When Emrys opens his eyes, he finds himself lying in darkness in a small, narrow space. The container locking him in is lined with velvet on the sides, the top cover is a smooth wood, and the container tapers at the end where his legs lay. It doesn’t take much for Emrys to know he’s trapped in a coffin.

Most importantly, he is squeezed on top of another body.

Although he tries to avoid touching it to the best of his ability, the coffin meant for one body is much too small to accommodate two lying together. He can’t escape lying mostly on top of the other and occasional brushing against the body’s cold hand or face.

“Sorry to disturb…” He quietly apologizes to the body as he moves around its resting place.

However, his heart nearly leaps out of his chest when a low voice reverberates out of the body beneath him. “It’s alright.”

Emrys tries to push open the coffin lid, smacking it a few times in his panic. When that fails, he squirms about to get out his phone for light, only to remember his phone doesn’t come with him into the Abandoned World.

The task panel pops up, which reads, “Main task: Escape the Dollmaker’s manor or survive for all three nights.”

The blue screen dimly lights the area, and he looks to see who he’s lying on.

He’s shocked to see a familiar face.

“You…!”

Cas looks at him with his usual expressionless face, his eyes clear and cold.

“How are you here? You’re not a player.”

“I’m not,” Cas confirms.

Emrys: “Are you here to kill me?”

Cas: “No.”

Emrys stares at Cas warily, but finally decides to ignore him in favor of finding a way out of the coffin. Looking around, he observes several locks keeping the coffin lid in place and compartments attached to the sides of the coffin.

“Do you need help?” Cas asks.

“No.”

Cas falls silent once again, watching Emrys rummage around him and gather a few loose items. One of the items is a key, which he tests on each of the locks, where it finally unlocks one of the compartments. In the compartment is a box with a combination lock, along with a few folded pieces of paper.

Emrys lets out a sigh. He’s not all that great at puzzles, but it looks like he’s going to have to go through several puzzles just to get out of this coffin.

As Emrys makes slow progress in decrypting messages to find hidden keys and open each lock and puzzle, he begins to feel a bit lightheaded, not just from all the thinking, but from lack of oxygen. If he doesn’t open the locks holding the coffin lid down in time, he may very well faint from suffocation, and this coffin will truly become his eternal resting place.

Cas continues to watch him silently all this time and immediately notices the irregularity. A flicker of concern flashes through his eyes. He doesn’t like seeing the person before him suffer, but Emrys refuses his help and Cas doesn’t want to go against him if he doesn’t have to. In the last instance, all he did was try to help, but it made Emrys hostile towards him. He wants to avoid getting further on his bad side.

With each passing moment, the air grows thinner, and Emrys’s fingers become unsteady on the tactile puzzle he is working on. However, this is the last lock holding the coffin down. He just needs to endure a bit longer and figure out this last damn lock.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the last lock clicks open. Any second longer and Cas would’ve broken open the coffin instead. Emrys pushes up against the lid, but it’s heavier than he expected, only sliding less than an inch off the edges then closing back down when he loses his strength.

Arms trembling, Emrys tries again and successfully moves the lid up off the edge and rests it crookedly. Squeezing his fingers through the small opening, he then continues to push the lid to the side and claws his way out. He pulls himself out of the coffin, gasping for breath with relief as fresh air rushes in.

Free from the narrow confines at last, Emrys sits on the ground of the unfamiliar room, catching his breath for a while. Cas climbs out of the coffin as well but before he can do anything else, he finds a sword pointed to his neck. He looks at the sword then up at Emrys.

“I don’t like to kill. I’m a pacifist at heart,” Emrys says. “So either you choose to leave, or we fight.”

Emrys knows he’s no match for Cas in his current state, but he can’t pretend to be friendly with him either, not after watching him heartlessly murder so many players in the last instance.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Cas looks at Emrys with a solemn expression. For a second, Emrys can’t help but falter, his sword lowering slightly, but he remembers the deaths of his team in the first instance and hardens his resolve, keeping the sword pointed at Cas.

Silence extends between them. Finally, he raises his hands in surrender. “I will leave.”

Emrys keeps a close eye on him the whole time, even as he steps back and melts away into the shadows. He remains vigilant until he is certain Cas’s presence is gone. Then he finally observes his surroundings.

He stands in an opulent, Victorian room, filled with beautiful, porcelain dolls. The coffin Emrys had just escaped lay in the focal point of the room, like an altar in a temple.

Emrys takes a tentative step away from it, his eyes scanning the room. The dolls, dressed in elaborate, old-fashioned clothes, seem to watch him with unblinking eyes. Each one is meticulously crafted, their lifelike features almost unnerving in their detail. He shudders, trying to shake off the feeling of being watched.

“Coral, what rank is this instance?” Emrys asks.

Coral pops up and says, “This instance is categorized as a Wipeout instance!” After saying so cheerily, it pauses. “Two Wipeouts in a row, how unprecedented…”

“How often do new players end up in Wipeout instances?”

Coral makes a troubled expression as it ponders his question. “Ummm…hm, in fact, new players have never been placed in Wipeout instances before you!”

“...Am I being targeted?”

“That…I don’t know,” Coral says.

Emrys sighs and closes the terminal. It is what it is.

He moves towards a large wooden desk. Its surface is cluttered with papers, sketches, and various crafting tools. Laying atop the chaos, he finds a letter written in elegant handwriting:

"To the Dollmaker,

Your latest creation is exquisite. I eagerly await the next masterpiece."

He carefully places the letter back where he found it and continues his search. The items on the desk give him a bit of information. The owner of this manor, someone referred to as "the Dollmaker," is a famous recluse, known for creating the most beautiful dolls.

As he examines the shelves lined with antique books, he accidentally bumps into one that lay out on the desk. It falls to the ground with a heavy thud, the sound echoing in the silence. He picks it up and sees it’s the Grimms' collection, and Grimm 053, the tale of Little Snow-White, is bookmarked. He reads a few lines about the little girl with unparalleled beauty, so beautiful that when the prince sees her in her coffin for the first time, he is determined to bring her back and cherish her. The parallels between the story and the room filled with beautiful, lifeless dolls are not lost on him.

Emrys places the Grimms’ book down and picks up the other book sitting out on the desk and flips through it. In doing so, a small key falls out. He picks it up and examines it. Seeing it is too small for the door’s lock, he tries it on the desk drawers, opening one with a satisfying click.

Emrys finds a small, intricate puzzle box inside the small drawer. He studies it, turning it over in his hands. The design is elaborate, with tiny, interlocking pieces that require careful manipulation. His fingers trace the patterns, and he notices a series of symbols that match those he saw in the book the key fell from.

He flips through the book again, finding a folded up note he missed in his first flip-through. Opening it reveals a love letter written by the dollmaker.

My Dearest Beloved,

The world outside this opulent prison seems but a distant memory, a mere shadow compared to the vibrant, vivid image of you that fills my heart and mind. As I sit in my workshop, surrounded by delicate porcelain dolls, my thoughts are consumed by the radiant presence you graced my life with. Every curve and detail of these dolls pale in comparison to the flawless beauty I see when I close my eyes and think of you.

Your visage was a melody that echoed through the corridors of my soul, a symphony that could bring light to the darkest corners of my heart. Your fair skin and ebony hair, the brush of your lashes, the softness of your lips—these memories are the threads that weave the tapestry of my existence.

In your absence, I have poured my longing and love into my creations, hoping that somehow, through the delicate artistry of my dolls, I might capture even a fragment of your essence. Each doll I craft is a tribute to you, my muse, my inspiration. Their silent, porcelain faces can never speak the words I wish to say, but they are imbued with the depth of my affection for you.

I yearn for the day when we might be reunited, when I can once again hold you close and whisper the words I have kept in my heart for so long.

Until that day comes, know that every doll I create is a testament to my undying love for you. They are my silent messengers, carrying my devotion across the distance that separates us. I live in the hope that one day, you will return to me, and together we will create a new masterpiece—a life filled with love, passion, and endless beauty.

Forever yours,

The Dollmaker

Emrys grimaces at the letter, rubbing at the goosebumps that rise on his arms. Some of the words are written more boldly than the rest, deeping engraved into the paper from the force of the pentip used to write it. Emrys takes note of the words as he flips through the book. The book uses those same words to discuss its theories on the psychology of love, and each word is depicted with a symbol—the same symbols used on the puzzle box.

Emrys skims the letter again, this time paying attention to the order the words appear in and the symbols that represent it in the book. In the same order that the words appear in the letter, he finds the corresponding symbol on the puzzle box and presses it. With each symbol pressed, the box clicks softly and a piece shifts into place.

Encouraged, he looks for the next symbol, a flower for longing, and presses it. Another click, another piece moves. He continues with the heart for affection, ivy leaf for devotion, and finally, fire for passion. With each press, the box responds, until finally, the lid springs open, revealing a key inside.

With the key in hand, Emrys moves to the door, inserting it into the lock. The door creaks open, and he steps out cautiously into a dimly lit hallway.