Chapter 7: Unlocked

1:10 P.M. Day Two

First Floor

Foyer

The chandelier was (somehow) back in place by the time they returned to the mansion. No trace of blood or debris could be found. The staff members disappeared into their respective areas as soon as they returned (besides Jibo, Kinsei, and Syd, who had veered off into another section of the basement on the way back), leaving just the remaining thirteen participants in the room. No one was really sure what to say, after all that had occurred.

Finally, Victoria cleared her throat to get everyone's attention and spoke up. "I, um," she cleared her throat again, "I … I don't know what to say right now, actually." She admitted.

"Then don't bother." Shawn grumbled, already making his way to the bedrooms. "What's the point anyways, huh?"

"The point," Victoria responded loudly, getting the Scarecrow to stop and turn back around, "is, that just leaving things as is won't help anyone."

"And when did anyone say they wanted you to 'help'? Huh?" The Scarecrow asked, frustrated. "No one asked you to be 'team leader', and since someone tried to kill in the first twenty-four hours of us being here, clearly you're not doing a good job at it, alright? So how about you just-"

"How about you just shut up, alright?!" Everyone turned to Brooke, who was looking angrily at Shawn. "At least she's trying to help us. All you've done so far is hide in your room and insult other people for not wallowing in despair. How's about you get off your crap horse and stop trying to demoralize us any more than the staff and trials might, OK?"

Shawn glared at her for a moment, before scoffing slightly and continuing on his way out of the room. "Don't expect to see my burlap ass before breakfast tomorrow, and that's only because of the announcement afterwards." He reached the doorway. "And I'm locking and barricading my door, so pick someone else if you plan on murdering anyone in the night, 'k?" He left, leaving the room in silence.

After a moment, Eric decided to speak up. "We know the doctor's going to say something tomorrow, and it probably won't be anything we want to hear. How about we just try and relax, take the down time while we have it, and just forget about the killing game for awhile, if we can. Worrying won't help, so," he shrugged, "let's just not for now, okay?" He smiled a little.

The group considered the cryptozoologist's suggestion for a moment, and, finding the general idea suggested to be acceptable, agreed. Bit by bit, the group split off, gathering a light lunch from the kitchen (none of them were particularly hungry or interested in conversation at the moment) and trying to find some relaxation before dinner. After murders and executions, they all needed it.

1:30 P.M. Day Two

Basement

Laboratory

Jibo stood in Syd's lab, alongside his son and the surgeon himself. "Well," he noted, "things seem to be progressing rather well, I suppose."

"Indeed," the surgeon agreed, "a murder and murder attempt all within the second day. We haven't even used any motives yet!"

"And I'm our they'll love the announcement tomorrow." Kinsei commuted. He looked smug. "Told you both that just keeping them stuck in the mansion at first was the way to go. Plus, it kept any from dying pointlessly to the outside before we got to any real fun. Would've been boring, honestly."

"You say that," Syd noted, scowling slightly at the Alchemist, "yet I heard that you were just fine watching the Ultimate Bad Luck get haphazardly crushed under a chandelier."

Kinsei waved a hand dismissively. "Meh, exceptions to the rules and all that. It was probably a given he'd be the first to die, just look at his title."

"Enough." The Mastermind stated, silencing the other two immediately. "The point is, our second killing game has begun," he looked over at a collection of tanks off to one side, containing a number of (mostly) humanoid figures in some form of stasis. He smiled, "and the final game should be ready on schedule as well."

"Oooo, knowing what some of them have as baggage, I can't wait to see how things play out." The Alchemist commented. He paused. "Well, besides the Loser dying first, that just seems a given to be honest."

"Indeed." Jibo noted as he pulled out and checked his watch. "I think I shall take my leave for now, I have business elsewhere." With that, Jibo stalked off out of the room. Syd watched him go, an odd look (longing?) on his face.

Kinsei, watching him, spoke up. "I wouldn't bother if I were you. Dad's into some kinky shit, but that ain't one of 'em."

Syd glared at him. "Would you shut up?"

Kinsei held his hands up defensively. "What? Just statin' the facts here, Canadian Bacon. None of us even like ham."

"Get out of the lab, now please." He was already stalking away, headphones finding there way over his ears.

"Fine, fine, I was heading off to handle some projects of my own anyway, maybe even see how our test subjects are doing in the post-trial lurch and whatnot. Always a fun experience, in my opinion." With that, the Alchemist strolled out of the room himself, leaving the Surgeon to his own work.

3:46 P.M. Day Two

First Floor

Sanctuary

Sabishī stood in the aisle, lost in thought. She couldn't stop thinking about the deaths that had played out so recently. Ryan. Logan. Harris. So much death, and it hadn't even been twenty-four hours yet. And through it all, she'd done nothing to help, playing pool incorrectly while two people killed each other.

Was... was she at fault, somehow? She'd been closest to the door at the time. She was the one who noticed the fist imprint after all. If she hadn't pointed that out, hadn't bought it up in the trial, or if she'd heard the fight before anyone got hurt, would Logan ... or Ryan ... And Harris only died after the case started, if that hadn't happened would he still ...

She shook her head, clearing those thoughts away. No, she shouldn't think those sorts of things. Logan was walking around with blatant claw marks on his chest, he'd have probably been found out anyway, even if she'd stayed silent. The walls in this mansion seemed to have a way of muffling sound in other parts of the mansion when far enough away - Kelley's probably magically enhanced scream notwithstanding, obviously - and the Billiard's Room door had been closed to boot, distance from the door wouldn't have helped anything. And she may not've talked to Logan or Ryan much in the short time she'd known them, but even if she had, she probably couldn't've convinced Ryan to abandon his plan. She was not to blame for anything that had happened ... Right?

She shook her head again, patting her cheeks slightly. Enough of that. She turned, heading to the door. Maybe talking to one of the others would help clear her head, or at least distract her from this train of thought.

Hopefully.

5:23 P.M. Day Two

First Floor

Conservatory

Alexis gazed around the plant-filled room, eyes peeled for anything that shouldn't be moving. She had finally decided to explore the Conservatory over the Sanctuary, and she was curious as to just what could be found amongst the foliage.

Stepping cautiously around the occasional vine-that-wasn't-supposed-to-be-on-the-floor, she made her way to the other side of the room. So far, she'd yet to see any obviously strange plants (besides the spiky vines), but appearances were clearly deceiving in this place. There didn't seem to be anything hidden amongst the greenery (no human bones or the like), nor were there any cupboards or such that might hold supplies. Looking further into the mass of plant-life, however, she saw something unexpected.

Kneeling down amongst the plants was a translucent figure. They seemed to be a woman, going by the shape, but any other details were unclear. That being said, 'she' seemed to have a mop of red hair upon their head. 'She' had her hands amongst the foliage, which seemed to lean towards her. Despite everything, Alexis felt an aura of honest happiness radiating from the … was this a ghost?

"Oh, you've met Mallory." Surprised at the sudden voice, Alexis turned back to the door to find Kinsei standing in the center of the room, a smirk on his face. The odd thing, however, was the archaic red circle that he was standing on, and how the vines seemed to have retreated from the path in response. He strode forward, tapping the ground wih his cane very now and then, the circle following and sending more stray vines away as he approached. "She is a cute little specter, ain't she?"

"Mallory?" Alexis looked back to the ghost, who seemed unaware of the presence of others in the room. "So, this really is a ghost?"

"Yep!" Kinsei responded, far too cheerfully, "Mallory Walsh, the Ultimate Gardener. She had the misfortune of being in another killing game, on an abandoned moon base, no less." Alexis looked at him skeptically at that. "Hey, Dad's assistant and test-tube daughter got up to some weird stuff while you were all being worked on. They even confirmed aliens apparently exist."

"What?!" Few things could really catch Alexis off-guard, but that …

"Not important." Kinsei said dismissively, "Anyways, Miss Walsh here had the misfortune of setting off a murderous psychopath. I guess her ghost managed to hitch a ride back to Earth at some point, and she set up her own little place in here." He scoffed a bit. "Ever a gardener, I suppose."

"… Indeed." The Brazilian was still trying to process some of what was said, but she got the general gist of it. "So, what is she doing here, exactly?"

"Well, phantom gardening, for starters." The Alchemist responded, "I think she might be capable of influencing the plant-life in the room, but," he tapped his cane on the ground (rather close to her foot, actually), "I have a spell going that keeps that sort of thing from happening. The dead might be trapped here, but that doesn't mean they can get involved in the game without permission."

Alexis turned to the Alchemist at that last sentence. "The dead are trapped here? What does that mean?" Idly, she wondered what else she'd hear that would openly surprise her going forward, it was getting somewhat frustrating.

A small, rather disturbing smile made its way onto Kinsei's face. "Let's just say that this place, the area the mansion's built on? It can really sink its thankfully-metaphorical claws into a departed spirit." He pointed at her with the cane's diamond handle. "Try not to die around here, if you can."

"Careful." Alexis noted coyly, a smirk on her face. "That last bit almost sounded like you actually cared a little for someone else's safety."

His smile remained as he turned to look at her directly. "I've read your file, Miss Gold. I know all about your history, particularly that incident at the refugee camp."

The smirk dropped from her face, her features adopting a carefully neutral look. It was all she could do to not show emotion at that little bomb.

He continued, ignoring her reaction as he looked back at the foliage and barely-visible ghost. "To be honest, you actually strike me as somewhat interesting. Even if you did start life as talentless, or at the least not talented in your specific field, I think you might have some actual potential all the same." He shrugged. "Just throwing that out there. Take that as you will, I suppose."

Her eyes studied him for a minute. "Isn't this usually the part where you'd make some off-colored joke for no reason other than to tick someone off?"

"Actually, this is the part where I offer to escort you to near the Dining Hall. It's close to dinner time after all." He held an elbow out to her. "Given the foliage around here, you'd be better off staying in my circle here."

Allowing a smirk to return to her face, Alexis locked her elbow with his and moved closer, rather deliberately pressing his upper arm against her chest. "Well, if you're going to offer, I suppose it would be rude to refuse."

"Indeed." He responded. Jabbing the cane tip at the edge of the circle, he pushed outward, expanding the circle's size to comfortably protect both of them. Satisfied, he turned (shifting such that her own upper arm pressed against his body) and began leading them to the Conservatory door.

"If I may ask," she spoke up as they approached the door, "does anyone else have a weapon in their room?"

His stride didn't waver in the slightest. "No, but I understand you had that with you when you were found, so we went ahead and left it in your room for you." He looked over to her as they entered the hall, the circle beneath them dissipating. "I noticed you don't have it on you right now."

"Well, it would be rather suspicious to suddenly have on my person in this situation, now wouldn't it?" She pointed out, eyebrow raised for emphasis.

"Fair enough." He acknowledged, leading them to the dining hall, "Still, best keep an eye on it. Never know when it might be useful."

"Hmm. Point." She agreed, placing her other hand on his forearm as they walked. "Obrigado gentilmente, bom senhor."

"You're quite welcome, Miss Alexis."

Nothing more was said aloud as they walked (thankfully avoiding anyone else until he split off for the kitchen), but the gears of the mind were turning all the same.

6:05 P.M. Day Two

First Floor

Dining Hall

Dinner was, unsurprisingly, rather quiet and subdued that night. Regardless of what was said earlier, no one really felt like talking much after three of their number had died in the course of a few hours.

Eventually though, someone finally spoke up. "Well," Adrien spoke into the silence, "anyone planning to say anything, or are we just going to sit here awkwardly until we all decide to turn in for the evening?"

Clarisse looked at him with a slight scowl on her face. "Maybe we don't have much to say currently, given everything that's happened recently. Ever think of that?"

"Oh, are we just supposed to sit here, mourning people we barely knew for a day?" The Opera Phantom asked, clearly dismissive of her words, "Pardon me for the lack of empathy."

The Markswoman's scowl deepened. "Hey, how about you just pipe down before-"

"ENOUGH!" Eric interrupted, looking both annoyed and desperate, "I mean, come on guys. We covered this already, the last thing any of us wants is to argue right now. Personally, I just want to finish this food, go to bed, and maybe not get lost in my own head thinking about today. Is that alright? Can we just try that and not get mad at anyone besides that doctor and his goons? Maybe?"

The rest of the dining participants, particularly the two that had just been descending into an actual argument, looked amongst each other. Some didn't really care or even pay attention to what the cryptozoologist had said, others agreed with the sentiment, and some (mainly those who'd been about to try and join the argument) felt more than a little ashamed at his words. For her part, Clarisse just returned to silently eating her dinner, no longer openly displaying any emotions. The masked boy just rubbed at the cheek of his mask before going back to his own dinner (a barely audible scoff exited his mouth, though no one in the room caught it). Things descended back to silence after that, and people shortly thereafter started departing the room entirely, their appetite either sated or suddenly absent.

Hopefully, things would somehow be better for everyone in the morning.

6:43 P.M. Day Two

First Floor

Library

Teresa stared up at the higher levels of the library. Normally, stairs would be needed to reach these levels, but most people weren't possessed of certain appendages.

Spreading her wings out, Teresa tentatively started flapping them up and down, slowly increasing speed. Finally, with a great thrust upwards, she leapt into the air, flapping as hard as possible to carry herself onwards. Finally, she reached over the railing and dropped down. Perfect landing.

"You realize you could just take the stairs, right?" The Librarian called out from below, somewhat annoyed. "Less wind to stir up papers and distractions around here."

The Ultimate Sphinx looked back down at the Dragonologist. "Well, what's the point of having wings if I don't get to use them, huh?" She turned back to the bookcase she was perusing through. "Now, is there anything specifically about comparing Egyptian sphinxes to greco-roman ones? I'm curious to see if there's anything in particular I should know."

"Hmph. Those books rarely have accurate facts about the creatures in them. Most people haven't even seen a real dragon before me and the small one incubating down in the basement."

"What?"

"Nevermind." Saino turned back to her desk, looking over the catalogue of what books were present in the library. "As to your query, there should be a book titled Sphinx: Greek vs Egypt on the middle shelf in front of you." Checking, Teresa saw that, sure enough, such a book was present. Before she could grab it however, the librarian spoke again, "However, if you actually want to learn what you can do in this form, you could always just ask myself or the doctor. No matter how unique your current form might be, we still have a general idea of what you're capable of now."

Turning back to the dragon, Teresa asked, "Oh? This is the first I've heard of it. Never mind that the man in charge here seems less than sociable."

"Doctor Momota is, while not a sociable man, a driven one. It was thanks to him and his work that my own interests were developed."

Teresa hummed. "It that how you managed to become a dragon, then?"

"Quite. And it was thanks to me that the scientist managed to learn of magic."

Teresa was intrigued, but opted to return to the original topic. "So, what am I capable of in this form? There's flight, obviously, the claws, and I'm pretty sure my jaw might be capable of opening wider than it once could. But otherwise …"

"Well, you don't have magical powers concerning rhymes, if that's what you're wondering." The Dragon sardonically noted. "However, you should have at least mildly increased strength than you once did, and far greater stamina."

"Indeed?" The Sphinx responded, an intrigued smirk upon her face. She leapt over the railing, landing daintily on her feet (impressive, considering the two-inch tall sandals). Ignoring the annoyed look on the Librarian's face, she continued. "Tell me more."

7:12 P.M. Day Two

First Floor

Bedroom

Brooke sat in her shower, clothes and accessories off, hair down, curled up into a ball and waiting for what was to come.

She hated this. Hated knowing what was coming, unable to do anything besides make sure that she didn't ruin her clothes this time. At least in a shower she could just clean the blood off everything once she was done.

She and Victoria had decided to run through their transformations in their own rooms tonight, then hang out in the lounge area until they either got sleepy or it got close to seven (whichever came first; they suspected it would probably be the latter). Then they'd head into their rooms again, retransform and get ready for the day in the morning like normal people. Or at least, as much as they could be like normal people anymore.

Before too long, the change came, and brought the pain with it. In hindsight, Brooke thought she might've preferred to have Victoria around for this part. Somehow, transforming on her own made the whole thing feel worse. Was it selfish, wanting to see someone else suffer alongside her if only to have physical proof she wasn't alone for this? Probably, but even so…

Hosing herself off, Brooke made her way out to the lounge to find a certain Mummy waiting. What was unexpected was the boy in the room with her.

"What are you doing here?" She growled out, his presence already putting her on edge.

The Ultimate Alchemist just smiled. "I just thought I'd stop by, see what's what tonight. You seem more composed than you were last night. Less bloody too, I think. Already getting used to your new look?"

"Never." Brooke responded, her anger growing. She stepped forward, far from eager for his continued presence. "Now I'd recommend leaving."

"Or what?" He scoffed. "You can't harm a staff member physically - not without fatal reprisals, anyway - and nothing you ladies can say or do would likely get to me mentally or emotionally." He shrugged before turning around. "But fine, seeing as how you seem busy with your girl-time, I guess I'll get out of your currently-nonexistent hair for now." He paused at the entrance to the hall, smirking at them. "Though, if either of you find yourself needing companionship in the mornings or afternoons," he ran a hand through his hair, "I'm told Momota's are quite desirable as romantic partners." He chuckled a little. "You should see my eldest half sister. Quintessential sexy nurse, in my insanely humble opinion, even with the hideous limb scarring." Giving a slight cane salute to the thoroughly disgusted girls, he wandered off.

Electing to forget the Alchemist's surprise 'guest appearance', Brooke turned to Victoria. "So, I was actually thinking we could try riding through these transformations together from here out. Might make them more bearable for us or something, having someone else on hand."

The Mummy nodded. "Honestly, I've found myself thinking the same. Somehow seems more painful if I'm changing alone." She shook her head slightly. "But enough of that now." She stood up, attempting a smile. "Continuing discussions from last night, what's your favorite book series?"

Grateful for the lighter topic, Brooke joined her friend for a long night of blissfully inane conversation.

1:32 A.M. Day Three

First Floor

Bedroom

Elle was fast asleep, resting her head against her boyfriend's chest after her energy was finally spent. John, however, was still awake, staring at the ceiling.

He would be the first to admit, he wasn't one for talking much. Honestly he rarely thought that there was much he needed to say at any given time. This, admittedly, led to him being forgotten by most people around him more often than not, but the one girl that mattered most to him always remembered, which was enough for him. And, while he didn't like to admit it, in the current circumstances, being forgotten (and likely underestimated as well) would probably be to his benefit depending on how things ended up playing out.

He looked down to his girlfriend. It still amazed him that they actually managed to stay together, that she had stayed with him for so long. Neither really had anyone else left - the Tragedy had taken pretty much everyone else they'd had - but somehow the two of them had held on. Somehow, she actually had a smile on her face as she slept, in spite of everything that happened in the last two days, nevermind the last few years. He wanted to make sure that she kept smiling, that she could live to keep smiling. Above all, he wanted a way for her to get out of this game, preferably without people dying in the process.

He just wasn't sure how.

7:15 A.M. Day Three

First Floor

Common Hall

The transforming girls had barely made it back to their respective bathrooms when the changes occurred again. After anguishing through that and cleaning themselves up, they'd managed to get ready for the day fairly quickly. Exiting their rooms, Victoria and Brooke found something surprising.

Sabishī, Eric, Kelley, and Gary were all still in the lounge, sitting around talking lightly amongst each other.

"Uh, hey guys." Brooke spoke up, confused slightly. "What are you still doing here? Breakfast should be starting soon."

Kelley, sitting on a throw pillow with one leg crossed over the other, explained. "Well, Sabi want'd ta wai' fer ya b'fore heddin' ta breakfast. Eric was all for'it, Gary agreed a'soon as 'e 'erd she was waitin' fer Brooke and Victoria," the Egyptologist blushed a bit at that point (as did the Mummy, actually), "and I just thought that sound'd like a good idea."

Sabishī, from her spot next to Eric on the couch, nodded as she spoke up. "We figured you wouldn't mind some company to the Dining Hall, after," she paused, trying to choose her words carefully. Eric chose to speak for her.

"We know that things are, putting it very lightly, rough for you girls in the mornings. We thought that having some friendly faces to hang with early on wouldn't be unwanted." He and the Undertaker stood up, welcoming smile on their faces. "So, shall we ladies?"

Brooke and Victoria were mildly surprised that the four of them would even bother on their account. Then, smiling slightly, they each nodded. Kelley, a warm smile on her own face, uncrossed her legs and stood up. "Well, c'mon then. I 'erd tha' th're migh' be choc'late pancakes this mornin'. I dunno abou' all'yall, bu' I love choc'late pancakes."

Chuckling a bit at the Irish girl's enthusiasm, the half-dozen friends made their way to the Dining Hall.

7:30 A.M. Day Three

First Floor

Dining Hall

In comparison to last night's dinner, breakfast was, while still rather subdued, more lively as far as activity was concerned. It seemed everyone had silently agreed that nothing could be gained by lingering much further on the deaths of the previous day, and that at least attempting to move forward from that might be the more productive option.

Plus, everyone thought Kelley's excited blush at her first taste of Novoselician-brand chocolate pancakes (in a word: heavenly) was adorable.

"So," Gary eventually asked, getting the attention of the rest of the room, "what does everyone think the Mastermind's big announcement today will be?" From the downcast looks from some in the room, he was glad he'd waited until Kelley had finished the pancakes before asking that.

"Probably some sorta motive to make us kill or something else horrible like that." Elle responded, picking at the remains of her breakfast. "Seems to be how these sort of things go."

"Wait, didn't he say that the front door would be opened after the, uh, first trial?" Sabishī asked, recalling Momota's statements that first night.

Shawn scoffed from his end of the table. "And do you actually think he'll hold that up? And even if he does, there'll probably be some BS loophole that'll keep us from just leaving when they've still got a killing game to keep going." He tugged the brim of his hat down over his eyes and slouched forward onto the table, hiding his face in his arms.

Eric spoke up. "Well, whatever comes next, we just gotta stick together and plow through it. We can't just let the people behind this win, right?"

"I'd be surprised if it's that easy, honestly." Alexis commented, arms and legs crossed as she leaned back in her chair. "Optimism can be nice, I suppose, but you really need to temper it with some realism, otherwise you'll just be blindsided if or when something likely goes badly."

"I get that, actually," Eric responded, "but even so, better to be optimistic than pessimistic, I'd say. At least then you might want to keep going."

"Well, we're all entitled to our opinions," The Brazilian conceded, "but you'll forgive me if I remain suspicious of whatever comes next."

"In any case," Victoria spoke up, calling everyone's focus on her, "We should still be prepared to hear something bad, because at least then we might be pleasantly surprised if it's something legitimately good. Agreed?"

"Makes sense t'me." Kelley responded, somehow slightly-cheerful again. Several others seemed to agree as well, even if they all remained silent.

Before anymore conversation could occur, the door to the hallway opened up, and Sebastian strode in. "If you are all currently done with your meals, I've been ordered to escort you all to the Foyer. The doctor's announcement shall be given shortly."

Silently, everyone followed after the Butler.

8:00 A.M. Day Three

First Floor

Foyer

"Ah, good, you actually made it here on time." Jibo noted, watching the remaining participants file into the foyer. "I suppose some of you might not actually be aware of what my announcement today shall be. Well, some of you might recall that, on the first night you awoke here, I promised that I would unlock the doors once the first trial was concluded."

"Let me guess," Shawn spoke up, arms crossed as he leaned back against a wall, "this is the part where you reveal you're not going to actually open the door at all, or you're going to 'eventually' open it," he emphasized with exaggerated air-quotes, "probably sometime after most of the people here are already dead, right?" The bitter scowl on his face match his biting tone.

"… No, actually," The Biologist responded, surprising the Scarecrow alongside quite a few others in the room. "I am actually going to say that, as a man of my word, the doors shall be opened." He held his hand out, thumb pressed against his middle finger. "Now." He snapped his fingers.

At that signal, Kinsei stepped forward. Spinning his staff in front of himself rapidly, glowing red lines appeared in the air before him, intersecting and forming an intricate alchemist circle. Crossing his arm horizontally over his staff (held staff-tip pointed up at the ceiling), he thrust his arms forward. "RELEASE!" The circle flew forward, colliding with the door and dissolving in a rippling wave. The barrier over the door dissolved with it.

Jibo pointed to the door. "There you go, the door is now unlocked. You may now leave the mansion, if you so choose."

The remaining thirteen were obviously caught off-guard. Was that it? It couldn't be that easy, right? There had to be a trick to this, something that would keep this from ending here. Right?

Finally, Victoria stepped forward, approaching the door. "Well, fortune favors the bold, and all that business." She reached out her hand and pressed against the door. It opened without complaint.

A relieved breath escaped the rest of the group. Surging forward, they all followed the mummy girl outside.

Outside

The courtyard just outside the front door contained a large fountain with a Greek-style statue in the center, though much of its surface was covered in moss. The ground itself was formed from uneven cobblestone. Old fashioned lanterns, currently unlit, were littered along the path leading from the mansion. To the east lay a large hedge maze; to the west a large iron gate connected to a wall of stone with several gargoyle statues resting along its length; and to the south was a sprawling forest, to which there was a barely visible pathway.

The group stood in the courtyard, warily eyeing their surroundings. They hadn't been sure what to expect from the outside of the mansion, but underused architecture and an ominous forest weren't high on the list.

"So, uh," Elle spoke up, hesitantly, "anyone want to guess how long it might take to walk back to civilization from here?"

"Very long, actually." The Biologist announced from behind them as he exited the mansion. "If you go through the forest in front of us and avoid dying to the assorted monsters and failed experiments present around here - it's daytime, that might actually be doable - you might eventually reach the shoreline."

"Th-the shoreline?!" Brooke asked, surprised and growing concerned.

"Mmm-hmm." Kinsei responded as he strolled out behind his father. "In fact," he began to walk around the group, occasionally tapping his cane along the ground, "I think we've been remiss in actually explaining where precisely this little game of ours takes place." He stopped in front of the group (standing near the fountain), before thrusting his hands out to the sides and bowing forward. "Welcome," he looked up at them, "to Hora Island!"

"H-Hora … Island? We're on an island right now?!" Victoria asked, bewildered and with growing fear.

"That's right!" Kinsei declared cheerfully. "This island, located in an out-of-the-way stretch of the Pacific Ocean, was the site of a particularly bloody battle during World War II; really rotted the ground, so to speak. After that, a group that focused on studying supernatural creatures, objects, and phenomena set up shop around here. Don't worry, they didn't deal in anything too devastating, lethal, or world ending - though I hear they had a habit of spreading misinformation in the form of creepypastas about reality warpers and unkillable reptiles or other such BS like that - but they still handled plenty of odd objects and monsters … some of which, it so happens, got left here when they abandoned their facilities. Dad cut a deal with them back in the day to help study the, shall we say, more abnormal things they came across. It's how this mansion got set up here in the first place."

"What my son is trying to convey," Jibo interrupted, looking annoyed, "is that yes, you are on an island, far away from any civilization. Furthermore, the rest of the island is home to creatures far more dangerous than the average wild animal, and has been even before some of my failed experiments - failed AUP candidates or otherwise - made it out of the lab without dying. As such, I'd strongly advise against traipsing about the forest after nightfall. Even ignoring the machete wielding killer with a bum leg stalking around somewhere, you're more than likely to meet a decidedly gruesome end if one of the beasts on this island got too close to you." He turned around, heading back inside. "I think I shall take my leave of you all now, try not to die to something other than yourselves, and the doors lock again at nightfall." At the door he called back, "Oh, and watch out for the gremlin twins! Largely harmless, but they've been known to steal clothes!" With that, he disappeared back into the mansion.

The participants looked amongst each other, assorted mixes of fear, anger, worry, mild panic, and the occasional bit of disbelief etched upon everyone's faces. Was he telling the truth? Could they afford to risk that he wasn't? Either way, there was no way, on reflection, that the doors would've been opened if there was any chance of them actually escaping. With that in mind, one thing was despairingly clear:

They may have gotten out of the mansion, but they were all still very much trapped in the game.

[13 participants remain]

A/N: Next chapter, exploring the island itself. Well, the immediate vicinity, the whole place is too large and far too dangerous to do a full survey, obviously.