The water in the room had risen past my waist and was now approaching my chest.
I couldn't swim, so I could only inch my way through the water, searching for clues.
Investigating was becoming increasingly difficult.
Although the flood hadn't submerged the entire room, there was virtually no surface left above water to explore.
Almost every object was submerged.
I fumbled blindly—it was like grasping at shadows, relying on touch alone.
Just as despair was about to swallow me whole, a painting on the wall was knocked loose by my movement through the water.
It looked heavy, but instead of sinking, it floated on the surface.
Something about it struck me as odd.
I dragged it toward me and shook it.
Something rattled inside.
I pried it open frantically.
The painting was a hidden compartment.
Inside, sealed in transparent tape, was a plastic bag—waterproof.
And inside the bag was a compact black flash drive.
The sprinklers above had stopped again.
I raced against time, snatching the flash drive, stepping onto the stool, and plugging it into the laptop.
Then I clicked open the drive.
There was only one video file.
I launched it immediately, watching at double speed.
The video was another 3D game animation.
But this time, it wasn't from Max's perspective.
It was shot from the security cameras inside the cabin.
The footage showed the five of them entering the room.
Max announced he was going to the van to fetch cooking ingredients.
In reality, he was retrieving drugs he'd prepared in advance.
Tyson followed close behind, heading for a tree to relieve himself.
Felix watched Max thoughtfully, then followed him out.
Left alone in the cabin were Yuna and Potter.
Yuna seized the opportunity to tell Potter about the baby—and was rejected.
In the ensuing argument, Potter strangled Yuna in a fit of rage.
Just after Yuna's last breath, Max and Felix returned.
Desperate, Potter shoved Yuna's body under the bed.
He claimed she'd stepped outside to take a call from her family—something she didn't want the others to hear.
Max and Felix suspected nothing and went to the kitchen to start cooking.
Potter was about to move Yuna's body when Tyson came back inside.
He had to abandon the plan for now.
Soon, dinner was ready.
Max served the dishes and noticed Yuna still hadn't returned.
He told the others to start eating and took the key to go look for her.
Tyson quickly finished his rice and went to the kitchen for more.
Alone in the room were Felix and Potter.
As Felix ate, he noticed a faint strand of dark hair poking out from under the bedsheet.
He froze, glancing at Potter with a knowing look.
Potter didn't notice Felix's reaction.
He was too consumed by what he'd just done—his mind was racing with what to do next.
Then Potter seemed to remember money.
Without warning, he brought up the business they'd partnered on before.
The conversation shifted to Tyson.
Potter suggested Tyson was easy to trick—they could pressure him into borrowing more money from Max for their use.
Felix didn't approve.
Potter scoffed. "That idea was yours in the first place. Stop playing the saint."
From the kitchen came a sudden crash—like someone kicking a table leg.
Potter and Felix exchanged a glance. They set down their bowls and went to investigate.
They found Tyson looking panicky—he'd overheard their conversation.
Potter abandoned all pretense. He threatened Tyson: go borrow more money from Max, or die.
"I can't!" Tyson stammered. "I already owe Max and I finally got him to give me more time. He'll never lend me more now."
Potter frowned, thinking.
Tyson saw his chance and bolted for the door.
Potter and Felix lunged to block him.
In the scuffle, Tyson tripped and fell.
A cleaver on the cutting board slid off the edge and struck his throat.
Potter dropped to his knees beside him. "Hey—are you okay?"
Felix stood behind Potter, watching coldly.
Then he crouched down, grabbed the cleaver still lodged in Tyson's throat, and before Potter could decide whether to call an ambulance—Felix slashed it across Potter's neck.
Potter fell backward in shock.
Felix's voice was ice. "You killed Yuna. You killed Tyson. I'm just balancing the scales."
Potter stared at him, eyes wide.
2
Felix laughed. "Don't hate me. Even if I hadn't killed you, Max would have. He signed up for a murder mystery game—last one standing wins a fortune. He brought us all here to die. Since three are dead anyway, I figured I'd take my shot at the prize."
With that, Felix turned on the gas, lit a napkin, and dropped it onto Potter's body.
The flames caught instantly and spread fast.
Felix grabbed the cleaver and strode confidently toward the front door.
But when he twisted the handle, it wouldn't open. The windows were all sealed shut.
In the end, all four of them burned to death.
The burn scars covered every other wound on their bodies.
Without close inspection, the truth was invisible.
I finished the video at top speed and reported the third clue to the system.
"The fire was set by Felix. He's the real killer—not Max."
A chime. The screen displayed: "Congratulations, player—you've found the fourth main-plot clue. You must collect all four clues to open the door. Keep going—time is running out!"
I glanced at the slot marked "3" on the screen—it was still blank.
That was a problem. Which clue had I missed?
I scrubbed through the video, watching repeatedly.
Finally, I found the issue at the point where Felix tried to flee.
"That's strange—why couldn't he open the door?"
I rewound to the beginning and watched carefully. I understood.
Max had used the key both times he went outside.
Which meant the front door was a special mechanism.
To create a perfect locked-room scenario, the door could be entered freely from outside—but couldn't be opened from within.
The only key was in Max's possession.
The water was rising past my neck. I didn't have time to second-guess the deduction.
I submitted the clue immediately.
A chime. A pop-up: "Congratulations, player—you've collected all four clues and successfully proven Max's innocence. You receive one key!"
The screen went black, then displayed a final animation.
It showed Max searching the woods for Yuna. In the distance, he saw the cabin engulfed in flames.
He looked down at the key in his hand with terrified eyes—as if something had just dawned on him.
Then he sprinted toward the burning cabin.
The video held on his running figure.
His face was twisted with anguish, tears streaming... and from his pocket, a plastic bag of white powder tumbled free.
Looking at that final frame, I murmured, "This is what truly proves Max didn't kill anyone."
A chime. The screen displayed: "Congratulations, player—you've passed the final test. Please accept Max's thank-you gift."
Then a rumbling sound filled the room.
Drainage holes opened. The water began receding rapidly.
The submerged surfaces slowly reappeared.
I followed the direction of Max's pointing finger in the final frame.
In the automatically-ejected laptop desk drawer, I found a key identical to the one from the video.
I grabbed it and rushed to the back door.
My hands shook with adrenaline—I was about to escape.
But when I wrenched the door open, my heart dropped.
The winding mountain road, the streetlights, the passing trucks I'd seen through the glass panel—
They were all just an ultra-realistic LCD screen playing a video.
Exactly like the 3D projections I'd seen through the dormitory windows.
I was on the verge of collapse. I kicked the door hard, twice.
All that effort, and this was what I got? The injustice was unbearable.
Red lights began flashing furiously throughout the room. "Warning! Warning! Do not damage game equipment. Punishment incoming."
From all four corners, blue electric bolts shot toward me simultaneously.
My whole body seized. My legs gave out. I hit the floor with a thud.