Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 621: Escape [1]

"What do I do? What do I do...? She’s gone! Where is she...?! We need to look for her! We need to look for her immediately!"

Frantic cries from Rowan reverberated across the vacant area, his eyes frantically sweeping all around. He resembled nothing of his previous composure, face drained of color, tone shaky as he dashed in my direction.

"Seth! Seth...! Help me find my sister! We need to look around! We need to—"

"Your sister is likely fine."

Calmly, I cut in, overriding Rowan's outburst.

"We’re currently inside a Gate."

Rowan's mouth snapped closed, freezing in place while locking eyes with me. A weighty quiet settled in, his intense stare hanging unnervingly. Then Zoey's words shattered the hush.

"How do you know that? How do you know that we’re inside a Gate?"

"Think about it," I responded steadily, surveying the surroundings. "How else could countless people vanish so suddenly? Without any alert? Why no connection to the outside? Clearly... we’re trapped in a Gate."

"That makes no sense. Do you think Gates can just spawn randomly like this? That makes absolutely no sense."

"...But a Gate is the only way to explain the current situation."

Truthfully, I had no clue about Rowan’s sister’s fate. Yet, given the circumstances, Rowan’s hysteria couldn’t be tolerated right now.

I couldn’t tolerate it.

"That’s why I believe that your sister is safe."

My hand landed on Rowan’s shoulder, eyes meeting his directly.

"The most important thing right now is getting out of this place. Once we’re out, I’m sure we’ll find a way to see your sister."

Next, I shifted focus to Zoey.

"I’m sure you understand how serious our situation is. If you have questions, we can deal with them later. For now, we need to focus on getting out of here. This isn’t the time to panic or turn on each other."

"...."

Zoey stayed silent, which I interpreted as quiet consent. Only then did relief wash over me as I examined the area.

Total desolation surrounded us, devoid of any living presence. Overhead lights sputtered erratically, throwing wavering shadows over the ground. Long benches loomed with bent, eerie outlines that warped and snaked unnaturally, amplifying the warped, ominous vibe of the void.

’From the quest details, this seems like a man-made Gate, crafted by the entity I just conversed with. So my prior hunch holds... I’m not alone in possessing a system.’

Frankly, none of this shocked me.

I’d suspected for ages that others had system access too, and it was just a question of when I’d draw their ire. My game designer role wouldn’t escape notice from watchful eyes, especially with my worldwide notoriety making this clash unavoidable.

’...Yet I’m stunned they link to that bizarre cult. Rather than confront me head-on, he dumped me into a Gate. Surely quicker, cleaner methods exist to eliminate me. Why...? Is he toying with me, or...?’

Ah.

It struck me all at once.

The solution was glaringly simple, only now dawning on me.

’He’s wary.’

Indeed, wariness defined his stance toward me.

He masked it well, yet wariness gripped him regarding me.

His caution made perfect sense. My achievements painted me as a freakish powerhouse. Not merely the Congress, but Malovia as well. My displays there likely inflated perceptions of my power.

That...

I could exploit it.

"Where do you... think we should go?"

Rowan, somewhat steadied, started glancing about. Knife concealed, I inspected the vicinity too, spotting nothing nearby. Absent any leads, the path ahead was clear.

"We find the exit."

Escaping formed the scenario’s core objective.

That stood as a fundamental Gate rule. An exit waited somewhere, ours to locate for freedom.

The true puzzle lingered: ’Will the downstairs exit prove genuine, or lies the real one concealed?’

With my limited intel, certainty eluded me. Thus, sticking to the known primary exit offered our smartest move.

"Let’s go."

Taking point, I advanced to the elevators, Rowan trailing tightly, Zoey a beat further back. Footsteps reverberated wildly, slamming against walls and amplifying into a mental assault.

Shoving aside the clamor, I navigated the gloomy halls, grip tight on the knife while eyes probed ahead. En route, my attention snagged on wall-mounted newspaper clippings, edges peeling faintly in the stuttering glow.

Spotting the headlines, my pace faltered.

Breaking —

Breaking— [Unmatched Achievement! Seth Thorne storms into the top 100 of the latest rankings!]

Breaking— [Fresh MVP at the World Congress! Seth Thorne's explosive ascent. Who is this mystery figure, bursting onto the scene from nowhere? Does a hidden secret fuel his climb?]

Those headlines...

All centered on me.

'What kind of game is he really playing?'

Was this his attempt to rattle me with psychological tricks? Is that his plan?

'...Nah, that doesn't seem right.'

Could he truly be nothing more than an admirer?

'No way, that's not it...'

What then?

"We've reached the elevators."

Zoey's words pulled me from my reverie, prompting me to raise my gaze forward. Indeed, a row of elevators waited in the distance, their metallic panels gleaming dully beneath the stuttering overhead lights.

Uneven shadows danced across the ground from the dim illumination, lending an oddly claustrophobic vibe to the wide-open space.

I scanned the surroundings again for any hint of motion, yet only the oppressive quiet surrounded us from every direction. My lips tightened as my throat parched further, and I advanced, extending my hand to hit the summon button.

I anticipated some trap or obstruction, but the button yielded smoothly under my touch, almost too effortlessly.

Even more surprising, the elevators functioned properly. Moments after I pressed it, a gentle whir of cables activated, accompanied by a distant metallic creak from the shaft.

I turned to check on Zoey and Rowan. They remained tense, staring intently at the panel above the doors, tracking the floors as the car approached.

One, two, three...

Floor by floor, the elevator ascended. Tension thickened the atmosphere with every level, as if some presence lurked beyond the threshold. I stayed silent, rooted in place, preparing myself while fixating on the rising digits.

And before long—

Ding!

The car halted. Then the doors parted gradually, prolonging the suspense amid the wavering flicker of lights overhead.

Yet inside lay a pristine, vacant elevator. Its shiny walls mirrored my reflection directly back, my eyes locking onto their own duplicate.

Recalling past troubles with reflective surfaces, dread stirred immediately, heightening my caution.

'These cursed mirrors.'

Nevertheless, I moved in, gripping my knife tighter, sensing no immediate threat. Vigilant still, I stepped aboard, selected the lobby button, with the others trailing after.

"I sense nothing unusual..."

"Same here, but it's way too straightforward. This doesn't sit right with me. How about the stairs instead?"

Zoey's proposal made us hesitate.

Yet upon reflection, whether elevator or stairs, did it truly matter? Trouble would strike regardless of the path chosen.

"Or we could leap from a window."

My idea earned odd looks from Rowan and Zoey alike.

"...Elevator it is. Stay sharp."

Ultimately, acknowledging little variance between options, Zoey entered as the doors closed. A heavy quiet descended while the descent began, the subtle cable drone filtering from overhead.

Initially, all appeared routine.

We kept our eyes glued to the display over the doors, observing the floors decrease sequentially. The smooth drop offered a fleeting comfort, proof that some mechanism here still operated.

But upon hitting the fifth floor—

Flick!

Elevator lights vanished abruptly, engulfing us in pitch black. The shift was instantaneous, quicker than a heartbeat—from illumination to void.

The ongoing vibration persisted, the sole tether amid the encroaching gloom.

Suddenly, illumination returned.

Flick!

"....."

Nothing had changed in the compartment.

Or so it seemed.

The faint drone continued as I pivoted right, then left, discovering both companions vanished.

Ding!

The elevator arrived.

As the doors parted leisurely, I grumbled, "Should've gone with the stairs..."