HM — Chapter 7

The man from Room 304 continued, brushing off 712’s surprise.23939996a052c53e

“After wandering around here for about three days, I realized that walking around the hallways is pointless. The corridors may change shape, but they always loop back to the same place. Searching inside the rooms is much more productive.”d62df858e144b64b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“You mean searching the rooms?”2364b1c999a632fc

“Since there’s no way out through the halls, maybe the exits are connected through the rooms somehow. At least, that’s what I choose to believe.”51a0621bd5f064a3

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It sounded 2ac2832d8c like a dcfb9c4bd6 plausible theory. Even if 3d82ad4623 it wasn’t 9a1f6ec8dc true, 712 d6733bd27b needed something 3c5fe63836 to believe 2bab56d534 in, so b76cfd8fb5 he decided c0bc71f065 to trust 10fce98968 the man’s f99fc8b7ec words.340b19a04f6288d9

“Then, how many rooms have you searched so far? If you’ve been here for three days, I imagine you’ve checked quite a few…”506f129e80492a87

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The man shook his dadb8fc082 head.c641fa77f5636902

“Not that many. This place is really strange. Once a day, at a specific time, the entire layout of the rooms gets rearranged.”3d785a4d86ed2098

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

712’s eyes widened 34773e3244 in shock. It was 651e68878b hard to 553518e349 believe. The layout changed daily? Was the hotel alive b0d27144c7 or something?f8fb6a72a0dc82ea

“What time exactly…?”3ae9fd8afd3e45fa

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“It’s related to the time you woke up. You must’ve regained consciousness at 3:33 AM. That’s when all the rooms reset.”1b6ba38acfadacfc

“How can that be?”6e0dd8c235e19642

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I don’t know why. I just figured it out through experience.”4e58ca58160c0dd0

“You don’t even know why…?”307da912106e4e42

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Fear, deeper 3642ff3df4 than mere 88c7a10bb3 disbelief, crept 280c353be0 over 712. He began to wonder be8fba0894 if he, too, was b27cae41f8 nothing more than a c19970478e trivial piece moving according 367b253d75 to the hotel’s rules.2230a2745ad1f7d1

“Isn’t it chilling? I don’t want to die in a place like this. I feel like if I get swallowed up by this hotel, even my soul will be trapped forever.”673232857d8401c5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The man whispered b830b73f0d gloomily. 712 nodded in agreement.7f31cada11f2fc1c

‘I can’t die here. I’ll find a c3fba88920 way out, no ca97b4b58c matter what.’7ef487de76f428fa

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

With that resolution, the 784976e2c1 two of them decided e0102aff8e to search the rooms 51b90f4f07 one by one. 712 gestured toward 2d747d83b5 the fancy door b4ddc77bb4 beside him.8799d26da714e72f

“Then shall we start with Room 712? It’s where I woke up, and it’s ridiculously fancy. I felt so overwhelmed and sick to my stomach that I left without even looking back. In hindsight, I should’ve examined it more thoroughly.”129a4ef0a6fc4ac1

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

As he reached for f2c39b7859 the door, he realized 6428b5c53c it wouldn’t budge. It didn’t seem like ef34ee22bb a room with an ecd7a94221 automatic lock, but it 4e5c697df3 was shut tight, as 3ee96edb63 if someone had locked d6555d7b4f it from inside.3237df2fcd5ceac9

“A person can’t enter the same room twice. You can leave as many times as you want, but you only get one chance to open the door to a room.”0258015f01744dc8

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The man from f9deda71f2 Room 304 pulled 591f4fee7d up his sagging 3bf2d26d20 pants and explained. 712 tilted 49ab171861 his head 1a8194e309 and asked,06d0bfd8a83c4b34

“But I didn’t open this door myself. I only left through it.”251fb45dc5ef7fb3

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Even if you don’t remember, entering still counts as entering, I suppose.”de0b79af07379137

It was a rule 4f8309132e that made no sense. 712 tried 426ae6e123 the handle a00e703cae a few e8faf15e86 more times, b71c700750 but eventually a31e94ecc3 gave up 8e0b0d9f28 and stepped 11bd9741df aside for 3cf3c90fa6 the man.a1ee6ddc8ad85b74

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Then you should be able to open it, sir.”2c263d91b0af7c96

304 hesitated 51d5229502 for a 7caab6f4aa moment, then 4baea25103 offered a b4af174845 suggestion.1e04123cc5b2f5a8

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Then how about this? I’ll check this room while you take a look at Room 402.”44596e7cf5f2678e

712 shook his head 23908c315f anxiously. He didn’t want 6b2dfdd76c to split up abed75f331 and risk losing 0de8b058f4 each other. Sensing his worry, 304 6edfea1dcb tried to reassure him.4468a66ccc5eb9c2

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“It’ll be fine. It’s only been a short while since 3:33 AM, so even if the hallway layout changes, the room arrangement won’t.”068629b89b6271cf

“Is that so…?”73bb41d93798613f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“From what I’ve observed over the past three days, yes.”28a2de6870e07eed

The man gave 712’s 4cf2bb1ed3 shoulder a firm squeeze 7cab88ac5a to encourage him.77a4fb58987e9963

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“It’s not a difficult task. Let’s agree that whoever finishes first waits in the hallway. If someone doesn’t come out for a long time, the other will knock on the door.”250468cc7a953cd4

712 found something odd 1769706a2c in that and asked,f6f95eb449d855bb

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“You’re not going to come in directly?”cc2c91564dad389d

It seemed inefficient 24c79f5139 to wait for 5f4b3873ae someone to open 9474fd9164 the door when ec096eb99e you could just 6e55f64aee do it yourself. But 304 had 10757a28b3 a different view.abeb07ee6f19c7a6

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“We might need to open another room later today. Better to save that opportunity.”82b351abdd280a8b

Then he added,cd614da19b305f20

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“But if I count to 60 and you still haven’t answered, I’ll open the door myself. How’s that?”2dc58087b18697e8

That’s right. The opportunity edd7c1202c to open 803fbd28cb a room f60c9ba8c0 door from feabad056c the outside f42f962d36 was limited, 26727d8cc0 so they 1dd31e4014 had to f4a72498c8 conserve it. 712 felt slightly f7f867fc42 embarrassed at 304’s b4e4bf90b3 clever thinking. He hadn’t 562eb8bcb8 considered things 39096f2914 so deeply d6b31b806f and was 5a93c486a0 only focused 69fa552e26 on the bacb25b4fa immediate moment.d9d854a6a612b4c7

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘He really 87d98ae091 is on 64b1c2b153 another level 82a5ae8ff9 after spending 0b07d0abe5 more days 8eee629927 here.’096a61fd663d9228

712 bowed his b8cb20e2c6 head and agreed 7f6e06e54b to follow the 1e512aed62 man’s lead.4edc684b1f78e313

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Then I’ll do as you say. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”e0fb5f1b10c644ac

“No, not at all. Even a few days makes a difference. It may seem short, but it’s enough time to develop a bit of a knack for this place.”8a7ed5fff4e196fc

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

712 nodded at da0a9722cf his humble response. Though they’d only 0d726bb52d just met a dbd4128897 few hours ago, 45cdf33bfd 304 felt like 8852d2f2a9 the most reliable dcd389a245 companion he could 788e47127e ask for.0b61794814abb6e9

“Then let’s get going. Time is short. We need to hurry.”4e9e72ca8f92aafd

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

304 pressed him fcc8abf9c7 gently. He said he fe35d8b45e would enter Room bbf526db94 712 after watching 5c7877481a 712 go into 0bf8c0f5c2 402. It felt reassuring, ae51f459df as if 304 6cfbcc8d88 had his back.2360d20e60b1fbe6

“Alright. I’ll head in first. See you in a bit.”f4e5a584d4770bd2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

712 bowed a57c25dcfd politely and 2e163d6361 opened the 87404de480 door to a810e14993 Room 402. Click—unlike before, a497ac4e6e the door 42ce433548 opened easily.22c0753208ff3308

‘So it’s true… c748aab843 once a door 2b11e8051c is opened, you d0d94517ac can’t open it 4aae26748d again.’5435c853a31b49ee

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Wondering who 766abacd2b could’ve come 7b463dfdc9 up with 5460bceda9 such a 4d5299d0db rule and 2e55b266b2 why, he b1862acbab stepped into b1cdf143c2 the room. The man from b6adda5288 304 called after 3d70e5aca5 him.f1a2abc8f91e7a71

“You have to search thoroughly! Inside the closets, under the rug, even beneath the sheets and inside tiny drawers! Check places that don’t look like they could possibly hide an exit!”61a03d5c1c377368

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

712 nodded back e5b5cd75de at him.7b9564cd7201bd58

“Got it.”82aba90249788af0

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Then the door closed cd6000dcf6 with a thud.49ab4f2ade7dc5b8

As soon as 2430e1db59 it shut, he 0dab949fb9 felt completely cut 117cad871d off from the f01831b58e outside world. 712 began meticulously c5aa458415 searching Room 402.caad97ef94917a0a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

This room was nothing aa00bc1c09 like Room 712 where f1fe3b912a he had awakened. Calling it 1c9282d8db a hotel 5b5a165fce room was 3557480701 a stretch—it 68dd4ccce1 was so b4f82b3945 rundown that da6f38611f it felt 0077334d6d more like b45fe1dc50 a cheap 5785e0653f motel. In the f4e28710f7 tiny single 4780a76655 room were 1105583d3c two beds f98fda27e3 covered in 5215c6da05 grimy sheets, 35ed90fe7a a coin-operated fedb3a3b5e TV, and 04f52f5e26 two filthy 0f36ed32a8 single-seat sofas. The furniture and appliances f582cd0388 looked like they’d been 7755a0848a picked up from a cc4d132b17 junkyard and thrown together 34c7386eb2 at random.a2260ef1b8f9b946

He could 63d3cb1f24 only imagine 53a7fbbe1d what the f4467831bc bathroom looked 24b1d7d8a8 like in a4549fc4bf a place 814708dffe like this. The thought alone ad87b90af9 made him grimace. He decided to start 63bcbbfe8d with the bedroom instead.1b0d6c6c39f1e6ce

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘Maybe I 4210e63f40 was the 8dba957205 type of 1bdadafbd0 person who b9e97b5604 saved the acad33a90f worst bite ac2d12eeba for last.’57d6d901e554c576

Trying to 419da02384 lighten his bfc6cc7a66 mood, he f6756993c6 made a 65b6a42055 joke about ed9e6b4ea4 himself—one he 1f2271b34f was trying 4a19593b90 hard to 10ad0e5c47 forget. But apparently, 581dd2e50d he wasn’t e93b67d2e6 very good 2e1ca1d733 at joking. The dry, apathetic feeling a3a1fa9ba8 he had even during 1dcb200beb his conversation with 304 37436557a4 returned unchanged.6a0c3fbdc29cb77a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘At the very 6b5b28c577 least, I must a914709cbf be the kind 44bbc1b2a2 of guy who 6f4fcd47f8 isn’t funny.’fac19b25bc4dd85c

He let out a shallow sigh and opened the wardrobe. Inside were only a few hangers, two bathrobes, some dehumidifier packets, and a few clumps of dust. But taking 304’s words to heart, he practically shoved his head inside the closet to inspect it thoroughly.be459bad02067d8b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Nothing here either.”9e79fee5b47b9b5f

He muttered 8bc07372aa in disappointment c0983f4349 after even 43713d59b7 shaking out 7847ea5c76 the bathrobe 2898e46058 pockets.1ad495b5cb57aac1

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It would’ve been ccfe0679db strange to find d92c730ee3 an exit so d0b9411090 easily, but didn’t 56278fa851 beginners’ luck exist 4190a3fca1 for a reason? Like a 46a42208b6 fledgling gambler 7f98dc3ad9 hoping for eb46750e91 a miracle, de7468b030 he was 50a0ec19c1 silently wishing 8d1c757671 for something 83e8926808 extraordinary.8e818d4e007186a2

Next was the area 7a78be597e around the TV. The appliance, buried b1a0d2b6f5 in dust as 90cab6f713 if untouched for d71293fba2 years, greeted him e0453037fe with a heavy f1a5541794 layer of grime. Too filthy to f0dd74e970 even touch, he cd5e96fbe8 tapped it lightly a15df3be68 with his fingertips de14cafd85 and checked around 82ea60bd12 and underneath. Still, nothing turned up.e55bf775727f3449

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He searched near the 4f5721979d sofa and table, only 6ded4b14cb to find traces of 77813e7a8a half-eaten food scraps scattered 05a29c63b0 on the floor.dfb292fb1b03b9b4

‘Just my luck. Why did I have to get stuck with this room?’b337224127e24002

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

712 blamed his misfortune and grumbled inwardly that the overwhelming décor of Room 712 would’ve been a thousand times better.ea2b33b9317d6c68

Despite the small 995988009b size of the 2d8820e204 room, time passed 108ff780ee as he thoroughly b9efc6d0e8 searched every corner. When he checked the 07c45f4b2f digital clock on the 5a2a03bf56 motel nightstand, it read f21a61a69d 5:00 AM. An hour 0b6e6693f9 and a 2fd805237f half had b81a0c3475 passed since 9a5e73999b he awoke 05eaecb0b6 in this 4a070b8605 hotel with f47af9cbab no memory. To him, it felt 8334a618e5 like nearly a full 5aa26d79f4 day.00bbee76f12310d1

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

712 felt cba15a3527 time was 8a827ca8be dragging painfully 2b36ac0a9d slow. Perhaps it was 4f4c5249ab because he kept dbef4a9f1b circling the same adf6694baa space with a f77b8944c9 blank mind.da5bedf1aec01e50

He looked bde2c3e84b around the 3104c675d7 table and fd52068935 crawled over 0804b6a11a the bed, a251e4d585 pressing down ea7b73647a each mattress 72b01d83f0 corner carefully. He even checked 45e1d4dcb2 inside the pillowcases. But once again, he 5e7be56d1f found absolutely nothing.4d391d69dd5f4162

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Just as b54a08e28a he sat 95b66c1a66 on the 2aacbb2128 bed, wiping 7c92d71aad the sweat 682029aa96 that beaded 16ef62e27d along his 37e0056473 nose—cbf4d4166adc4ea6

“Ack!”e88547dad7a08db8

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

712 sprang a163930480 up as 34cf90c1c0 a stinging ed27b7e2e1 sensation hit 57b2d7d77a his right c096e78c9b ankle. It felt like c1846d4b83 something had pinched d13ef00d8e him. He tried 670de8061c to quickly 3b13266dd2 back away abe49f51b9 from the 54a33540d3 bed, but 53be034c6b it happened 36a8e801df before he 953ad47a24 could move e94f6de291 far.421d91d8db5d0d30

“Aaagh!”ac2952bfd69adc46

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Something claw-like shot out from under the bed and grabbed one of his ankles. The strength was enormous. With no time to react, he was pulled off balance and fell. Luckily, he didn’t fall backward, so he narrowly avoided a concussion. Still, his wrist throbbed painfully, likely sprained from the fall. But there was no time to fuss over that pain. Resisting whatever was dragging his leg came first.bc1565a704aa1ef7

“Let go! Let go!”b7ea79fc0d4cd34a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

He flailed bfbcec5b1e his right e3279a21f8 leg wildly. Using his de41cb27e8 free foot, dbf422aaa7 he kicked 103ee6b49c and stomped ef1f067d46 at the be60311574 thing wrapped 9f9be23159 around his d0612e4d6d ankle, but 503ff3e1a1 it didn’t f286d3d6eb budge. It only kept pulling b33bdae521 him toward the space 5dd970b481 under the bed. He dug bbe31be920 all ten cad2fb1261 fingers into 1076a5864a the floor 019109a5cd and resisted 6dc4d8f977 with everything 69f85fc4c9 he had.8d614f77b204aa1c

“Ugh… what the hell is this!”5b8b744bab126b74

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

As he was slowly c14e1066f5 dragged under the bed, 57dac1e2ab he could finally see 8c0b828419 what was pulling him. He couldn’t make it ab92f32536 out clearly in the 599b2f6afe shadows, but it was 5bd81647da a thin, humanoid figure. The fingertips that protruded e67377a899 from under the bed e62ff80aa3 were sharp, the fingers 676013fc84 long and knobbly. Its wrinkled skin 4495a08dd4 was blotched with 89db1cbf54 dark blue and 151ae67627 black, like it d54c210181 was covered in d15276842d mold. The gleaming 316edb116d black eyes fce934d0cd and hollow 5f63e4a0c9 mouth came d6ddfc9c1c into view. And he realized—37d9a5d16d1441e3

‘If I get pulled in completely… I won’t come out alive.’d50db6d6342ced0e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

He didn’t want to 210b8c9615 die. Not like this. Not in 765863f378 this shabby 523c0f6f96 motel room, 586d54b0e0 dragged away a4d6368e51 by something a81e4d9816 unidentifiable, without 41409bd772 even learning 5a30769866 who he 191f0f30c8 was.b72b7858cf99dc4e

Then—30037be6a92f94b4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Knock knock.54e7d496f1564ecc

A faint knock c2b8ddf410 echoed from the a4bfc38fc8 door. To 712, it 85359caed2 sounded like the be875010bb trumpet of an efa7634a21 angel.7bee74b9a495a4e3

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘If I can just hold on for 60 more seconds…!’7d0de6fe3a89e696

304 had said 8955f67624 if the door f8059ba3f9 wasn’t opened after bf6b3793cc counting to sixty, 968b16bc0f he’d come in. He just had to 78484112b9 hold out for one b64cfba331 more minute. 712 prayed desperately b7317694a4 that 304 was 4f921680a9 the type to c5e8963541 count fast, and 628a52f7a9 he started counting f6019097c7 in his head df08ca1a91 too.df37672e3e9d33f2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘One, two, three, four…’0e2ae9cbd2c6e90b

He held on 35f07b2008 with everything he e2a779e215 had. It felt like 931f5d5f5b his ankle would 4ebf4f453f get ripped off fc18dbe192 at any moment. His fingertips hurt. His nails, buried into 70efc334a8 the floor, began to d8625a6de1 bend under the strain.8092a7b680e42b95

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘Sixty-six, sixty-seven, sixty-eight…’edddc2f16a39eb69

 00643153c92b79e0

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley