THE STAIRCASE CODE: Through theMirror Darkly

But this time, I was holding Trump, and my heart had long been less fearful than before.

But that morose feeling struck again.

This time, I made it to the stairway leading to the next floor without any problems.

But what appeared in front of me was not a staircase.

Instead, it was an elevator.

The button on the side stopped at minus 10 floors.

But there is no minus 10 floors in Building 4.

Suddenly, the number of floors on the display rose wildly.

Soon I heard the roar of the elevator's operation.

With a ding, the elevator reached the 5th floor.

A strong feeling of fear rose in my heart.

【There is no elevator on the 4th floor, so don't get into it.】

But there was no other way down except the elevator.

With a ding, the elevator door opened.

I took a step back while holding Trump.

A person wearing white clothes and a white mask, only revealing a pair of gloomy eyes stood inside the elevator.

His pupils were too dark and he looked straight at me.

「Lucy, come in.」

His voice was extremely odd and hoarse.

I took two steps back and shook my head.

Suddenly, Orange struggled and jumped from my hand, running into the elevator in a flash.

「Trump!」

「Trump, come out!」

I shouted anxiously.

But Trump stood inside the elevator this time, and didn't come out no matter how much I shouted.

「Time is running out, Lucy.」 The man in white spoke again.

It was at this time that my brother's voice appeared in my ears.

「Lucy ...... some ...... opposite.」

My brother's voice became broken, and I only heard a few scattered words.

Contrary?

What exactly is brother trying to say?

At that very instant, I was jolted with a jolt.

Countless fragments seemed to intertwine into a large web in my mind.

Mother and father's faces were opposite.

The palms and backs of their hands were opposite.

The last rule on the ink-covered line on the white paper had only one word, 「opposite」.

Was my brother trying to tell me that some rules were opposite?

I immediately took out the white paper and turned it over to the back.

On the back, a line of scribbled and hastily inked words was slowly appearing.

【Enter the elevator! Some rules are opposite! It was deliberately written in to confuse you!】

Trump kept meowing, seemingly anxious.

「Lucy, the elevator doors are closing.」 A bit of regret showed in the white man's eyes.

The elevator doors began to slowly close.

At that very instant, I quickly got into the elevator.

I gasped and leaned against the wall.

The elevator doors closed completely in front of my eyes.

The elevator kept descending.

Suddenly, I felt as if my hand was grabbed by something.

It felt very warm, much like my brother's hand.

A blurry outline appeared in front of my eyes.

That silhouette resembled my brother.

The time on my cell phone showed that there were ten minutes left before the stairs appeared.

There was a ding.

The first floor arrived.

I finally made it to the first floor.

I picked up Orange and nervously waited for the stairs to appear.

Five minutes to go.

Suddenly, my mother's sharp hiss sounded behind me.

「Lucy! Where are you running to!」

I trembled and turned my head.

My mother's ghastly white face appeared behind me.

Her eyes bulged from excessive force.

The withered arm grabbed my shoulder violently, her nails sinking deep inside my skin.

I felt a sharp pain.

My mother gasped for air, her dark pupils looking at me menacingly.

「You were born to me, I have the right to dispose of your life and death!」

She dragged me back with all her might.

I struggled frantically.

It was at this moment that I saw the dark red staircase appear behind me.

It was time to go back.

I struggled even harder.

But my mother's force was immense.

A weird smile appeared on her face.

「Lucy, you won't be able to walk away... I can't walk away because I'm controlled by my mother like this.」 Suddenly, the terrifying force that had shackled me loosened.

My mother was violently pushed to the ground.

I heard my brother's voice.

He said coldly, 「Although Lucy and I are your children, we are both independent individuals.」

「We will never be under your control again, you don't deserve to be a mother.」

The moment the stairs appeared, all of time and space overlapped.

I saw countless black shadows emerge behind my mother.

All of these black shadows were screaming and pouncing on us.

「I won't let you go, you're my children, you're mine!」 The mother let out a frantic shout and lunged towards me.

But the next moment, she was pressed down hard.

I know it's brother.

「Lucy, run!」

The outline of the stairs was slowly disappearing.

Trump's screams became anxious and shrill.

I glanced backward with blurred tears and finally ran towards the stairs without a second thought.

At the last second the staircase disappeared, I stepped onto its steps.