"The man in Room 3003 said the Fourth Floor was a safety hazard, so they sealed it off. I think he's hiding something." Bai Huang gripped the Iron Railing. Every bar was thick.
"He also said wild animals from the mountains would come in at night. That was pretty scary, too." Rao Rao stood pressed close to Zhi Ge.
"Wild animals aren't frightening. What's frightening is something else pretending to be one." Bai Huang looked toward the Fourth Floor. There were no lights up there, and all the windows seemed to have been sealed shut. It was dark and forbidding; just looking at it sent a chill through her. "Iron cages are usually meant to keep things locked up. They've cordoned off the Fourth Floor, so there must be something up there that visitors aren't allowed to see."
"What do you think it is?" Gao Ming was eager to hear Bai Huang's assessment.
"Possibly a violent lunatic, or some kind of large 'pet,' or perhaps a ghost beyond our understanding." Bai Huang uttered the word "ghost" with complete composure, and the temperature around them seemed to drop a little.
Rao Rao shrank back and asked fearfully, "Bai Huang, have you really seen ghosts in dreams?"
"What do you think?" Bai Huang forced a stiff smile and changed the subject. "The man in 3003 is the first living person we've met in this dream. Even if he isn't the nightmare's owner, he must have a close connection to whoever is. I suggest we split into two groups while it's still light. One group can investigate the man inside the Manor, while the other looks for clues outside."
"Outside?"
"That's right. The window in room 2001 was smashed. Judging by the way the glass broke, whoever did it must have been standing