Reborn in the Enemy's Embrace

I anxiously searched but found nothing.

Just as I sat on the ground, consumed by despair and helplessness, I heard a distinct "click". It was followed by the sound of an iron door opening and footsteps echoing down the corridor. My nerves instantly tensed up. Did someone find the key and leave so quickly? Who could it be?

"Who is out there? Who has left? Please, help us! Where did you find the key? Help us!" The commotion outside grew louder as everyone began shouting.

The footsteps grew increasingly slower, as though he were attentively listening to something.

"Thud, thud, thud." Suddenly, the person outside started banging on the iron door with sticks. Everyone fell silent, curious to know what he was up to.

After everyone had stayed quiet, he called out, "Sophia..."

The voice was hoarse and filled with panic. It was Dexter! He was searching for me.

I forcefully slammed the door. "Dexter! Dexter! I’m here!"

I heard the sound of his footsteps approaching, and soon he was sprinting towards me in a state of panic.

"Click." Another sound echoed as someone else had opened the iron door.

"Damn it! Enough with the hocus-pocus! You’re going to make me late for my college entrance exam." The cursing voice belonged to Joel.

I felt an overwhelming mix of surprise and panic. With tears streaming down my face, I desperately banged on the door in fear. "Dexter, I’m terrified."

Dexter’s anxious voice could be heard outside the door. "Sophia, don’t be afraid. Take a deep breath and listen to me. Don’t be scared. Calm yourself down."

I listened to him, took a deep breath, and remained silent.

"Hasn’t she come out yet? How foolish!" Joel approached as well. His voice trembled slightly with concern, though he masked it with feigned disgust and indifference. "Click." Someone managed to open the iron door again.

"Dexter," the person called out with a sneer.

"What are you doing? Are you still searching for that impostor? Do you honestly believe that if she were me, she wouldn’t be clever enough to figure out such a simple trick and find a way out?" That voice belonged to Juliet!

I felt uneasy. Even Juliet found the key. She could find it, but I was clueless.

Dexter completely ignored Juliet and asked softly, "Sophia, don’t be scared. What did you see on your room’s wall?"

I took one look and quickly replied,

my voice trembling. "If I have been dwelling in darkness, please don’t expose me to the light... If you choose to bring me into the light, don’t then thrust me back into the darkness where I can’t even see my own hands."

After a brief pause, Dexter advised softly outside the door, "Check beneath the lamp, in the brightest spot."

I quickly understood his meaning. I ran to the lamp and tapped on the tiles. They were indeed hollow.

I successfully managed to pry up the tile and retrieve the key from it. I tried to open the door, but my hands were shaking and I failed a few times. Eventually, I managed to open the door.

As soon as the door was opened, I caught sight of Dexter. Without hesitation, he reached out and enveloped me in his embrace, holding me tightly.

I couldn’t breathe for a moment. It was like I could understand the words written on the wall. "If I have been dwelling in darkness, please don’t expose me to the light."

What was written was absolutely

correct. If I were to find myself

crawling in fear through the

darkness, I would undoubtedly feel

immense gratitude and heavily

depend on the individual who

illuminated my path, granting me the

ability to perceive the light.

"Click." Another sound resonated through the long, narrow, and deep corridor, signaling the opening of the door.

Our attention was immediately captivated by it. The person who walked out was Damien. He stood there with a frown, his expression exuding displeasure, and emitting an icy air.

I was utterly astonished. If Dexter and I were both players in the game, Joel was the implicated outsider, and Juliet herself was on the Death List, then what about Damien? Why was he present as well?

Was the murderer planning to kill every single one of us? Were we all just pawns in this twisted game? How many secrets lay concealed behind this serial murder case?

"Damien," Juliet took the initiative to call out Damien’s name, and she called him Damien.

I felt a sense of revulsion. Would I have referred to Damien like that in the past? I wasn’t sure if the "Sophia" portrayed by Juliet resembled her.

"It’s astonishing how someone as foolish as Damien can come out so quickly. She really thinks she’s good at pretending." I whispered in a low voice, peeking out from behind Dexter and gripping his arm tightly. I was feeling a bit frightened.

Where was this place?

Damien glanced over in my direction, his gaze locking onto me. A subtle furrow appeared on his brow, yet he remained silent. His gaze towards me was frigid and unfamiliar.

It was clear that Damien strongly believed that Juliet was Sophia. He thought I was merely pretending to be Sophia, plotting to kill him.

Joel cursed softly, "How many people has this lunatic captured? How on earth did this psycho manage to catch all of us?"

Juliet shot me a hostile glance, her voice dripping with intensity. "The nanny of the Coleman family was helping the murderer. She has been cunningly embedded within the Coleman household for years, elusive and virtually undetectable."

Damien was clearly upset, and it was obvious that he had also been drugged by the nanny, Angel.

I hid behind Dexter and took a deep breath. Angel...

During my time at the Coleman residence, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Angel was acting strangely. Wasn’t she under Peter and Juliet? Could she possibly be working as a double agent?

If she were a double agent, what was the significance of her telling me that the cherry tree on Quemerley Street had blossomed?

"Alright. Someone close to you is plotting against you." Joel nodded.

Then, he pointed at Dexter. "He is a psycho and was purposefully kidnapped to catch the murderer."

After making that statement, he pointed at me and himself. "We were the only two fools, and we were both knocked unconscious by someone."

I glanced at Joel and didn’t expose him. In fact, when Joel was arrested, it was evident that he didn’t resist. It was clear that he was intentionally caught. I was the only fool in the situation. "Help us! Get us out!"

"Please! Help!"

From the eerily clean corridor,

numerous people frantically banged on the door and called for help. Their voices were becoming faint. Clearly, many people were unaware that infused nutrient solutions could also be consumed to quickly recharge physical strength.

If they continued howling, crying, and panicking like this, their physical strength and sugar levels would deplete rapidly. Before long, they could become hypoglycemic, fall into a coma, or even go into shock. Ultimately, they would succumb to starvation, dehydration, and various other causes, leading to their demise.

"Thud, thud, thud." The corridor’s voice-activated sensor lights illuminate and switch off.

I stood behind Dexter in fear, nervously tugging at the corner of his clothes. He reached behind his back and motioned for me to hold his hand.

I quickly reached out and intertwined my fingers with his. At that moment, the warmth of his hand slowly soothed my panicked heart.

"Where is this? How many people did the lunatic kidnap?" Damien asked in a low and determined voice, showing no interest in rescuing anyone.

"This lengthy corridor is lined with.

small cage-like rooms on both sides, clearly filled with people," Joel cursed and exchanged a glance with Dexter, silently debating whether they should intervene and rescue them.

Juliet sneered. "Let’s save ourselves for now."

After speaking, Juliet stepped forward and gripped Damien’s wrist. "The lunatic claimed that there was food and weapons at the end of the corridor. Let’s go there first."

I glanced anxiously at Dexter. Should we prioritize saving others or saving ourselves first?

It was clear that all three of us had limited stamina, and my legs were starting to give out. This was the moment that revealed everyone’s humanity.

Joel leaned against the wall, cursing under his breath. "I’ve gone my whole life without experiencing hypoglycemia, and now I’m breaking out in a cold sweat..."