The girl somehow succeeded in opening the door, though it was locked.
"Hey," Madotsuki said. "who're you?"
The girl turned around. "Huh...?! When did you guys...? Never mind. My name's Sabitsuki."
"I'm Madotsuki, and this is Ellen," Madotsuki replied.
Ellen smiled at Sabitsuki. "Nice to meet you," she said.
I wonder how she opened that door?
The three of them entered the next room. There was a painting of a...thing...and a staircase leading down. Ellen moved ahead of the other two girls, and entered the next room before them.
It was quite a large room, not unlike the one they had been in before. But it was coloured blue. They all looked around the room. There were a few paintings and doors, and, standing next to one of the paintings was...
"Viola!" Ellen darted forwards and hugged her friend fiercely.
"Ellen! Oh, it's so good to see you again! Aya, Ib!" she called. "I found them! I found the other three!"
Ellen flinched away. Viola wouldn't deal well with Aki's death, and she didn't want to be the one to explain it to her.
"Ellen!" Ib and Aya came rushing around a corner.
"Where's Madotsuki and Aki?" Ib asked.
Ellen took a deep breath. "Madotsuki's fine. She's just coming; we meet another girl."
"Another one? How many people did Mary bring down here...?" Ib muttered.
"What about Aki?" Viola prompted, sounding slightly worried.
"Aki's...not here..." Ellen whispered.
"What do you mean?" Aya asked sharply.
"You don't mean-" Ib whispered.
Ellen nodded. "Aki's dead."
Ib and Aya gasped, and Viola covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes filling with tears.
Just then, Madotsuki and Sabitsuki appeared.
"Oh, you found the others?" Madotsuki asked.
"Yes. This is Sabitsuki," Ellen said.
Ib, Aya and Viola said 'hi', but they still sounded a bit shocked over Aki's death.
"Well...where to next?" Ib asked.
"There must be a place upstairs somewhere; there's nothing here." Viola replied.
They all set off for the room above them again, keeping a weary eye out in case something-or someone-popped up out of nowhere.
Up in the next room, Ellen saw there was a bunch of red gas down a little path that lead to a door.
Obviously the way to the next area.
Ellen moved to the front of the group. "I can get rid of that poison," she told them.
She closed her eyes and muttered the spell that would evaporate the poison. When she opened her eyes again, the way was cleared.
"Well done, Ellen!" Viola smiled.
"I'm a witch," she told Sabitsuki, who looked a little confused.
The next room had another statue blocking the way, but Ellen moved it with ease.
Just how many statues have I moved now? Probably three or four.
There was a very narrow staircase, which they could only descend in single file. Ib took the lead, then Madotsuki, Viola, Sabitsuki, Aya and Ellen bringing up the rear.
The staircase stretched on for ages, but it was so worth it.
"Huh...? This place is...different...!" Ib exclaimed. "We're supposed to be in Mary's sketchbook, but it seems we've ended up in the...the blood room!"
"Oh no!" Viola exclaimed. "Not again, not again!"
A diary sat on a single desk in the middle. There was also a blue vase.
"That reminds me," Ib turned to Sabitsuki. "Do you have a rose?"
Sabitsuki shook her head. "I never found any sort of flower here. Why?"
Ib frowned. "Then...what happens when you get hurt?"
"I think I get it..." Madotsuki said quietly. Everyone turned to face her.
"There was one time when-before we all got split up...when I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and a petal fell off my rose. I hadn't gotten injured though, and my rose was tightly clutched in my hand...I think...I think me and Sabitsuki share this rose."
Ib continued frowning. "Interesting...I guess that must be it. Sabitsuki, did you get hurt at all along the way?"
"There was one point when I was caught by a headless mannequin, which pushed me in the stomach. That must've been what caused a petal to fall off your rose." Sabitsuki muttered.
Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling sound. The ground started shaking, and the blood on the walls just...disappeared.
They were standing in what looked like an art gallery, but it was very dark.
"This is it!" Ib cried. "This is the way out!"
"How did we...get here?" Aya said, puzzled.
Before anyone could reply, a voice echoed around the empty-looking art gallery.
Where are you going?
No one dared to speak as they went up the staircase.
Don't go that way...
They still ignored the voice as they wandered through the art gallery, looking for an exit.
Come back...
No going back
No going anywhere
"What does it mean, 'No going anywhere'?" Viola asked uncertainly. "We can leave, right?"
"Of course we can," Ib muttered. "It's trying to trick us."
Come back, we're lonely...
"Leave us alone!" Aya yelled, covering her ears.
They stopped in front of a large painting. The name plate read 'Fabricated World'.
It looks like it leads back to real life...I guess this must be the 'Fabricated World'...
Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps.
"Wh-what...?" Madotsuki muttered.
The footsteps grew louder.
"The painting will get us back to the real wo-"
All at the same time, before Ib could finish her sentence, there was a flash of white light, and the frame around the painting disappeared. The footsteps stopped. Viola walked forward a few steps, past Ellen and Sabitsuki.
In front of Viola was Mary, an evil grin on her face and a palette knife in her hand.