1 week later. (daybreak)

The soft crystal dangling lights suspended from Dara’s heightened ceilings reflected a soft gleam in her warm brown orbs. She sighed as she twisted and turned in her oversized pastel blue duvet covers, trying to find the perfect position to draw in. Here she was doing her daily routine of sketching her “stalkers” and she was patiently waiting for lunch, until she heard a loud pang come from downstairs.

What the hell was that?!

“AHHHHH-Mph!!” She heard a muffled scream and Dara froze in an instant.

What if they were watching a horror movie? Or possibly dropped a plate of china?

“Imo? … Se Kyung? Nam Woo? Helloooooo?” Curiously she opened the door very slowly, causing it to creak.

“Oh, Dara-ah! Annyeung! I’m over here! Everything’s fine! One of the maids just slipped while cleaning the kitchen, why don’t you come down? I’ve prepared a snack for you.” The voice of Dara’s imo resounded from the bottom floor.

But the petite girl only froze in her place… 

There was something clearly wrong here.

1. Her imo always called her by her actual first name: Sandara
 

2. She never cooked and would usually leave everything to the maids and butlers.


3. Her tone of voice was always strict and never sugar coated like this.

Ever since she had started taking lessons for self defense (as per her butler, who was once in the military) she was told to keep a small weapon as a source of defense in her safe keeping, and so she did.
 

Sliding her drawer open, she felt the tip of a leather sheath cover and pulled the rustic dagger from it’s holds. 

She was wearing a light magenta nightgown and decided to pull on something more comfortable, namely a pair of tights and an oversized t-shirt. Grabbing a few essentials, namely a water bottle, tweezers (in case she got a splinter), small towel, light jacket and all of her sketchbook materials, Dara then crept downstairs ever so slowly, trying her best to not make abrupt sounds or movements.


The very middle of the clock tower's structure was a grand hall that connected into four rooms: the living room, the dining room, the kitchen and a stationary room that was used to hold a grand piano. She craned her head as she approached the wall nearing the kitchen and sure enough, her imo was indeed there. 

The only factors that caused Dara to nearly let out a shriek of terror was that there was a knife on the ground that was covered with crimson blood, staining the ground and footprints plastered from every direction. And as if her imo sensed that Dara’s presence was near, she gradually turned her head and Dara gasped when she realized that her spine was poking out from the back of her yellow patterned dress, as if a trail of tiny mountains had taken growth and her eyes held circles of dreaded darkness beneath them, while Dara noticed that slightly upturned to form a maleficent and corrupt grin.

“What’s wrong dear? Have you been having nightmares?” She questioned, her eyes popping out of their sockets.

Dara did not hesitate for a single moment, as she darted for the bigger weapon on the ground. 

The woman made no single movements but simply stood there, her eyes boring deep holes into her niece.

“There’s no way in hell that you’re my imo, so don’t call me dear.” Dara said, holding the knife up in defense.

The woman stifled an eery laugh and long onyx leather strings fell from above, revealing that she was merely a puppet. 

The petite girl had to hold in her tears when she realized that the puppet had killed her imo, as the human skin that it used to disguise itself tore off completely… Revealing a dark mechanical creature. It’s body was comprised of solid metal gears that turned in a rapid motion, pure dark alloy that made it’s body phantom-like and wires that were protruded by it’s mechanical hard membrane.

“N-no...”

Wiping a tear away Dara made a dash for the grand doors and did her best to ignore all the fallen bodies in the remaining three rooms.

“It’s no use... We will find you and he will reward us divinely...” The voice of her imo, cackled from kitchen and that was her sign to escape.

And the petite girl sprinted outside, trying to find the nearest possible place for a safe haven…. And the only area she could think of was the large ominous mansion that stood branched by a pattern of forests nearby.

This was where the first murder took place, but screw that.. I’m not going to be the 7th person found dead. She thought, as she disappeared into the crowded forest.

————————————————

(that same morning)

After a week’s worth of practice, Suho could not wait much longer and he, with Baekhyun's help, was able to convince the professor to begin their investigation after tons of coercing, bribing of food (namely jelly pops made by Kyungsoo) and i