I had forgotten to check if the door was properly closed before going to bed.

Jose had been working on the underground passage today, and I’d promised to inspect it afterward, but I completely forgot.

It was clear now that I must not have closed the door properly then.

‘How could you make such a mistake, Cherry? You fool.’@@novelbin@@

Gripping the blanket tightly, I took a deep breath. I needed to look up, but it wasn’t as easy as I thought.

‘I have to move. If the fireplace door is open, I need to close it.’

Closing my eyes tightly, I slowly exhaled, then sat up. Lowering the blanket, I straightened my upper body.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the dim room came into focus.

Thud-thud.

The sound of heavy rain striking the windowpane filled the room.

The sliding door of the fireplace was, as I feared, open. Through the gap, I could see the endless darkness of the underground passage.

A chill ran down my spine.

The door was wide open—why hadn’t I noticed it earlier?

Creak.

The metal grate at the base of the fireplace swayed slightly, as if moved by the wind.

‘…Wait. Why is that moving?’

The windows were closed because of the rain.

There was no way wind could be causing the grate to move.

You didn't buy this chapter

Buy Now (5 coupons)