Chapter 1

The magnificent sanctuary hides the rot of human nature.

In the face of a deadly game, once-inseparable best friends can turn into bitter enemies in a heartbeat.

Everyone is selfish. Everyone is terrified of the grave.

I’m scared too, but I refuse to lose.

Yet, why does the victory I’m clutching so tightly feel like a hollow hallucination?

Among us, who is human? And who is the monster?

1

Today, twelve of us folklore majors headed to the Ridgeview Mountains to investigate a sanctuary that has stood for over a millennium.

I thought it would be a routine field trip, just like all the others.

But our luck ran out when a massive storm rolled in.

To avoid being caught in a flash flood, we were forced to stay overnight in the ancient temple, waiting for the rain to stop.

“This is bullshit! I’m absolutely soaked!”

Inside the sanctuary, Lacey yanked at her damp clothes, her voice echoing with annoyance.

“Be grateful we found a roof,” I said. “If it had started pouring while we were halfway up the trail, we’d be in real trouble.”

“Sienna, do you need a towel? Just call me ‘Big Brother’ and it’s yours!”

Briggs, a tall and burly guy, waved a towel at Sienna, who was standing right next to me. She turned away, acting like he didn't exist.

Briggs had been obsessed with Sienna since freshman year, but she always despised his greasy, arrogant attitude.

I didn't like him either, so I stepped in front of Sienna to block his view.

As I moved, my eyes drifted to the towering idol in the center of the sanctuary.

Maybe it was the fading light, but the dim shadows made everything look distorted.

Why did the supposedly benevolent smile on the idol’s face look so sinister?