The entire tower trembled after the heavy metallic sound echoed through the building.
THUD.
The office lights continued flickering violently above them.
Maya instinctively stepped backward.
"What was that…?"
Nobody answered.
Because Adrian's expression had completely changed.
The calmness he carried earlier was gone.
Now there was visible tension in his eyes.
And somehow—
That terrified Lila more than the darkness around them.
"…Who's here?" Lila asked quietly.
Adrian stayed silent for several seconds.
His eyes remained fixed toward the hallway outside the office.
Then finally, he spoke.
"…You were never supposed to come here."
Ethan let out a nervous laugh.
"Okay, that is officially the third creepy warning tonight."
Ryan immediately stepped forward.
"There's someone else inside this building, isn't there?"
Adrian slowly looked toward him.
The two stared at each other silently for several seconds.
Then Adrian replied quietly—
"…You're smarter than I expected."
Suddenly—
A loud crashing sound exploded from one of the lower floors.
CRASH.
Maya jumped in fear.
"What was that?!"
This time Adrian immediately started walking toward the office door.
"Stay here."
But before he could leave—
Lila grabbed his wrist.
"No."
Adrian stopped.
Lila's eyes had turned ice cold again.
"We're not leaving without answers."
For a brief moment—
Silence filled the room.
Then Adrian lowered his voice.
"…Then be prepared for what you're about to see."
At that exact moment—
The hallway lights completely shut off.
Darkness swallowed the entire floor instantly.
Maya gasped.
"Ryan?!"
"I'm here," Ryan answered immediately from somewhere nearby.
Meanwhile Ethan whispered nervously—
"…If a ghost touches me tonight, I'm suing everyone."
"Shut up, Ethan," Lila muttered.
Suddenly—
Emergency red lights turned on across the hallway.
The entire floor became flooded with crimson light.
And within that red glow—
A shadow moved at the end of the corridor.
Everyone froze instantly.
Someone was standing there.
Tall figure.
Black clothes.
But their face remained hidden beneath the darkness.
Maya slowly stepped backward again.
"…Who is that?"
The figure slowly began walking toward them.
Each footstep echoed unnaturally through the hallway.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Lila immediately shifted into a fighting stance.
Ryan quietly grabbed a metal rod lying near the wall.
And Ethan—
Ethan was clearly panicking now.
"…Okay maybe your uncle isn't the biggest problem anymore."
Adrian slowly stepped forward in front of them.
His eyes had become dangerous.
"…I told you to stay away from them."
The shadow suddenly stopped walking.
Then—
It laughed.
A cold, unsettling laugh that echoed through the hallway.
"…And yet you brought them directly to me."
Lila's chest tightened painfully.
The voice sounded distorted.
But somehow—
Strangely familiar.
Then suddenly—
The emergency lights flickered again.
For one brief second, light touched the stranger's face.
And Lila stopped breathing.
"…Impossible."
Because she had seen that face before.
Years ago.
On the night of the fire.
Standing beside her father.
Then the lights died again.
Darkness swallowed the hallway completely.
And from within the shadows—
A low voice echoed quietly.
"Welcome back, Lila Noir."