Chapter 53: Opening day
The city was still wrapped in the pale blue light of early morning when my alarm rang.
I shut it off before it could buzz a second time and lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling. The apartment was unusually quiet. Outside, I could hear birds somewhere beyond the balcony and the distant rumble of buses beginning their routes across the city.
For the first time in days, I hadn’t dreamed about the factory.
No endless darkness.
No flickering television.
No crawling dolls.
No blue system windows interrupting my sleep.
That should have been comforting.
Instead, it made me uneasy.
The silence felt deliberate, as if the system itself had decided there was no need to interrupt me anymore.
Because today had finally arrived.
I sat up slowly and looked toward the digital clock.
7:02 AM.
The countdown had less than twelve hours remaining.
I didn’t bother calling the system.
If the last few days had taught me anything, it was that asking questions rarely earned useful answers.
After taking a shower and getting dressed, I packed my notebook, phone, charger, and a few pens into my backpack before making breakfast. Toast, eggs, and coffee. Nothing complicated. My stomach wasn’t particularly interested in food this morning, but skipping breakfast before what was likely to become a long day seemed like a terrible idea.
Halfway through eating, my phone vibrated.
The group chat.
Ryan: Emergency meeting.
Daniel: It’s seven-thirty.
Ryan: Exactly.
Marcus: What happened?
Ryan: I can’t find my detective hat.
A long pause followed before Noah finally replied.
Noah: Please tell me that’s the emergency.
Ryan: It is.
Ethan: Check your room.
Ryan: Already did.
Marcus: Check your bag.
Another pause.
Then—
Ryan: ...Never mind.
Daniel: Was it in your bag?
Ryan: Maybe.
Marcus: I refuse to believe you’re a real person.
I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
Some things, apparently, were immune to supernatural conspiracies.
The academy looked completely different from the moment I stepped through the front gate.
Yesterday had been preparation.
Today felt like a celebration.
Colorful banners stretched across the main courtyard, fluttering gently in the morning breeze. Volunteers wearing academy armbands stood near the entrance handing out printed maps to visitors. Parents, graduates, sponsors, and students from neighboring schools slowly filled the campus, following signs toward different exhibitions.
Music drifted across the grounds from somewhere near the auditorium.
The Culinary Club had already started cooking, and the smell of fresh bread floated through the air.
Everywhere I looked, there was movement.
Students making final adjustments.
Teachers checking schedules.
Visitors stopping to read signs.
For a few minutes, it was easy to forget about countdowns and hidden participants.
The academy simply looked... alive.
"Adrian!"
Ryan was waving enthusiastically from the entrance to the old club building.
The detective hat sat proudly on his head.
"You found it."
"I told you I would."
"You forgot it in your own bag."
"Details."
Marcus was carrying a folded table while Daniel struggled with two cardboard boxes almost as tall as he was.
Ethan walked beside Noah carrying the evidence board we’d spent days assembling.
Noah noticed me and gave a small nod.
"Morning."
"Morning."
"You sleep well?"
"Better than expected."
"Good."
Ryan immediately interrupted.
"I slept terribly."
Marcus didn’t even look at him.
"You stayed up watching detective movies."
"I was researching."
"You watched three films."
"I was thoroughly researching."
Daniel laughed.
"I think the third one was a comedy."
"It had detectives."
The Mystery Research Club room was already waiting for us.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating everything we’d spent the last several days building.
The evidence board.
The crime scene.
The suspect profiles.
The clue cards.
For the first time, I looked at everything as a visitor might.
It actually worked.
The room looked convincing.
Not professional.
Not perfect.
But convincing.
Ryan slowly turned in a circle.
"I’ve decided."
"What?"
"We’re winning."
Marcus folded his arms.
"This isn’t a competition."
Ryan looked genuinely confused.
"Everything’s a competition."
Noah set his clipboard on the teacher’s desk.
"We have thirty minutes before visitors arrive."
"Final checklist."
The next half hour passed in a steady rhythm.
Daniel straightened evidence markers.
Ethan checked every clue card for spelling mistakes.
Marcus adjusted the furniture one last time after deciding one desk blocked the flow of visitors.
Ryan practiced greeting imaginary guests.
"Welcome, detectives!"
He cleared his throat.
"No..."
"Too enthusiastic."
He tried again.
"Good morning."
"Today, someone has been murdered."
Daniel slowly looked at him.
"...You might want to ease into that."
Ryan nodded thoughtfully.
"Fair point."
Noah silently crossed out something on his clipboard.
"I’ve added ’monitor Ryan’ to today’s list."
"I feel targeted."
"You are."
At exactly nine o’clock, the first visitors entered the old building.
Not our room.
Not yet.
The hallway gradually filled with footsteps and conversation as people explored one club after another.
Through the open door, we could hear snippets of excitement.
"The Robotics Club is downstairs."
"I heard the Astronomy Club has a telescope."
"Where’s the Mystery Research Club?"
Ryan immediately stood straighter.
"They’re looking for us."
Marcus quietly placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Act normal."
"I am normal."
Nobody answered.
A few seconds later, three first-year students cautiously peeked into the room.
"Um..."
One of them looked around uncertainly.
"Is this the Mystery Research Club?"
Noah smiled politely.
"It is."
"Welcome."
Ryan stepped forward with all the confidence of someone introducing the world’s greatest attraction.
"Good morning, detectives."
Daniel covered his mouth.
It actually sounded better than expected.
The first-years exchanged excited glances before stepping inside.
One of them immediately noticed the evidence board.
"Whoa..."
Another pointed toward the crime scene.
"Is this real?"
Ryan gasped dramatically.
"I certainly hope not."
The tension disappeared instantly as everyone laughed.
I watched from the side while Noah calmly explained the rules.
Visitors would examine the evidence.
Interview fictional suspects using written testimony.
Build a timeline.
Then submit their answer.
Simple.
Engaging.
Exactly what we’d planned.
Within twenty minutes, the room was full.
Groups rotated in and out while Ryan enthusiastically played host, Marcus quietly answered logical questions, Ethan restocked clue sheets, Daniel reset evidence after each group, and Noah observed everything with a notebook in hand.
Without anyone asking...
I naturally slipped into the role of watching.
Watching visitors.
Watching reactions.
Watching details.
Most people overlooked obvious clues.
Others noticed tiny inconsistencies almost immediately.
It was fascinating.
For the first time since arriving in this world, I forgot about survival.
I was simply enjoying myself.
Around noon, Professor Ellis stopped by with two visitors wearing academy guest badges.
He introduced them briefly.
"They’re judges for the exhibition."
Ryan’s posture instantly became unnaturally straight.
Daniel nearly dropped a clue card.
Marcus quietly muttered,
"Relax."
The judges spent almost half an hour inside the room.
They inspected every display.
Solved the mystery themselves.
Asked Noah several questions about how the activity had been designed.
One of them eventually turned toward me.
"Did you help write this scenario?"
I nodded.
"A little."
He smiled.
"You have a good sense of pacing."
"The clues don’t feel unfair."
"That’s surprisingly difficult to achieve."
"...Thank you."
After they left, Ryan let out a breath he’d apparently been holding.
"I think my soul left my body."
Marcus looked at him.
"You talked to them for ten minutes."
"I know."
"It was terrifying."
By early afternoon, the Mystery Research Club had become far busier than any of us expected.
Word had apparently spread.
Students returning from other exhibits brought friends.
Visitors recommended the room to family members.
A small line even formed outside the hallway.
Ryan stared through the doorway.
"...Guys."
"What?"
"I think people actually like us."
Daniel smiled.
"I think they do."
Noah looked around the room.
His expression remained calm.
But I noticed the small smile that quietly appeared when he thought nobody was watching.
The club he’d imagined by himself...
Was finally real.
At that exact moment, the familiar blue system window appeared at the edge of my vision.
______
[Main Story Countdown]
8 Hours 14 Minutes
Event Status:
Active
Primary Participants Present:
Confirmed
Secondary Participant:
Approaching
______
My smile faded.
Approaching.
The countdown was almost over.
Whatever the system had been preparing me for...
It had finally begun moving toward us.