Infectious Devotion (Yandere M. x Fem. Reader)

The Greater Clamor

A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.

 Just up ahead, there was the left turn towards the next secret entrance. (F/n) held the lantern up more, and the light illuminated that the path also went off to the right. If she headed right, she would walk into a deeper and odder part of the tunnels. That was because of how the right path led into a circle before the path split again into another circle and a straight path. The second circle seemed to descend down into a pool. Maybe, it had been a bathing area in the past, but she doubted that the water remained clean unless the pool was formed from a constantly flowing stream under the town.

Thankfully, she didn't have to worry about that option, so she made the left turn and glanced to her left side of the new hall. Already, she could see the door to the storage closet. It was closed presently, but the doors to the two bathrooms were gone from their hinges. Rather, the old wood rested on the ground and was broken in various pieces. The old doorknobs were some distance away from the wood, and the metal on them was rusted, and she swore that she saw a spider crawl over one of them.

Hopefully, it wasn't a poisonous one, and she didn't even want to think about that thing possibly crawling on her. A chill slithered up her spine at the thought, and she hesitantly advanced forward. Occasionally, she would glance over her shoulder to make sure that whatever had been in the other hallways wasn't behind her presently. Each time, no ghost or other terrifying being met her gaze. Only the darkness stared back.

As she approached the storage closet, however, she was tempted to ignore it, but she noticed that the candle in her lantern only would last her so long. It was possible that other candles were in it, and she didn't know if she even would be able to get through the nearby secret entrance. (F/n) didn't want to think of that possibility, but it was an unfortunate truth that she might face soon. And if she had to travel to the next secret entrance, it would be a lengthy walk. Not to mention that she might encounter more terrifying things if she ventured further into the tunnel system. At least, Cankerfell only had the creature. She didn't know what the h*ll was in the current tunnels and how many of whatever it was there were.

Gulping quietly, she reached out towards the storage door. The hinges creaked horribly, and they sounded like a shrill cry of someone dying. (F/n) looked to both sides of her, but nothing dreadful greeted her gaze. So far, she was alright. When she had the door fully opened, she held the lantern up and noticed that there were two candles on the highest shelf, which she wouldn't be able to reach unless she climbed up.

Judging by the wooden shelves' state below it, climbing would be foolish. All it would do is break those shelves, and she'd fall. Maybe, she could jump up and break the wood if her hand gripped onto it. That risked stabbing herself with the wood chips even with her gloves, but she could blow out the current candle and swing the lantern. If the lantern broke, though, she'd only have options with open flames. Given what happened recently, she'd rather not dash through the tunnels like that. It was too easy to picture the flame lighting her surroundings or her on fire.

Perhaps if she checked the bathrooms, she would find something of use to her. About to turn around, she froze. Heavy breathing sounded right behind her. Strands of her (h/c) hair blew around her, and her heartbeat increased tenfold. She shook horribly, and she couldn't find it in herself to turn around. The breathing continued, and she shut her eyes tightly, hoping that she only was experiencing some awful hallucination even though it felt too real for her liking.