The Witch's Game 5
I know the rules, show me the story!I know the story, take me to the red truths!I don't have time to read everything, take me to a short version of the story!
The Witch’s Game is a pure battle of wits using nothing but text!
The game is played between two teams, the Humans and the Witch.
The Witch is the Game's Master, and everyone else plays on the Human team with the goal of defeating the Witch.
The Game Master will weave together a tale, creating a scenario in which one or more people are murdered in a mysterious fashion.
The game is centered around these mysteries.
The Witch's goal is to convince the Human team that the mysterious events can only be explained through the use of a Witch's Magic!
The Witch is allowed to use any amount of deception and illusions in their narrative to accomplish that goal. However, a Witch can't be trusted!
After all, there's no such thing as magic, right? The illusions shown in the narrative must have an explanation!
So, the goal of the Human team is to come up with an explanation, ANY explanation that explains how a human could have possibly committed the crimes.
The Human team wins if they are able to explain the crimes through human means.
However, isn't this too easy? You can just come up with any crazy explanation and claim that you have won...
No, because the Witch is given a single weapon to fight against these crazy theories!
This weapon is the Witch's
Red Truth!When the Witch speaks in red, it will be the truth.When the Witch speaks the truth, it will be in red.
By using the Red Truth, the Witch is able to cut down opposing theories and preserve the illusion of magic.
Red statements are the only trustworthy words that a Witch will speak. They are the only absolute truth within this game.In other words, if it's not in red, you have every right to doubt it!
The Witch may use the Red Truths at their own leisure.
If the human team asks a question, the Witch can choose whether or not to answer it in red.
If the human team asks for a statement to be repeated in red, the Witch has every right to refuse should they choose to do so.
It's the Witch's ultimate weapon!
However, isn't this a bit unfair, again?
If the Red Truth is the one thing in this game that can be trusted, what if the Witch never speaks in red? What if they just never drop a single solid footing for the human team to stand on, and vanish forever within the shadow of illusions?
With no lead, the humans stand no chance, which is why they are given a weapon of their own!
That weapon is the counteracting
Blue Truth!(only accepted in dodgerblue color)
A blue statement must provide a complete theory on how a mystery is possible for humans.
If the blue statement is valid, then it MUST be countered in red, or the Witch must forfeit that mystery to the Human team.
In other words, if the Human team can land a blue Truth for every mystery in the tale that the Witch is unable to counter, it is their win!
There is no limit to the number of blue Truths you can say, as long as they provide a valid human theory, you can fire away.
That's the game's premise. If it doesn't make sense to you, don't worry. Once you give it a try you'll understand how it works very quickly.
The remaining rules are just some logistical guidelines to follow.
There will be one Witch and Game Master for each game session.
The Witch's Red Truths will be spoken in
Bold and the colour "red".
Everyone else is on the Human team.
The Human team's Blue Truths will be spoken also in
Bold and the colour "dodgerblue" (You have to type this out).
Should the human team win, the person who lands the final blue truth can decide the next Witch Game.
The last thing is a guarantee of fairness in the game. As this must be a fair game in nature, the Witch must have an appropriate line of "logic" for the Human team to find. In other words, to be a fair game, the human team needs to have a fair chance at winning.
Any situation where a Witch's red truths make it truly impossible to construct a blue truth is called a "Logic Error". It is the one thing the Witch cannot allow to happen on their gameboard.
In any situation where you don't trust the game itself and suspect a Logic Error has occurred, we can call in an "Observer".
The Observer will check that the Witch's Logic is still valid and does not contradict any of the prior red truths.
Everything's clear? Good, then let me present the gameboard of the fifth game: THE ANNIVERSARY!
The Fifth Game
"Is everything alright?"
You looked around. The room was dimly lit with a purple color, which gave this place an eerie feeling.
The girl was serving black tea in your cup while staring at you with no expressions. When you looked deep into her blue eyes, you could be easily lost there for an eternity...
...
The clank of the cup being put back on the plate made you regain your consciousness again.
She was patiently staring at you, waiting for when you're going to give an answer. You could tell she was bored.
And not only that...
You better be careful about how you approach.
"I've already defeated 3 of your kind. You will be no different."
You said it without showing any sign of weakness. Is everything alright, she asks? The damn witch...
Trying to make you look like you're a weak human!
No. Just because you're a human, you can still fight on equal footing. These kinds of thoughts filled your head.
It seemed like she could hear what you were thinking, but even then, she was not interested in your struggle.
She was still looking bored, curiously waiting if you could provide her some excitement.
"At least you're not a helpless battler."
After she replied, she closed her blue eyes and released a relieved sigh.
...
"So you have commenced with this game." She opened her eyes and leaned towards you.
"This is significant." She whispered.
Of course this is significant.
In your desperate attempt to find your lost sister, you resorted to a contract with the witches to play the most dangerous game.
Even then, the games themselves wouldn't be so hard, and not all witches are terrifying.
But you can also never know what they're hiding...
"I hope you are ready. I'm getting bored."
The damn witch. Stop testing my patience!
Without thinking, you grabbed at her collar, but as soon as you touched her, she disappeared like foam on the waves.
And then, as naturally as she had been there from the beginning, she reappeared standing against a distant wall.
"If you step down from the game, the loss you suffered will become not just an illusion, but a definite reality. I won't be the one to create that future. You'll do it yourself. So if you are ready, then say it already. Or will you follow the coward way that your sister took?"
Her lips turned into a mocking smile. Just like she would gain entertainment from taunting you.
Your fists shook with anger. But even if you swung at her, you wouldn't be able to hit her.
She was an even higher rank witch than the ones you faced before. This witch wouldn't even let someone pet her if she didn't wish for it, like a cat or a phantom.
But she was telling the truth...
You must continue with what you started, or else the loss of your sister will remain a reality for ever. For her sake, you cannot step down.
You confidently stand up and shout into the gloom.
"Bring it on witch! I'm ready for all you have. Take me on with all your power!"
As you said these words, the room started to faint and you felt heavy. You collapsed on the ground and fell into a deep sleep...
"Is everything alright?"
You heard the words as you emerged from your sleep.
The eerie room in your dream was slowly transitioning into a cab's interior.
You even started to hear the radio broadcast.
"Today is the 20 year anniversary of the dreadful tragedy that took place on the Blairfield Estate. We have one of our witnesses with us in the studio, Bill Falkner, who was one of the few survivors of the
>Witch Hotel massacre<. Bill, can you tell us more about-"
"I think we listened enough radio today, sir. We finally reached our destination."
The radio was turned off and you could hear your chauffeur's voice. You finally remembered why you came and undid your seatbelt.
"Thank you, Charles. I must have fallen asleep. You know, I was working late in the office last night-"
"You don't have to apologize to me, sir. It's always a pleasure to escort such a peaceful company."
Even though he interrupted you, he was respectful.
Charles was your chauffeur for years and he never failed to impress you with his manners.
You grasped your briefcase and stepped out of the cab's door into the fresh air.
After adjusting your glasses you headed inside with confidence.
"Don't forget to get enough sleep, sir! I'll be seeing you at the end of the weekend."
You could hear Charles' last words before the butler let you inside the mansion.
Before the doors shut behind you, you heard the engines starting...
...
"Welcome, Sir Donovan! I hope you had a nice journey. How are you feeling today?"
The duke of the mansion invited you in. He was a very fit young man, the son of the landlord, Simon Blairfield.
"My father is very busy at the moment, so he sent me to welcome you and discuss the outlines of the business. I hope you don't mind."
"I am much obliged. It's actually refreshing to see that the whole family is interested in keeping up both the estate and the business that goes on. So where should we start?"
"Will you come this way, please? We can start the discussion inside the warmth of the living room."
Inside the living room, you were sat down on a comfortable armchair in front of a round table.
The room's fireplace lit the room up brightly, giving it a happy, cheerful feeling.
The duke left temporarily, leaving only two other people left in the room.
A servant was busy with fixing the television, and also a maid, who you couldn't help but notice was flirting with you.
You couldn't deny, the maid was such a fine lady with long, blonde curls. Just your type of girl.
But you were a bit hesitant to openly respond with a gesture. The servant could turn back at any moment and it would be embarrassing.
It was the right call, because the servant just finished fixing the television and returned to his seat.
"Finally, it works! Let's see what we have here..."
The TV was turned on and you could see a news reporter talking about a train incident that happened not so far away.
The train staff and personnel were mysteriously murdered by a college student.
When the train reached a halt he came out of nowhere, claiming that he was attacked by a stowaway.
There was absolutely zero evidence against him and the stowaway was almost arrested when he suddenly closed himself into the police car and confessed in the car's megaphone that it was his doing.
With zero evidence and witnesses, the police had no real reason to keep him locked so after two weeks, he was released again.
Before he left the station, this was his last sentence:
>My magic powers released me from my chains, as always.<Magic...
As if such a thing would exist.
You never believed in the supernatural and you never will.
Or so you thought...
...
Finally duke Blairfield returned, but the maid was blocking the doorway.
"Excuse me, miss Elizabeth. Could you please serve some tea to sir Donovan and I? He had a long journey."
"Of course, sir Henry."
The maid left the room just to arrive some minutes later to serve some tea.
The scent of the tea was strangely familiar to you.
"So let's get straight to business. As you already know, this mansion was only built in the last 20 years after the old Witch Hotel was demolished. My father bought the land after that and invested 20.000.000$ to build this new family mansion on it. Because it is still a new building, we called you sir, to help us out to legally establish ownership rights, insurance and other similar businesses."
And so the discussion started between you and sir Henry...
...
Halfway during your discussion, you started to feel tired again.
You politely asked him if he could lead you to the guestroom, because you need to rest some.
He sympathetically nodded and showed you the way.
When you got to the guestrooms, you met lady Natalie, the landlord's wife.
"Ah, Henry. Who is the gentleman with you?" She asked with curiosity.
"Oh, he's sir Donovan, the attorney my father invited. Sir Donovan, my pleasure to introduce miss Natalie Blairfield, the successor of the mighty Blairfield fortune and also my beloved mother."
"Oh hush, Henry, you're making me blush."
Lady Natalie looked like a very lively lady. Her expressions were polite and very charming.
"Henry, the famous director, Stanley Grueber has locked himself inside the second guestroom to work on his dream project. Let's not disturb him."
"Stanley Grueber?? You mean the great Stanley Grueber who directed such masterpieces like Night of the Werewolves, Demon Tournament and the Masterminds of Illusion?"
You couldn't help but burst out.
"I'm a very big fan of Stanley's works. What is such a big director doing here?"
"Sssh! Don't disturb him." Lady Natalie made a hushing motion.
She then calmly continued with her charming voice.
"He is currently working on his next big project, but he lacked the foundation to make his vision come true. So he turned to us to fund his biggest dream ever come true, as he calls it. Of course we didn't hesitate to help. We're sure that this is one investment that will undoubtedly return."
She ended that note with a confident smile.
"Mother. Sir Donovan wanted to rest. Can he use the other guestroom next to Stanley's room?"
"Well of course! Just please make sure that you don't make any loud noises."
"Oh, and one more thing! At night, I will close all guestroom doors for safety reasons. The only key will be in my possession, so only I can let you out. Oh, don't look so worried darling, each guestroom is equipped with a telephone which you can contact me with at any time. So if you wish to leave before I open the doors in the morning, just drop a call."
You found these 'safety measures' a bit strict, but you went with them anyway.
You were sure that you wouldn't wake up until morning.
You agreed to be closed in for the night.
In your room, you spent some time to pack everything out of your briefcase and make yourself comfortable.
You were tired, but you couldn't sleep just yet, so you started examining some business reports.
After a while, you managed to fall asleep...
When night came, the witch appeared on the roof. So the battler has arrived and all the pieces were ready for the game to begin.
Very well then. Maybe we can get some excitement out of this, after all?
The witch started descending through solid material like a phantom, until she arrived at the landlord's office.
The landlord was still awake, even though midnight already passed.
He was busy sorting out all kind of documents when he finally saw the witch and jumped back a bit in his seat.
But he couldn't move.
He felt like he was strained by chains, which were getting tighter and tighter with each attempt of escaping.
The witch stepped towards the landlord without a word, closer and closer.
The landlord couldn't move, couldn't shout.
He was the witch's puppet.
The witch reached out her hands and penetrated through his chest like she did through the roof.
With a slow and elegant movement, the landlord's heart was taken out in a least brutal but most painful way.
Sir Simon Blairfield was suffering for a while, his heart beating in the witch's hand slower with each second passed, but eventually he passed away with a cold wind and fell on his desk.
The witch then put his heart back with the same elegant movement that she took it out with...
...
Her next victim was one floor above, in a locked room.
She levitated through the walls again and appeared right in front of her target.
This one managed to let out a small scream before the witch pierced him through the chest with a dagger formed by shadows.
The shadows quickly consumed the body and caused all nearby lightsources to break and stop functioning.
The witch then floated back to the roof again.
Did she create enough mystery for the battler to solve?
Two people are already killed in impossible ways inside locked rooms.
Is there anyone else whose death would be worthwhile for my time?
The witch looked down at the battler and noticed who was resting in the other room.
Oh right.
The great mind whose visions almost surpass the witches'. But not any longer.
She pointed two fingers from her right hand downwards, aiming through the roof of solid pottery and concrete straight at the director's head.
A ghostly beam penetrated through the director's mind, making him collapse to the ground and never wake up again.
She's a witch so powerful as she can kill someone even with two floors between her and her target.
With a satisfied grin, she became one with the cold night and disappeared into the mist...
"Wake up, sir Donovan! You have to wake up!"
A familiar voice woke you up from your slumber.
When you opened your eyes, you could see Lady Natalie, who was desperately trying to wake you up.
"Did something happen?"
"It's horrible, you need to help us! When I came downstairs to open the guestrooms, I saw that the mansion's chapel was set on fire. We don't even have insurance on the mansion yet, but it's already damaged. Please, you have to come to my husband's office to estimate the damage and figure out what we can do."
Natalie could not speak clearly in her anxiety.
It took you some time to figure out what she was saying.
"Wh- what? A fire?" You were still quite confused.
"Wait... If there's a fire, our first logical step should be to put it out before it spreads instead of making a rushed insurance about it."
"I already warned the servants who were in reach. They are trying to extinguish the fire at the moment. However, I didn't warn my husband yet. Please follow me to his office so we can decide what to do about the damage."
The way how Lady Natalie acted under pressure surprised you, but it was not the time to mention it.
If there was really a fire, you were willing to help the family with anything you can...
- - -
On your way to sir Simon's office, a question came to you.
"Excuse me miss Natalie, but why didn't you warn your husband about the fire yet?"
This seemed like a valid question. If you were her, the husband would be the first one who you would warn, especially because he's the lord of the mansion.
"After I saw the fire, he was the first one I tried to notify, but his office door was locked from inside. Before I went to bring you, I asked our butler Alfred to bring his copy of the masterkey to unlock the door. He could return at any moment now."
As she finished explaining, you arrived in front of the landlord's office.
Soon the butler showed up too in company with a maid who you haven't seen before.
"My deepest apologies, madam. I finally brought the key you requested."
"Very well. Alfred, please open the office door for us."
Alfred silently complied and let all of you in.
When you entered, you noticed Sir Simon's body fallen on his desk like a lifeless statue.
Lady Natalie let out a strained scream with her hands put in front of his mouth and her eyes wide open.
She ran up to her husband's desk and checked his pulse.
Her face turned pale and her eyes became wet.
She didn't say anything, but it was obvious to everyone.
Simon Blairfield, the landlord of the Blairfield Estate, was dead.
She didn't have time to shed tears, however, because two servants rushed inside the office to report that the fire could not be contained and it's still spreading.
So the fire is real after all.
But it turned out it wasn't the biggest problem at the moment.
Lady Natalie stood up and tried to hide her feelings.
She understood the heavy responsibility that had been imposed on her.
She was the Simon Blairfield Estate's successor, after all.
"The fire should not be taken lightly any more."
She said it with grave confidence and started heading out the office to give orders to the mansion's personnel.
While nobody was watching, you sneaked up on the landlord's body to check his pulse, just in case Simon's wife didn't check her husband's pulse correctly.
There was no doubt. The landlord was really dead.
No faking, no mistakes. But how was it possible?
- - -
You could hear lady Natalie's sound from outside the office.
"All personnel including servants and maids should help containing the fire. Gather everyone available to bring water barrels outside the chapel's garden-side door. And you, also look for Sir Henry and tell him to find and gather all personnel in the mansion's other wing to help with the fire too." -
You went closer to the conversation to hear it better. Maybe you will have a part in this too at some point.
Instead, she turned towards the butler and the maid.
"Alfred, Tina. You two should check on the fire in the chapel and report me back if it gets out of control."
"Uh.. Yes, madam!"
Surprise and hesitation took over Tina's face for a moment, then she left with Alfred down the corridor.
After they left, she finally turned to you.
"Excuse me for the whole trouble, sir Donovan. Everything went out of control so suddenly... You may see that it's not safe here anymore. In case the fire spreads too much, we must be ready to instantly evacuate the building. Please head back to the guestrooms and pack your belongings. We might need to leave in a hurry and you probably wouldn't willingly leave all your documents behind, would you?"
She was right. You were carrying more important documents than what you could simply leave to burn in a fire.
"I'm going to call the police. I already called the firefighters. See you outside the guestrooms when you are ready."
And after saying this, she left.
You didn't have time to waste, you headed back to your room in a hurry.
"What is taking you so long? I'm getting bored again."
It was indeed taking Donovan, your human-world counterpart a long time to pack all his belongings. The witch decided that she'll entertain herself a bit more while you're busy. In a blink of an eye, she flared up and disappeared, just to reappear a second later inside the chapel, in form of a magical flame.
Alfred and Tina was guarding the chapel's entrance from the outside when Alfred's pocket watch floated out of his pocket and rolled towards the fire. It was a very precious watch he received from his grandfather - something that he couldn't allow to lose, so he hurried after it. When the watch slowed down, it rolled a bit around one point, then fell over near the fire, where the witch was waiting for him.
When Alfred attempted to quickly grab his watch out of the fire, a hand came out of nowhere and grasped his arms and pulled him in the middle of the fire. Before Alfred could do anything, the witch appeared in her true form and hurled Alfred's body on the Jesus Crucifix. The collision knocked Alfred out, but he didn't fall on the ground like a lifeless body. The witch was still focusing her power on Alfred, pointing her right hand's palm towards him, like she was possessing him to keep floating in the air.
When Tina noticed what happened with Alfred, she panicked and attempted to escape. The witch was busy, so she summoned 2 flame soldiers from the fire to catch him.
"Lambda, Delta. Get her." ordered them the witch. The bodies of fire brightened up and started bolting towards Tina. After they left, the witch continued what she started. She formed a dagger of the nails that held the crucifix in place, then made it float in the air, aiming at Alfred's chest.
"You get what you deserve." said the witch and the dagger pierced through Alfred's body and pegged him to the crucifix.
It took you a while, but eventually you managed to pack everything back in your briefcase.
A bit after you left your room, the wife returned, but she looked very annoyed.
"I'm ready, miss. Did you call the police yet?"
"No, I didn't have time yet. - How did you get out so fast..? Nevermind. We need to warn Stanley too."
She was not very focused, you could tell.
She was looking in her pockets for a while before finding Stanley's roomkey, so she could finally open the door.
Inside, to your greatest surprise, you found the great director Stanley Grueber's body laying on the floor next to the opposite wall and covered in blood.
You were both shocked by the view, but more importantly you also felt that a world has fallen apart inside of you.
Such a great mind, your favorite director to be dead...
It's something that you couldn't accept.
"No! Noooooo!!" You shouted with terror and ran up to him hoping that he would be still alive somehow.
"Stanley.. Stanley, wake up!"
It's only then that you realized that you left your foot and fingerprints all over the place by rushing in mindlessly.
You started to get a hold of yourself and apologized to lady Natalie.
"It- It wasn't me. I swear! I could never lay a hand on him."
"I believe you, sir Donovan. The door was locked and you didn't have any keys to get inside. It must have been someone else, though in respect of what happened, I'd like you to stay in my sight from now on. Just for safety."
These safety regulations again...
But you comprehended the gravity of the situation and obeyed silently.
All of a sudden, Lady Natalie's cellphone started ringing.
She received a phone call from the servants who were assigned to gather water.
They reported that the garden-side door of the chapel is locked and they cannot get the water barrels inside.
The situation looked bad from the outside, but luckily Alfred and Tina didn't report yet that the fire would be out of control on the inside.
To make sure, you headed down the main corridor where you came from to see how things were going.
Strangely, there was nobody guarding the inner chapel entrance.
When you looked inside, another horrible sight awaited you.
The fire spread so much that it was impossible to enter or exit from any side, but that wasn't everything.
In the middle of the fire you could see that the Jesus crucifix was erected and there laid Alfred crucified, stabbed through the chest and bleeding.
What in the world was going on?
As the successor of the mansion, Lady Natalie quickly headed towards the closest loudspeaker.
"All personnel, including servants and maids. Cancel all operations. Everyone without exception gather in the mansion's B-wing's second floor. This is an order."
The announcement could be heard in every segment of the building.
Only a deaf (or dead) person could not hear it.
"This includes you, sir Donovan. As I already said, I cannot let you out my sight."
You obediently nodded.
With every passing minute, with each tragedy discovered, these safety regulations became more and more sensible for you...
On your way to the B-wing, lady Natalie had an interesting comment on the recent happenings.
"Even though it's brutal, it's also a bit ironic what happened to Alfred. You see, before he came to serve us as a butler, he was part of the inquisition many decades ago. During that time, the country he lived in was hunting for witches and they would crucify and burn alive anyone who was even barely suspicious... Of course, he later realized that what he has done was wrong and he left the inquisition before it was dismissed by the goverment. Since then, he was often having heart problems and he had to take his medicine whenever he was reminded of the old times. We never thought he would go this way... Rest in peace, poor Alfred."
Tina, the maid was still running away from the fire creatures. Her knowledge of the layout of the mansion helped her always turn in the right direction, while her chasers were not as lucky. At one point, it was not obviously where she went, so the fireballs separated from each other. Lambda went exploring the B-wing while Delta investigated the A-wing.
Lambda had some difficulties. It sensed a potential target in a very crowded place, but the Witch's Commandment stated that no magic can be spotted by surviving humans in the Human Realm. To avoid getting seen, it accelerated to the speed of light to get through the crowd unnoticed, but a door was in the way. To phase through the door, it had to become visible for a short time again.
Inside the room was the potential target. The fire took a soldier form and cut its victim's throat with a burning blade, ending the victim's life. It turned out, it was the wrong target... Lambda vanished into the aether.
Delta had more luck chasing down the actual target. It turned out that Tina went upstairs and locked herself into a room. Delta didn't even need to slow down; it took on the form of a flaming javelin and blitzed through a very small gap through the room walls, piercing right through Tina's stomach. When the body fell lifelessly on the ground, Delta vanished into the aether.
You followed Lady Natalie Blairfield to the B-wing's second floor, where most of the maids and personnel were already gathered.
Some people were still missing though.
When Natalie attempted to check who was missing, you heard a familiar scream from the crowd.
You quickly identified that it was Elizabeth, the maid from yesterday who was flirting with you.
"Is there anything wrong, Elizabeth?"
She couldn't reply understandably for a second, but then she could finally muster out some sensible words.
"I- I saw a ghost.. It went through that door over there."
She pointed at a door on the opposite side of the wall.
"Elizabeth, I understand that you are panicked, but such things as ghosts do not exist. Are you sure that what you saw was only identifiable as a ghost?"
Lady Natalie questioned her sternly.
"Pardon me." The servant next to Elizabeth interrupted.
"I'm afraid miss Elizabeth is telling the truth. As it happens, I witnessed a ghost too entering the very same door. There can be no mistake."
"You saw the ghost too, Pablo?"
It was visible on Natalie's face that she didn't know what to believe.
"Fine. I'll check the room. Pablo, Elizabeth, you two secure the other personnel. You must prevent anyone leaving!"
She then turned to you.
"Donovan."
She was not taking the time for formalities any more, she started to call you by first name only.
"I know it must feel like a hassle at this point, but we cannot separate. You're coming with me."
"As you wish, Natalie."
You couldn't say no at this point, otherwise you would become a suspect.
Natalie grabbed the door's knob and attempted to open it.
"Strange... It's locked from the inside."
Luckily she prepared a spare key to lock/unlock any B-wing rooms on the second floor.
When she opened the door, reality slapped you in the face once more.
There was no sign of any ghost, but you found something much worse.
The dead body of duke Henry Blairfield was laying next to the wall, with a cut on his throat and a sword coated in blood in his right hand.
What is happening in this place?
Wherever you go, you find dead bodies everywhere...
Everywhere!
You started to become paranoid and rushed out to the crowd of maids and servants.
Lady Natalie could barely catch up with you.
When you got out, Pablo was waiting for you with the latest news.
"Miss Natalie. While you were inside, almost everyone else arrived. Some people are still missing though without any clue of their whereabouts: Sir Simon, duke Henry, Alfred, Tina, Eric, and the director. I fear that they might still be in the A-wing. I also couldn't help but noticed that some of the military weapons that Sir Simon saved from his war days went missing. Their vitrine glass was broken."
"What?? Which weapons are missing?"
You couldn't believe that she's more worried about the weapons than anything else at the moment.
What about Tina and Eric? You still didn't find them yet.
They might be in danger somewhere.
"Madam. We have 1 missing military rocket launcher, 1 harpoon gun, 6 hand grenades, 1 Remington rifle, 2 silenced hand pistols and a small ammo box."
"What?! How did all these weapons got taken without anyone noticing? What if a lunatic somehow broke in and took all the weapons? The same lunatic could have set the chapel on fire. And if he finds us all up here and uses any explosive? We'd be all done for! We gotta get out of here!"
"But Natalie, we-"
"Not now, Donovan! Tell your worries when we finally exited the mansion. Everyone! We're leaving. Donovan. Stay in my sight, as usual."
And so you headed out the B-wing towards the entrance.
When you were walking down the corridor, you heard a faint scream from upstairs.
"Did anyone else hear that??"
You couldn't help but burst out, hoping that lady Natalie will finally care about the missing people.
She couldn't clearly hear you in the crowd's rumbling, but she must have realized your intention.
She made clear signs with her hand that meant >>Do not separate from the group! Do not dare!!<<.
"It's gotta be Tina or Eric in trouble! I gotta save them!"
So you disregarded her orders and ran to the closest stairs to find the source of the scream.
You could still hear Natalie's voice in the distance.
"DONOVAAAN!"
The first floor was a maze and you easily became lost as you hastily attempted to find the person in trouble.
It took you some time, but you found a dark hallway with all electricity turned off.
One particular door at the end of the hallway had the sign "Surveillance Camera Room" on it.
You tried to open it, but the door was locked.
Luckily many floor one rooms had transparent windows, just like this particular room right here.
When you checked inside, you saw a dead body on the floor with a dagger in his chest.
Furthermore, there was a roomkey on the floor.
Could it be this room's only key?
How was he killed then?
Either way, you concluded that the body must belong to Eric and you cannot do anything to help him.
However, there is still someone out there who might need your help!
You followed the dark hallway and checked in every transparent window that you could, hoping that you can still find Tina alive somewhere.
The deeper you went in the hallway, the darker it became and the less you could see.
When you passed one of the last windows, you noticed another body inside another locked room's door.
This last body must belong to Tina.
Dammit! You were too late...
Everyone is dead and you separated from the group for nothing.
You hastily headed back towards the stairs and descended as fast as you could.
The fire already spread too much, so you couldn't go the same way as the others did.
The witch returned from the human realm and was standing right next to you again.
"Are you enjoying my spectacle that I created just for you?" - the witch said this with a cheeky grin on her face. You did not reward her with your answer. You saw much more elaborate mysteries created by other witches who you managed to defeat eventually. This will be no different, you were sure.
"Did you get offended or you're already giving up? It would be such a shame if you gave up." - continued the witch. "I went especially easy on you so far, considering the noble goal you're following."
"I don't need your help. I will defeat you, no matter how hard you try to fool me." - you tried to stay looking confident, even if it made you sound arrogant. But maybe that was not the right move... After this, you were reminded one of your early thoughts: You better be careful how you approach. And you just did the wrong move...
"Is that so... ?" - whispered the witch in a disappointed fashion. "Well then. I might grant you your final challenge."
And with that said, the witch disappeared.
In a desperate attempt to find a way out alive, you took the door to your right in hopes to find an exit.
Based on the distance you went, you felt that you should be almost out of the house.
You could feel freedom again.
It was almost at your fingertips.
Then you opened the last door.
Behind that door, your final challenge was waiting for you.
You looked around. The room was dimly lit with a purple color, which gave this place an eerie feeling.
The window shutters were closed and there was a counter to your left with all kinds of cutlery.
This must be the kitchen then.
Parts of the room were already on fire and there were glass shards scattered on the floor.
And in the middle of the room, there she was...
"No! What are you doing Bernkastel??!" - There was nobody in the room with you, but you burst out. That cannot be possible that she just did that...
"What do you mean?" - an echo was heard in your head. The witch was communicating with you through the realms.
"You are breaking the laws of witchcraft now! The Witch's Commandment states that no Witch can show herself to any surviving humans in the Human Realms, especially not to the detective of the story."
"What are you going to do now, battler? This is the perfect checkmate, you better start to give up."
"You are not allowed to do this! The existence of a magical being cannot be proved without magic, otherwise it would create a paradox. What you are doing is against the rules."
"I see you are afraid. You better be, because there is no way you can win. Now who's having the upper hand now, battler? Hahahahahahaa!"
"Is everything alright?"
Her voice was unearthly. When you looked deep into her blue eyes, you could be easily lost there for an eternity...
The cracking of glass shards under your shoes made you regain your consciousness again.
She was patiently staring at you, waiting for when you're going to react to her presence.
You better be careful about how you approach.
"Who are you?"
Only now did you just notice that the girl is floating in mid air.
How is that even possible? Is she really levitating?
"Oh. Don't you already know me...? I'm disappointed. But I understand. It's not everyday that a mere human meets a witch."
"A witch...??"
Could witches really exist? You started questioning your views about the supernatural.
"Not any kind of witch. In the human world, people know me as Lucy, the Witch of Miracles. Not many can tell that they had the honor of meeting me in person in this realm."
"Honor?! A witch wouldn't bother to show herself to me. I do not believe you, and your cheap tricks are already getting on my nerves."
"But you do believe. I can sense it."
In the dimness of the room, you saw her lips turning into a mocking smile.
"It doesn't matter whether you know about my existence or not. At this point, you are one of my chesspieces and you can do nothing to stop me."
The damn witch. Stop testing my patience!
Without thinking, you grabbed a knife that you found on the counter next to you and charged at her.
"What did you plan to do with those knives?"
Her voice penetrated your body.
In an instant, you felt like you were strained by chains, which were getting tighter and tighter with each attempt of escaping.
The witch floated towards you without a word, closer and closer.
You couldn't move.
You were the witch's puppet.
"No, Bern, stop! This is getting out of hand!" - you were looking helplessly at the situation. Bernkastel was using her magic in the human realm on your human world counterpart. "Crap! I gotta do something, and fast!"
"Don't worry, human. I won't kill you. You already did everything that is required to look guilty when the police finds you. Oh yes, or did you forget when the landlord's wife woke you up? Since you left your room so early, the personnel didn't find you there when they were looking for you. They will think that it was you who set the chapel on fire."
"Lady Natalie was with me the whole time. She will stand up for me."
"Really? And how do you think will it affect her decisions that you just ran off against her will? She definitely finds you suspicious."
She was telling the truth.
But that's still not enough evidence against you.
You still have a chance that you can talk yourself out of this.
"Oh, even if all that wouldn't be enough..."
It seemed like she could hear what you were thinking.
"There's something else that you don't know about. The knife that you grabbed so hastily is the same knife that I used to kill one of the victims. But witches don't have fingerprints. That's right... On the murder weapon there are only your fingerprints. Everyone will deduce that you were the one who somehow murdered everyone."
You looked down as your invisible chains let you and noticed that the knife's blade was indeed dripping blood.
What did you get into? Is this really the end?
You could hear the police and the firefighters arriving in the distance from outside.
Yes! They can still see the witch and your name would be cleared again.
It's impossible to leave this place without being noticed. Even if she escapes inside the mansion, she will burn like plastic soldiers under concentrated sunlight.
There is no escape witch, what do you do now? Such thoughts filled your head.
"It seems like we got some company, didn't we? That things have come to this, it's simply a sign that I'm done with my work. If you don't mind, I'm leaving you alone now."
"Ha! How could you possibly leave??! You are trapped and you cannot escape without being noticed."
You were very confident.
But the witch didn't hesitate to give a reply.
"By teleportation, of course."
The damn witch. She's saying that she can escape by instant movement??!
Could she possibly be able to do that?
"Well then, till next time. In the next 5 seconds, I'll go ahead through space and time. Adios! I had more fun than I expected."
With that, she disappeared into thin air, only leaving a dense cloud of smoke behind her.
You could now think that it was all a hallucination, but you were still standing there alone, without being able to move with the murder weapon in your hand.
The fire was slowly closing in on you too.
Then finally a firefighter opened the door, looking for survivors.
"Is anybody in there?? Hey you! Is everything alright?"
"HELP!"
You were about to do everything to break free, but somehow you were already released.
You could finally move again.
"Hey, I found a survivor here!"
"Here, help him out."
"Oh god, he's holding a knife!"
"Freeze! Put your hands on the ground! Don't move, you're under arrest!"
"No, you don't understand! It was the witch. It was magic! I swear!"
You didn't have anything else as an excuse at the moment.
"Magic, aye? You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can be used against you."
"And son, you better find a better explanation that doesn't involve magic by the time we get to the police station."
With that, the police car left with you inside it...
There you have it humans!
One witch, but many mysteries to solve. Will you be able to find your lost sister and save your human world counterpart or will everything you fought for fall into a disaster?
