind slowly," Elisabeth said, her voice tired, fragile. "I see things that others don't. I went to a psychiatrist… he said I'm just overthinking everything."
She lied back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Samy's chest tightened.
Nomi stayed silent for a long moment, thinking deeply. Then she spoke.
"I think… he might be right."
Elisabeth turned her head sharply, eyes wide.
"You think I'm getting crazy?"
Nomi hesitated. Then shook her head slightly. "No. I have a theory."
Elisabeth sat up. "A theory?"
Nomi leaned forward, serious now. "You said all of this started last month. After music class. Right?"
Elisabeth nodded slowly.
Nomi continued, her voice steady. "If I'm right… many students have reported almost the same things. Seeing things. Hearing things. Feeling watched."
Elisabeth frowned, confused.
"What are you saying?"
"There's something wrong with that music room," Nomi said firmly. "Something not normal. And if we find out what it is, it'll prove you're not sick."
Elisabeth's face softened. A small smile appeared.
"So… we solve a mystery?"
Nomi nodded. "Tomorrow."
Elisabeth smiled wider and hugged her—but Nomi didn't hug her back. Her arms stayed stiff, distant, like she was afraid of crossing a line she had already crossed once.
Elisabeth stepped back, trying to hide the awkwardness.
"Coffee?" Nomi asked quietly.
Elisabeth nodded.
Samy stood there, invisible, her heart racing.
She understood now.
This wasn't just about fear.
This was about truth.
Far away from Samy's mind—
Roger and Kim followed Noah and Pete through the endless dark hallway. The darkness swallowed the light, stretching forever, making every step feel heavier.
Noah glanced back.
"You okay?"
Pete scanned the walls with his torch. "I think so."
They kept walking.
Suddenly, Noah stopped.
"Hey… look."
A door stood ahead, glowing with a dim, unnatural light.
"There's a door," Noah said.
Pete narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. Let's see what's there. Come on."
Pete reached out and opened it.
Kim's breath caught.
"Isn't this the same office?" he whispered to Roger. "The one where the floor cracked… and we fell into that place?"
Roger nodded slowly. The room looked familiar—but different. Newer. Cleaner. Like time had been reset.
The air inside felt heavy, like the room itself was holding memories it didn't want to release.
"This place knows us," Roger whispered.
Kim swallowed hard.
Far away, beyond memory and time—
The two shadows were still fighting.
Every strike was violent. Every impact shook the space around them. Their movements were no longer just attacks—they were confessions, screams without words.
They were unstoppable.
The white shadow moved with controlled fury.
The black one with raw rage.
Each blow carried pain older than the world itself.
Back in Samy's memory—
Elisabeth and Nomi returned with coffee. They talked softly, planning, unaware of the invisible witness standing only a few steps away.
Samy felt something change inside her.
This place wasn't showing her random memories.
It was showing her why everything began.
And somewhere deep inside, she knew—
The music room wasn't cursed by accident.
It was created by something broken.
Back in the office—
Pete stepped inside cautiously. "This place feels… wrong."
Noah nodded. "Yeah. Like it's waiting."
Kim and Roger exchanged a look.
They had been here before.
And last time—
Everything had fallen apart.
Far away—
The shadows clashed again.
This time, harder.
Angrier.
Unstoppable.
The fight wasn't ending.
It was remembering.