Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Fifth Shadow

The heavy concrete basement of Han-young High School was completely swallowed by a thick, freezing silence. Following the unknown sender's terrifying rule, nobody in the dark room uttered a single word. No talking. No whispering. Even their breathing was shallow, heavy with the scent of raw terror.

Hana kept her phone's flashlight pointed strictly at the cold steps ahead, trying to guide their way. Se-yeon walked right behind her, her boots clicking softly against the concrete. She was followed by Min-ah, with Ji-woo guarding the rear, her eyes scanning the dark corners.

Step... step... step...

But the extra sound didn't stop. It followed them like a curse.

*Squish... step...*

Every single time the girls took three steps together, a fourth, wet footstep echoed right in the middle of them. Se-yeon’s skin crawled instantly. She could feel the freezing air shifting around her uniform. It felt as if an invisible person was standing right between her and Min-ah, breathing softly against her neck.

Hana suddenly stopped at the bottom of the stairs. The flashlight illuminated a massive, rusty iron door. The sign above it read: 'Old Biology Lab - Restricted Area'. With the staircase blocked, the girls finally turned around to face each other. Hana raised her phone, casting the bright beam of light over the group to check on everyone.

The light revealed something that made everyone's breath catch in their throats. There weren't four girls standing on the stairs anymore. There were five.

Standing right between Se-yeon and Min-ah was another girl. She wore the exact same Han-young High School uniform, down to the last button. Her dark hair was pulled back into the same ponytail as Min-ah's. She stood perfectly still, her head tilted slightly downward, casting a long, twisted shadow on the wall.

Min-ah gasped loudly, stumbling backward against the rough wall. "W-What... who is that?!"

"Don't move a single inch!" Ji-woo raised her wooden chair high, her eyes darting between the two identical girls in shock. Hana's hands shook so badly that the flashlight beam flickered wildly. "There are two Min-ahs... Se-yeon, which one is real?!"

Both Min-ahs looked up at the exact same time. Both of their faces looked perfectly human, terrified, and filled with tears.

The Min-ah on the left cried out, "Ji-woo! Se-yeon! It's me! I've been standing behind Se-yeon the whole time! That other thing just appeared next to me!"

Immediately, the Min-ah on the right began to sob, her voice identical in tone and terror. "No! She's lying! I am the real Min-ah! Don't let her trick you! Remember the Mok-so-ri can copy our voices!"

Se-yeon's mind went completely blank. The rules had warned them before: 'The Mok-so-ri will try to make one of you turn against the others. Do not leave anyone behind.' If they chose the wrong girl, they would leave their best friend behind to die in the dark. If they brought both, the monster would walk right inside the room with them.

Suddenly, Hana's phone buzzed violently. A new notification lit up the screen.

'Rule #6: The Mok-so-ri can copy the face, the clothes, and the voice perfectly. But it cannot copy human blood. The real one is bleeding.'

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