53 Last Two Hours

Left with no other choice, the four of them could only return to their own rooms with a heavy heart. It was better to save their energy for tonight instead of panicking meaninglessly.

Under this tense atmosphere, every tick of the clock felt like a weighty burden and at long last, gloomy darkness descended again in the Cycle, signaling the start of yet another dangerous night – this time, perhaps even more than the others.

As soon as the hour hand pointed at ten, the light bulbs outside died out one after another, and the entire apartment came alive along with the ghostly celebration music. The paper dolls awoke from their slumber and slithered out from their hiding place to make their rounds. And different from the previous nights, the music was booming loud now; gongs and trumpets echoed along with the eerie singing and cheers. It was as if they could see the liveliness outside as soon as they opened the door.