The tower wasn’t just food and films. It was a hive of bright amusements, neon blooming like koi scales in a pond. After the movie, Tang Coco stayed with Meng Xiaoxiao and played a bit in the arcade upstairs, lights flickering like summer fireflies.

They cleared the tenth floor in a lazy loop, then drifted up to the eleventh, footsteps tapping like rain on stone.

“What’s on this level?” Meng asked, curiosity rising like mist.

“No idea… I used to come here just to eat,” Tang said, voice light as wind. “It’s been so long I’ve no clue what changed.”

“Are you a pig or what?”

Tang teased with a grin, and Meng answered with playful punches, her hands thumping like soft drums.

“…”

They stepped off the elevator and followed the corridor through a few bends, turns curling like a river’s meander. A massive structure snagged their gaze like a hook.

A castle stood ahead. Not a real one—yet it towered with painted majesty, timber bones dressed in dye, an illusion polished like lacquer. Floors ten through thirteen had been carved apart to cradle it, a little castle nested inside steel, its silhouette theatrically grand.

“What is this…? I’ve never heard of this. Is it new?” Meng’s brows fluttered like startled sparrows.

“…”

Tang stared too, curiosity kindling like a candle in a dark hall.

“Ah!!!!”

A girl’s scream sliced the air like a snapped violin string. The two turned. A small door under the castle burst open. A woman in a red dress, face hidden by a fox mask, fled with panic flitting like sparrows. A man followed fast, his mask dulling his expression, but his frantic movements spoke fear like a bell.

“What happened?” Tang’s brows tightened, worry folding like storm clouds.

A chime rolled out in a bright broadcast.

“Ding-dong—Congratulations to VIPs No. 1022 and No. 1023 for escaping the C-level room. Please collect your rewards at the front desk.”

“So… it’s an escape room?” Meng’s thought landed like a pebble in a pond.

“Escape room?” Tang had heard of it, the idea floating like rumor smoke, but she’d never played one.

“Looks thrilling. Coco-jie, let’s try it!” Meng’s eyes shone like stars over water.

“Sure. Looks fun.” Tang nodded, her mood rising like a fresh breeze. They headed for the front desk and found the pair who’d just run out. The woman was inspecting the rewards, gaze sticky as honey on sweets.

“That bear’s pretty. Can I have that one?” She pointed to a pink teddy on the wall behind the attendant, center stage like a plum blossom. It stood about one-fifty tall, with a bow on its ear, its soft, adorable face stabbing right at the girlish heart like a sugar arrow.

“Sorry, that’s an A-level reward. C-level rewards are here.” The attendant smiled, politeness smooth as silk.

“Ah, hubby… I want that one…” The woman tugged her man’s arm, voice sweet as cotton candy.

“We almost got scared to death. Pick whatever. I’ll buy you a pile outside.” His tone tried to soothe like warm tea.

“Fine…” She relented, a wilted sigh like a drooping flower.

“How do we play?” Tang stepped forward with Meng’s hand in hers, voice steady, curiosity blooming like a lantern.

All eyes shifted to Tang, even the man’s. He paused, caught by her figure like a moth to flame. Her face was masked, but her silhouette was a trap, smooth as a river stone.

“Hey! What are you staring at?!” The woman’s voice snapped, jealous heat flaring like a match.

“Ah… no… nothing.” The man looked away, awkwardness clinging like damp cloth.

“Hmph. So the figure’s nice. Take off the mask—maybe she’s ugly.” The woman muttered, sharp as a thorn, then turned and flounced off. The man hurried after her like a leaf chasing wind.

“Welcome, VIPs. This is the Vampire’s Palace escape room,” the attendant said, voice clear as a bell. “We offer different difficulty levels. Different levels grant different rewards.”

“Oh…” Tang nodded, mind sketching fangs and velvet halls like ink brush on paper.

“You can see the details on that screen.” The attendant pointed, gesture neat as a fan flip.

“Got it.” They moved to the screen, eyes scanning like hawks.

Vampire’s Palace.

Three levels.

C-level. The room sits on the first floor of the palace. It’s an independent chamber. No movement restrictions. Few to no horror elements. Solve hidden puzzles and pass five rooms. You’ll reach the first-floor hall. Get through the escape door. That counts as a clear.

B-level. The room sits on the second floor. Independent chamber. No movement restrictions. Some horror elements. Solve hidden puzzles and pass five rooms. You’ll reach the second-floor hall. Head to the first-floor hall. Get through the escape door. That counts as a clear.

A-level. The room sits on the third floor. Independent chamber. Movement restrictions exist. Horror elements are present. Every ten minutes, vampires patrol. If they find signs of escape, all mechanisms reset. Solve puzzles and escape three rooms to reach the third-floor hall. Then move through the second-floor and first-floor halls. Get through the escape door. That counts as a clear.

Note: One vampire roams the first-floor hall. Two roam the second. Three roam the third. All vampires are staff in costume. To avoid trouble, staff will be arranged according to guests’ gender. Staff won’t touch guests of the opposite sex. Please enjoy in peace. If a vampire catches you, you’ll be sent back to restart. Failures after three hours will be escorted out of the castle.

“Hmm… looks good. I wonder how well they built the inside.” Tang propped her chin, interest steady as a cat watching a door, wondering if their vampires would feel real.

“Coco-jie, are you afraid of ghosts?” Meng asked, voice light but watching like the moon.

“Me? Nope.” Tang’s answer was crisp as frost.

“Really? Don’t pretend.”

“Why lie? Your jie fears neither sky nor earth.” Tang’s humor glinted like a blade.

“Tch. I don’t buy it. Let’s do the hardest one!” Meng’s grin lifted like a kite.

“…” Tang hadn’t expected this little firecracker to go straight for the scariest.

“Can you handle it?” Her tone dipped, concern tapping like rain.

“Hehehe. Coco-jie’s scared, huh?” Meng lifted her lips, playful as a fox.

“Fine… we’ll play. Don’t cry later. If you bawl, I’ll toss you right back.” Tang sighed, helplessness soft as a willow branch, and a private spark rose—she could settle the score for that outfit swap earlier.

“Hmph.” Meng snorted, a puff like steam from a tea cup. She marched to the counter and handed over her VIP card.

“We want A-level.”

“Please confirm.” The staff’s smile held a gentle warning like a hand on your shoulder. “So far, A-level has only fifty-four entries. Only six clears.”

He glanced at Tang and Meng, then spoke softly like snow. “Honestly… I don’t recommend two ladies try it. It’s rather scary.”

“…” Meng’s bravado wavered, courage flickering like a candle in wind. Was it really that terrifying?

Tang felt the moment open like a door and stepped through. “Who says two ladies? I’m a guy.” She masked her voice, sliding it toward neutral, cool as shade.

“!!!” The attendant froze, surprise blinking like a firefly.

“You sure? No regrets?” Tang turned to Meng, a steady anchor in a rough current.

“No regrets! I want to see Coco-jie cry.” Meng grinned, teeth bright as pearls.

“Okay…” Tang shook her head, resigned like a mother cat, then told the attendant, “We’ll take A-level.”

“Certainly. Please wait.” He tapped at the computer, keys clicking like rain on tiles, then handed Meng a temporary card.

“Take this card. Head to the palace gate. A guide will lead you in.”

“Okay.” Tang agreed, and led Meng toward the grand doors, steps echoing like a drum in a hall.

The attendant watched them enter with a staff guide. Then he picked up the phone, motion fluid as water, and dialed.

“Lin-jie, it’s me.”

“What’s up?” A lazy voice hummed like a cat in sun.

“Two ladies just joined the A-level escape.”

“Hm? Two ladies? You sure? Not two guys playing dress-up?” Laughter sparkled like glass, the kind of teasing common here.

“No, they’re women. My long-time instincts can still tell.”

“Oh—bold girls. Whose VIP card?” The voice sharpened, interest pricking like a needle.

“Only one card. Cardholder is Meng Xiaoxiao. The other’s her companion.”

“Huh? Xiaoxiao? Figures. The little rascal loves chaos. Maybe she wants to spook her friend. But this time she might crash—the A-level’s genuinely scary.” Lin sounded familiar with Meng, warmth flowing like tea.

“Alright. Have the third-floor staff contact me. I’ve got instructions for them. I’ll head over too. Haven’t seen that kid in a while. I’ll spook her for fun.” Lin chuckled, mischief glimmering like fox eyes.

“Got it, Lin-jie.” The attendant hung up, motion neat as a fold.

On the other side, Tang and Meng stepped into the palace and found a pitch-black prep room, darkness thick as ink.

“Please put these on. We’ll deliver you to your room.” A female staffer offered two blindfolds, fabric soft as night.

“Okay…” They put them on. Sight vanished, swallowed like a moon behind clouds. A gentle hand touched Tang’s left arm, guiding her forward, steps measured like a metronome. They climbed stairs that felt wide then narrow, shifting like a mountain path. The guide turned them left and right, corners like folds in a paper fan.

Along the way, they heard screams. A girl’s cry here. A man’s shout there. The sound stitched the atmosphere thick, tension rising like fog before dawn. The ambiance worked—well-crafted, like stage smoke and hidden strings.

After several minutes, a lock clicked, sharp as a pebble against glass. They entered a room, and a gust of cold rolled out, biting like winter river water.

Cold nipped first. Annoyance prickled. “Why’s the temperature so low…” Tang muttered, remembering how little she wore, the chill crawling like ants.

“Please kneel on the floor.” The staffer’s voice floated, calm as a bell.

“…” They didn’t understand, but they obeyed, settling onto their knees, posture formal as a tea ceremony.

Clatter… clatter…

A chain’s sound uncoiled, metal singing like a snake over stone.