Just as he finished speaking, everyone scattered in all directions, scrambling over each other.

Fang Chen forced himself to a secluded corner, holding out until his breathing gradually returned to normal. Finally, he opened the group chat and sent a message.

Fang Chen: How’s everyone?

A few moments later, buzzing notifications began.

Liu Mang: Barely holding up.

Lu Wanting: I seriously thought I was going to die!

Meng Qiyan: I swear I just saw my great-grandma waving at me.

Yan Xuan: I’m fine.

Rong Rong: Why are you fine?

Yan Xuan: Because I never left the hall. Once you all left, my breathing returned to normal.

Bai Li, Zhang Bin: ?

Li Duo: You guys need to work on your endurance. I can hold my breath for 3 and a half minutes.

After a brief silence, a storm of thumbs-up reactions flooded the chat.

Fang Chen: Should we try it again?

Meng Qiyan: Are we seriously doing this?

After several rounds of trial and error, Fang Chen finally grasped the full meaning behind "unable to gather in groups."

In a confined space, the more people gathered, the thinner the air. Two people could barely manage to chat and move around, but after a while, they’d need to separate to regain their strength. Three people found it hard to breathe, and with more than half the group, they’d experience immediate suffocation.

Once everyone fully understood the rule, Liu Mang suggested in the chat that they pair up and monitor each other, meeting in the hall on the hour to check in and then quickly dispersing again. No one was to stay alone in their room for too long, just enough to safely make it to the evening.

Everyone agreed.

Zhang Bin suddenly suggested they form same-gender pairs to prevent any “special situations.”

The final pairing list was as follows:

Li Duo and Liu Mang

Zhang Bin and Bai Li

Fang Chen and Yan Xuan

Lu Wanting, Meng Qiyan, and Rong Rong in a trio.

With everyone paired off, they started their routine.

Since there was an extra person among the girls, Rong Rong took it upon herself to move between the two pairs. It was just around 10 a.m., and everyone continued as planned, cautiously moving through the day.

Checking in on time and keeping an eye on their partners, no one let their guard down, wary of giving the sacrificial target an opening.

The rules sometimes led to strange encounters.

For instance, at that very moment, Bai Li and Liu Mang had temporarily split up. Bai Li, deciding to stretch his legs on his own, opened the kitchen door and saw Fang Chen and Yan Xuan standing by the window.

With more than two people in the same space, his chest tightened, and his body grew tense.

“Don’t mind me—I’m leaving right now. Carry on!” he said, holding his breath, red-faced, and bolted from the room.

“There's no need for such a big reaction…” Fang Chen reached out a hand, but Bai Li had already vanished.

Meng Qiyan arrived just in time to see Bai Li’s flushed face as he walked past.

“Don’t go over there,” he said, grabbing her sleeve.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just saw Fang Chen and Yan Xuan over there…”

The young man’s hurried retreat, paired with the girl's hesitant expression, made it look as if they’d stumbled upon something truly scandalous.

Throughout the day, people accidentally bumped into each other only to quickly turn and leave, barely sparing a glance. Time flowed on, and just when everyone thought they could survive till evening by following this routine, a piercing scream shattered the peace.

The sound came from the north side of the courtyard, near the small storage shed.

When Fang Chen arrived, he saw Rong Rong sprawled on the ground, clutching an axe with unfocused eyes. The blade was smeared with fresh blood, still slowly dripping. The sight of the red stains was jarring.

“What should I do…” Rong Rong stammered, her voice choked with sobs. “I tripped, and when I looked down, I saw this axe just lying there.”

He glanced at the time—2:57 PM. They were almost due for the next check-in.

In the hall, people began trickling in. After Fang Chen explained what happened, a wave of dread passed across everyone’s faces, and the room filled with anxious whispers.

Li Duo began counting heads, his fingers pausing mid-air. “Where’s Xiao Meng?”

Fang Chen’s heart skipped a beat.

It couldn’t be...

—Meng Qiyan was dead.

The girl, always scared but bravely following along, with her bright, upbeat demeanor… gone, just like that.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Meng Qiyan appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Sorry, I’m late.” Her weary voice echoed through the hall, her face twisted in discomfort. “I have a stomach ache.”

Everyone was accounted for now—except Zhang Bin.

“Ah Bin…” Rong Rong’s lips turned pale as she trembled uncontrollably.

Bai Li took off his glasses, pressing his fingers to his temples. “That guy said he wanted to get some fresh air about ten minutes ago. I didn’t think much of it.”

“You saw him ten minutes ago?” Fang Chen asked quickly.

“I’m sure of it.”

Liu Mang snapped his fan shut, shouting, “He should be close by! Everyone, split up and search!”

They immediately scattered, ready to conduct a thorough search of the area.

Fang Chen was about to start moving when he noticed Rong Rong standing motionless, clutching the axe tightly. Bloodstains covered her dress, and her entire appearance was disheveled and desperate.

Holding onto the axe, she seemed to cling to a sliver of hope.

Fang Chen couldn’t bear it. He took a step forward, then paused before retreating back to her.

“The axe is sharp; you might hurt yourself. Let me take it.”

She took a moment to process his words before finally loosening her grip, her pale fingers caked in blood and dirt.

“This isn’t over yet; there might still be a chance. Let’s keep searching,” he said gently.

“...Alright.” A flicker of hope returned to her clouded eyes.

Stumbling and swaying in the wind, Rong Rong left, barely able to keep herself steady.

After securing the axe, Fang Chen quickly rejoined the others. They searched the main hall, side rooms, living quarters, tool shed, each person’s room…

Minutes ticked by as they scoured every reachable corner.

An oppressive weight filled their chests as it became evident that the sacrificial target had likely seized the chance to strike.

Finally, at 4 PM, this long, fruitless search came to an end.