Nora opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a coffee cup.

The second thing she saw was Evan lying on the floor.

The third thing she noticed was that Detective Bell was missing.

“Evan.”

He didn’t move.

“Evan!”

His eyes opened.

He stared at the ceiling.

“Am I dead?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you’re still annoying.”

Evan slowly sat up.

“Oh.”

He looked around.

They were inside Room Zero.

The long wooden table stood in the center.

Eight chairs surrounded it.

Seven were occupied by shadows.

The eighth was empty.

The coffee cups sat before each shadow.

Steam rose from every cup.

Nora looked toward the door.

It was closed.

“Where’s Detective Bell?”

Evan looked around.

“Maybe he ran away.”

“He wouldn’t.”

“Maybe he remembered he has another appointment.”

“Evan.”

“Fine.”

He stood.

The shadows around the table remained completely still.

Nora approached one of them.

The nearest figure was an elderly man.

His face was hidden in darkness.

“Who are you?”

The figure slowly raised its head.

Nora stepped backward.

There was no face.

Only darkness.

Then it spoke.

“Samuel.”

Nora remembered the name.

Samuel Reed.

One of the seven dead customers.

Evan whispered:

“This is officially the worst dinner party I’ve ever attended.”

Samuel lifted his coffee cup.

The liquid inside moved without being touched.

A black cloud appeared above the cup.

It formed into an image.

Nora watched.

A memory.

Twenty years earlier.

The same room.

The same table.

But everything was brighter.

Eight people sat around it.

Her father, James Blake, was among them.

Victor Hale sat beside him.

A younger Detective Bell stood near the door.

And a man Nora didn’t recognize sat at the head of the table.

Jonathan Voss.

He looked completely normal.

Alive.

Smiling.

James spoke.

“We shouldn’t have opened this room.”

Jonathan laughed.

“You say that every time.”

Victor looked nervous.

“We need to close it.”

Jonathan shook his head.

“You don’t understand what we’ve found.”

He placed a small black book on the table.

“This room can preserve memories.”

James frowned.

“That’s impossible.”

“Is it?”

Jonathan opened the book.

“Every person who enters leaves something behind.”

“What?”

“A memory.”

James stood.

“Then why are people dying?”

Jonathan smiled.

“They aren’t dying.”

Victor stared at him.

“Seven people are dead.”

Jonathan shook his head.

“Seven people are missing.”

The memory suddenly changed.

A scream.

The room filled with smoke.

Everyone stood.

James shouted:

“Close the door!”

Jonathan grabbed the book.

“No!”

A bright flash filled the room.

The memory ended.

Nora stumbled backward.

“What happened?”

Samuel’s shadow pointed toward the table.

A second memory began.

This time Nora’s father stood alone.

He was holding a little girl.

Nora.

She looked about six years old.

James was crying.

“I’m sorry.”

The little Nora looked frightened.

“Where are we going?”

“Home.”

“But you said we were playing a game.”

James looked toward the doorway.

“We were.”

“Did I win?”

James hugged her.

“Yes.”

“What did I win?”

He whispered:

“Your life.”

The memory vanished.

Nora’s eyes filled with tears.

“My father brought me here.”

Evan nodded.

“Apparently.”

“Why?”

Before he could answer, another shadow stood.

This one was a woman.

She raised her cup.

Another memory appeared.

James was running through the room.

He carried a black book.

Jonathan chased him.

“Give it back!”

James shouted:

“No!”

Jonathan grabbed him.

They struggled.

The book fell.

It landed at the feet of little Nora.

She picked it up.

Jonathan stopped.

He stared at her.

Then he smiled.

“Interesting.”

James immediately grabbed Nora.

“Don’t look at him.”

Jonathan whispered:

“She can see it.”

James ran toward the door.

Jonathan shouted:

“James!”

James didn’t stop.

The memory changed.

Nora saw her father placing a chair against the door.

He knelt in front of young Nora.

“Listen to me.”

She nodded.

“If anyone asks what happened here, you say nothing.”

“Why?”

“Because people lie.”

“Who?”

“Everyone.”

He touched her forehead.

“And especially ghosts.”

Young Nora giggled.

“Ghosts aren’t real.”

Her father smiled sadly.

“They’re not supposed to be.”

The memory disappeared.

Nora wiped her eyes.

“My father knew.”

Evan looked at the black book on the table.

“Maybe this is what they were fighting over.”

Nora approached it.

The book was old.

Its cover was black leather.

No title.

Only the strange circle symbol.

She reached for it.

The moment her fingers touched the cover—

the entire room screamed.

The shadows rose.

The candles exploded.

The coffee cups shattered.

Nora pulled her hand away.

A voice thundered through the room.

“DON’T.”

Nora fell backward.

Evan caught her.

“Good advice!”

A figure appeared at the far end of the room.

Jonathan Voss.

But he wasn’t a shadow.

He looked exactly as he had in the memory.

Young.

Smiling.

Alive.

Nora stared at him.

“You’re dead.”

Jonathan smiled.

“So are they.”

He pointed at the seven shadows.

“But I’m different.”

Evan whispered:

“Of course he is.”

Jonathan walked toward them.

“I was never supposed to leave this room.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because your father opened the door.”

Nora shook her head.

“My father sealed it.”

Jonathan smiled.

“He tried.”

“Where is he?”

Jonathan’s expression changed.

“He’s still here.”

Nora froze.

“What?”

Jonathan pointed toward the wall.

A photograph appeared.

James Blake.

Older.

Tired.

Standing inside Room Zero.

He was alive.

Nora stepped forward.

“Where is he?”

Jonathan smiled.

“Behind the door.”

Nora looked around.

“What door?”

Jonathan pointed toward the far wall.

A door appeared.

It had not been there before.

Nora ran toward it.

Evan followed.

She grabbed the handle.

Locked.

Jonathan laughed.

“Your father has been waiting for you.”

Nora turned.

“Open it.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because he doesn’t want you to enter.”

“How do you know?”

Jonathan’s smile disappeared.

“Because I am the one who locked him inside.”

Evan stared.

“So you’re the murderer.”

Jonathan looked at him.

“No.”

“Then what are you?”

Jonathan stepped closer.

“The witness.”

A loud bang came from behind the door.

Nora froze.

“Dad?”

Another bang.

“Nora!”

Her father’s voice.

She nearly cried.

“Dad!”

Evan grabbed her.

“Wait.”

“What?”

“Something’s wrong.”

“What?”

Evan pointed.

Jonathan was smiling.

Nora looked at the door.

Then at Jonathan.

“What did you do?”

Jonathan shook his head.

“Nothing.”

The door opened.

Slowly.

Darkness filled the doorway.

A man stood inside.

His hair was gray.

His face was thin.

His clothes were old.

Nora knew him immediately.

“Dad.”

James Blake looked at her.

For a moment, he smiled.

Then he whispered:

“Run.”

The lights exploded.

Something screamed.

James was pulled backward into the darkness.

Nora screamed and ran toward him.

Evan held her back.

The door slammed.

A second later, it vanished.

Nora collapsed.

“He was alive.”

Evan nodded.

“We have to find him.”

Jonathan watched them.

“You can’t.”

Nora stood.

“Why?”

“Because the room has already chosen.”

“Chosen what?”

Jonathan pointed toward the table.

The eighth cup had moved.

It was now directly in front of Nora.

The coffee inside was no longer black.

It was red.

Nora stared.

Jonathan whispered:

“The eighth customer isn’t the next victim.”

“Then who is?”

Jonathan smiled.

“The eighth customer is the person who opens the door.”

Nora looked at him.

“You want me to open it.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Jonathan’s smile vanished.

“Because I’m afraid.”

Evan stared at him.

“You?”

Jonathan looked at him.

“Yes.”

“What are you afraid of?”

Jonathan turned toward the wall.

A faint sound came from behind it.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Jonathan whispered:

“Him.”

Nora’s heart stopped.

“Who?”

The answer came from behind the wall.

A man’s voice.

Deep.

Calm.

Familiar.

“James.”

Nora stared.

Her father’s voice.

But it sounded wrong.

Too deep.

Too cold.

Then the wall cracked.

A hand pushed through.

Nora stepped backward.

The hand was pale.

Old.

Its fingers were unnaturally long.

Evan whispered:

“That’s not your father.”

The hand pulled itself through.

Then another.

Something began crawling from inside the wall.

Jonathan stepped backward.

For the first time, he looked terrified.

“No.”

The creature emerged.

It had a man’s body.

But no face.

Its skin was covered with tiny black writing.

Names.

Hundreds of names.

Some were crossed out.

Some were still glowing.

Nora recognized one.

VICTOR HALE.

Then another.

SAMUEL REED.

Then—

NORA BLAKE.

Nora stopped breathing.

The creature raised its head.

There was no face.

Only a smooth, blank surface.

Evan whispered:

“The man without a face.”

The creature turned toward him.

Evan immediately pointed at Nora.

“She knows more than me.”

Nora slapped his arm.

“Coward.”

“Survival expert.”

The creature stepped closer.

Jonathan suddenly shouted:

“Don’t let it drink!”

Evan frowned.

“Drink what?”

The creature pointed toward the coffee.

Every cup on the table lifted into the air.

Seven cups flew toward the creature.

It opened its mouth.

Except it had no mouth.

The cups disappeared anyway.

The shadows screamed.

The room shook.

Jonathan shouted:

“Close your eyes!”

Nora obeyed.

Evan did not.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m curious!”

“That’s going to get us killed!”

A terrible sound filled the room.

Then silence.

Nora opened her eyes.

The creature was gone.

So was Jonathan.

The seven shadows had disappeared.

Only one thing remained.

The black book.

Nora picked it up.

This time nothing happened.

She opened the first page.

There was a list of names.

Seven crossed out.

Then one name circled.

NORA BLAKE.

Below it was a date.

TONIGHT — 12:00

Evan looked at the clock.

11:52.

“We have eight minutes.”

Nora turned the page.

A final message appeared.

THE FIRST SEVEN WERE VICTIMS.

She turned another page.

THE EIGHTH WAS A WITNESS.

Another page.

THE NINTH WILL BE THE DOOR.

Nora stared.

“What does that mean?”

Evan slowly shook his head.

“I think you’re not the customer.”

“Then what am I?”

“The door.”

A loud bell rang.

11:53.

Then another.

11:54.

Nora looked toward the staircase.

“We need to find my father.”

Evan nodded.

“And Detective Bell.”

“Why?”

“He lied to us.”

“How?”

“He said he didn’t know Jonathan Voss.”

Nora remembered Bell’s expression.

“He knew him.”

“Exactly.”

She closed the book.

“We need to get out.”

They ran toward the stairs.

But when they reached the door, someone was waiting.

Detective Bell.

His clothes were torn.

His face was covered in blood.

Nora stopped.

“Detective?”

Bell looked at her.

Then at the book.

His expression changed.

“You found it.”

Nora stepped backward.

“You knew.”

Bell nodded.

“I knew everything.”

Evan raised the chair again.

Bell sighed.

“Please put the chair down.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“It makes me feel powerful.”

Bell stared at him.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Thank you.”

Nora stepped forward.

“Where is my father?”

Bell looked toward the black book.

“He’s not your father anymore.”

Nora’s heart sank.

“What does that mean?”

Bell whispered:

“Your father was the first person the room changed.”

Nora shook her head.

“No.”

“He’s been inside for twenty years.”

“No.”

“And tonight…”

Bell looked at the clock.

11:58.

“…he’s coming out.”

The entire building trembled.

A deep laugh echoed beneath them.

Then a voice came from the darkness.

“Nora.”

She knew that voice.

Her father’s.

But this time, it wasn’t asking her to run.

It was calling her home.

End of Chapter Four