"What the hell!? Miya!"

 

As the room plunged into darkness, the glow of her phone screen was the only source of light, casting eerie shadows upon the walls. Her heart hammered against her ribs, each beat a frantic drum in her chest. A cold sweat prickled her skin, and her breath came in ragged gasps. The steady stream of hateful, mocking comments in her live feed only added to her growing dread, but she ignored them, her focus solely on the situation at hand.

 

"Yaya Miya?" she called out, her voice trembling with concern. Her stomach twisted into a knot. She clutched her phone tighter, as if it were a lifeline in the encroaching darkness.

 

"Ya!" she called again, her voice rising in a desperate plea. Why couldn't her maid answer her? Did something really happen?

 

…

 

Determined to find her, Hinata grabbed her phone, flipping it to the back camera so everyone could see her frantic search. She switched on the flashlight, its beam cutting through the darkness as she tiptoed out of her room.

 

"Y-yaya...?" she whispered, her voice barely a breath, as she panned the phone around. She slowly crept towards the light switch, her hand trembling as she tried to flip it. But it just wouldn't budge.

 

"Damn, why won't this work!?" She gritted her teeth in fear and frustration as she flipped the switch back and forth, but to no avail. She started to move, looking back and forth with her phone.

 

"Yaya! Where are you?" she called again. She looked everywhere, but she couldn't see her maid anywhere, until she saw a trail of blood.

 

The blood, a viscous crimson, seemed to pulse with an unnatural life of its own. It snaked across the floorboards, each drop a tiny, accusing eye staring back at her. Hinata's breath hitched in her throat, a strangled gasp that felt like a scream trapped in her chest. She followed the trail, each hesitant step a prayer for a false alarm.

 

"Miya..."

 

Images of her maid, her kind and gentle Yaya, flashed through her mind, and a chilling dread settled over her. Deep down, she knew it was her fault, but she didn't want to admit that everything was her fault since the beginning. She let her pride overrule her mistakes.

 

 

She followed the trail of blood until it led her to the end of the hallway. She saw a pair of feet, and as she looked up, her eyes widened in horror. She dropped her phone when she found the dead body of Miya hanging from the ceiling.

 

"AHHHH!!!"

 

Miya's body was a grotesque mockery of life. Her neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, her torso contorted in a sickening twist. Her tongue was severed, leaving a gaping wound that seemed to scream in silence. Her skin was pallid, a stark contrast to the crimson stain that seeped from the gouged sockets where her eyes once were. One eye hung limp, the other was gone, leaving a hollow void that stared back at her with an accusing emptiness. Her arms were twisted, her legs were twisted like ropes, and blood dripped down her legs, staining the floor in crimson.

 

"Miya... Miya!" Her eyes grew wide with horror as she dropped her phone, tears streaming down her face as she gazed upon Miya's lifeless body.

 

Miya, the one who had been a steady presence in her life since childhood, the one who had filled the void left by her distant parents, was gone forever. Her parents, absorbed by their business, had left her in Miya's gentle care, leaving her aching for the love and attention they didn't provide. Now, the emptiness was even more profound, a vast chasm where Miya's warmth and comfort had once been.

 

All because of that cursed object she opened, she was a fool.

 

Miya is gone.

 

Miya's lips curled up into a wicked grin, much to Hinata's shock and fear. Her body started twitching as if being controlled by an unknown force.

 

"M-miya!?" Hinata stammered, fear clawing at her throat as she stumbled backward, tripping over her own feet as she desperately tried to put distance between herself and the horrifying spectacle unfolding before her.

 

A guttural rasp escaped Miya's lips, a sound that sent shivers down Hinata's spine. "Nghhaaaa...." The voice, distorted and unnatural, was a far cry from the soothing tones she was accustomed to. It was a voice filled with darkness, and something sinister lurked beyond Miya's body. Her hands turned into claws, her teeth were sharp as a razor, and her eyes turned black.

 

"M-miya--!"

 

Suddenly, in a jerky and forceful motion, Miya lunged at Hinata, who could only brace herself and scream in terror.

 

"AHHHH!!"

The portal shimmered and dissolved, leaving Aya disoriented and alone in a dense, unfamiliar forest. She blinked, trying to adjust to the sudden change in environment, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and pine needles. The teleportation that Kazushige had used must have malfunctioned, transporting her somewhere unintended.

 

A chilling scream pierced the stillness, sending a shiver down her spine. Her hand instinctively gripped her spear. The polished wood felt cool against her palm, a comforting weight in her hand. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs and her senses were on high alert. She didn't hesitate. This forest was a place of unknown dangers, and that scream meant trouble.

 

She sprinted towards the sound, her boots crunching on fallen leaves, her eyes scanning the undergrowth for any sign of danger. The scream echoed again, closer this time, fueling her urgency. She pushed through a thicket of bushes, her spear held high, ready to face whatever awaits there.