CHAPTER 2

I was standing right in front of the building. It looked like even a small earthquake could bring the whole four-story structure crashing down.

The paint had faded long ago, washed away by rain and time. The building looked dull, lifeless… and something about it gave me a strange sense of fear. Just standing there made me uneasy.

But instead of stepping back, I tightened my grip on the bag—and without thinking twice, I walked in.

I had stayed in many places before… but this one felt different—scary in a way I couldn’t explain. The moment I stepped inside, it felt like I had walked into a dark cave. Darkness hung in every corner… it was as if sunlight never touched this place.

At the reception sat a woman, reading a newspaper. The paper looked old and torn, and it definitely didn’t have today’s date on it.

The woman had curly hair. The moment she noticed me, she lowered the newspaper and gave me a strange, fake smile.

“Come in, dear,” she said.

I stepped closer and said, “I need a room number 4"

But just then, my eyes caught a photo placed on the drawer behind her. In it, she stood beside a little boy. The photo looked like it was taken at a beach—you could clearly see the ocean in the background.

She noticed my eyes on the picture. Calmly, she closed the drawer and said, “People should learn to respect privacy.”

I nodded and quickly apologized. She smiled and replied, “No worries.”

“The room’s condition is a bit rough… actually, most rooms here are like that. But this one… is different.”

She started walking, guiding me toward the room.

We stood in front of it. I felt uneasy—something didn’t feel right.

To the side, I noticed another room. In total, there were eight rooms lined up on that floor. Only these eight were rented out.

Just eight rooms… and one landlady.

To find out how many people were currently staying here, I had to ask her.

I took the keys from her hand and casually asked, “So, how many people are staying here right now?”

She smiled again and said, “At the moment, just four. Well, five if you count me… I stay downstairs.”

“Oh, and yes,” she added, “you’ll have to go to the upper floor for the bathroom… and meals are served downstairs.”

I nodded, signaling that I understood.