Beyond the Eternity

Chapter 190 Naughty Sisters [4]

The Void House.

On the outside, it appeared to be nothing more than an unremarkable mansion, modest in size, standing quietly with its three floors. Even stepping inside, one would find nothing unusual—its subdued and ordinary interior seemed to hold no secrets.

But could an ordinary house drift aimlessly through an endless sea of nothingness?

Once, it was merely a home nestled in the English countryside, as mundane as any other. Yet, when cast into the void, it underwent a sinister transformation, reshaped by the gigantic power of the Witch of Darkness and the boundless properties of the abyss.

Like a living, demonic tree feeding on human blood to sustain itself, the Void House consumed the souls of unwitting visitors who met their end within its walls.

Once devoured, escape became an impossibility.

The bodies of the dead were completely eradicated, leaving behind only fragments of their souls. These remnants were bound to hollow vessels, transforming them into "Furniture" — eternal servants trapped within the House.

However, not all who perished were granted even this grim purpose.

The House itself was voracious, swallowing its victims in one insatiable sweep. Had it not been for the intervention of the Sisters of Darkness, the House would have devolved into a mindless nightmare, driven solely by its unending hunger and madness.

The furniture performed basic tasks such as cleaning and maintaining the mansion. But they also served the Housekeepers, providing sustenance when required. On occasion, the Sisters used them to fulfill their hidden and twisted desires.

But that is a story for another time.

Now, the Void House had become the stage for Devil's Roulette, a deadly game of life and death. While the furniture remained in its original positions, the participants were imprisoned in fragmented dimensions scattered throughout the House.

The Sisters had orchestrated this design to prevent the participants from allying with one another and turning their combined strength against them.

Even so, the match was far from fair.

The Fable required a specific number of participants, but one had fallen victim to his own carelessness, leaving the group reduced to just five.

Even if the Sisters of Darkness split themselves, the imbalance was evident. To ensure some semblance of order, they left the division of roles to the roll of the dice.

The maximum number of people allowed to face a single Sister was two. If a Sister rolled a higher number than desired, they would simply roll again until the result suited them. In the worst-case scenario, they resolved disputes with a quick game of rock, paper, scissors.

Thus, after much deliberation, the final division was decided:

Kim Jakga would face Superbia, the Flame of Pride.

Soo Jinyoung would confront both Invidia, the Flame of Envy, and Avaritia, the Flame of Greed.

Moon Jiyeon would battle Gula, the Flame of Gluttony.

Yoo Rin was pitted against both Ira, the Flame of Wrath, and Acedia, the Flame of Sloth.

And as for Miyuki Kuroi...

"Nobody is really here," Miyuki muttered under her breath as she continued her stride.

Since the start of the Hidden Fable, she had been exploring the house alone. For reasons unknown to her, they had vanished without a trace.

She scoured the house for any sign of them, but no matter how desperately she searched or called out, her pleas were met with only silence.

To be precise, she had heard voices, but she was certain they did not belong to her party members.

"Miyuki~ Are you there?"

The voice was light, almost playful, bearing a faint resemblance to her Ahjussi's tone. But it lacked the warmth, the familiarity, a hollow imitation of the original.

"Please open this door~"

A soft knock resonated from a nearby room. Miyuki cast a brief glance at the door, before she resumed her stride without hesitation.

"Miyuki~ Miyuki~ Miyuka~"

That reminds me... Why does it feel so familiar? It's as if I've seen it somewhere before, but... nowhere.

Miyuki shook her head, dismissing the foolish thought in an instant.

Why would she see something like this shadow?

In her homeland, there was a myth that those who laid eyes on a spirit would be cursed. The very idea made her shudder, and she quickly pushed the thought out of her mind.

Clearly annoyed, she looked at the black shadow and asked. "Why are you following me? Go somewhere else already and leave me alone?"

There was no response.

The black shadow didn't respond to her. After all, 'It' had no mouth so it could not speak. After a moment, its white eyes seemed to lower, as if staring at the ground.

It was as though it was...sad.

Miyuki couldn't understand. Why was the shadow following her of all people in the group? Perhaps it was just a whim, something it did without reason. Or maybe it was waiting for something to happen.

She did not know.

Miyuki sighed as if the situation was ridiculous.

What should I do? It doesn't seem like it wants to cause me harm. It's just following me for some reason. Ughh... I don't know anymore. Would it be okay if I continued like this?

Considering that the shadow hadn't displayed any signs of hostility toward her or the others, Miyuki concluded it was likely harmless.

With a soft sigh, she resumed her steady pace down the dim path. Moments later, the shadow lifted its hollow gaze from the ground and silently trailed after her once more.

Tap! Tap!

Each time Miyuki took a step, the shadow mirrored her movement, matching her pace exactly.

Right leg, left leg. Right foot, left foot.

The shadow mimicked her movements with unnerving precision, its silent steps falling in perfect rhythm with hers.

Indeed, it moved and mimicked her actions perfectly, just like a true shadow.

Too bad there's no one around to give it a gold medal. Miyuki thought bitterly, absently scratching the side of her nose.

How long had they been walking like this?

Miyuki continued forward, step after step, until the shadow suddenly moved ahead of her. It raised a hand, silently signaling her to stop. The unexpected gesture made her freeze in place.

She blinked, tilting her head slightly in confusion. Huh? It stopped me? Why?

This was the first time the shadow had acted this way, and the unfamiliarity of the situation left her both puzzled and intrigued.

Curiosity got the better of her. "Is there something wrong?" she asked cautiously. "Why did you stop me? Is there something ahead?"

The shadow didn't answer. Instead, it turned and began walking forward along the empty path.

Miyuki's confusion only deepened. Nothing unusual had occurred—nothing out of the ordinary at all. For a moment, she even wondered if the shadow was playing some sort of prank on her.

Then—

Kakakakakakkakakakakaka!

Without warning, the shadow's neck twisted violently. Its head was ripped apart by an unseen force, flying down the path at incredible speed as its body crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

"?!"

Miyuki's eyes widened in sheer terror as she stumbled backward, collapsing onto the floor with a sharp gasp.