Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
"It's them," Brody’s voice filtered down to us, his tone relaxed, as if he was merely stating the obvious. I could hear movement above, the faint murmur of voices, and the sound of something heavy being shifted.
"Let’s go," Ciaran called down, gesturing for us to climb up.
One by one, we ascended the ladder, the light growing brighter as we neared the top. My heart raced, a mix of anticipation and unease settling in my chest. When I finally emerged from the tunnel, I found myself in a grand space—ornate and vast, with marble floors that gleamed under the light and high ceilings adorned with intricate moldings. The transition from the dark, suffocating tunnel to this opulent space was jarring, and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust.
Dion broke the silence first, his voice low, laced with disbelief. "We’re in a museum?"
Mel glanced around, her brows knitting together in confusion. "Why the hell would they want a museum?"
"This place is more than it seems,” Brody replied.
Lana’s eyes darted around. "There must be cameras here, right?"
Carol nodded, her tone turning serious. "Yes, which is why we need to keep moving. It won’t be long until we have company, and it’d be best if we’re out of here by then."
I couldn’t help but ask, "But if you’ve never been here before, how do you know where to go?"
Before Carol could respond, Brody cut in with a smirk, tapping the side of his head. "She doesn’t. I do." He looked far too pleased with himself, like he’d been waiting to drop that little bombshell. Casually, he spun a rounded marble statue back over the grate we’d just climbed out of, sealing our entrance. "This way."
As we followed him, certain displays caught my attention. Paradise Island. Spencer Estate—all names linked to the Devil’s Playground. What really unnerved me were the unfinished displays scattered about, shrouded in shadow. Some bore our surnames, a blatant reminder of how deep this twisted game ran. Others displayed names I’d never heard before, but the implication was clear: we weren’t the first, and we wouldn’t be the last.
We reached a grand staircase, its opulence making the situation feel even more surreal. Parts of the building were clearly still under construction, sections swallowed by darkness where the shadows seemed to stretch endlessly. The unfinished displays, the darkness—it all felt like a trap waiting to be sprung.
"Why are we going upstairs?" Hayven asked, from where she was walking beside Charon.
Brody didn’t even bother to turn around as he responded. "There’s an exit door up there. Found it earlier but didn’t want to risk going through alone."
Maverick gave a low whistle. "Smart move."
I still had my doubts. "Is an exit door ever really just an exit?"
"Not usually,” Ky replied.
Lana sighed, clearly trying to keep the mood light, even if only for herself. "So, we really have no idea what we’re walking into?"
Ciaran glanced back at her. "We know the place we need to be is just behind this building."
As we continued up the stairs, the tension coiled tighter in my chest. Half the building was shrouded in darkness, the other half in eerie construction, with tools and materials scattered around as if the workers had just vanished.
When we reached the top, we all paused in front of a large exit door. Brody, his hand on the handle, turned to look at us, his usual cockiness replaced by a flicker of uncertainty. With a deep breath, he pushed the door open. As we stepped into a long hallway, the door behind us clicked shut, the sound echoing ominously in the narrow passage. My heart skipped a beat, the telltale sound of a lock turning into place.
"What the fuck is this?" Lana looked up and down the hall.
It seemed to stretch on endlessly, not a single other door or window but one doorway at the opposite end.
"They know we're here," Ciaran said, his voice calm but firm. "Let's move."
We walked down the hallway, our footsteps echoing in the eerie silence, coming upon the doorway adorned with colorful balloons.
Passing through it, we entered a stark white room plastered with unsettling cartoonish eyes that seemed to follow our every move. The longer I looked at them, the more unnerving they became, the bright colors only adding to the surreal and disorienting atmosphere.
"Is it just me, or is this room seriously creepy?" Hayven said, her voice tinged with discomfort as she kept her gaze forward, clearly avoiding the walls.
“If this is here, then this building is larger than it was supposed to be on the map,” Mel pointed out.
I nodded in agreement, trying to suppress the growing unease gnawing at my insides. It felt like we had wandered into some twisted funhouse. When we reached the end of the room, we passed through another door, emerging into a much larger space.