Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 9: The Tapping

Trigger Warning: Scary. Not recommended to read before bedtime.

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The faint tapping continued, slow and deliberate, as if someone—or something—was letting them know they weren't alone.

Eclipse, still in disguised as the young technician, instinctively reached for the flashlight clipped to her vest, but before she could switch it on, Obscura's hand shot out, gripping her wrist tightly.

"Wait," Obscura's voice was low, barely above a whisper.

Eclipse frowned but obeyed, her muscles tense. She knew better than to question Obscura's instincts. Instead, she strained her ears, trying to make sense of their surroundings. The air was stale, carrying a faint metallic scent—almost like rust... or blood.

Then, the tapping stopped.

A long, suffocating silence followed.

Eclipse exhaled slowly, trying to stay calm. "So... do we just stand here in the dark?"

Obscura finally let go of her wrist. "The darkness is intentional." As if he no longer wanted to say anything, he sighed but continued talking anyway. "Whoever designed this place wants intruders to panic and fumble. Don't give them that satisfaction."

Eclipse scoffed. "Oh, sure, let me just not be concerned about getting trapped in an underground maze designed by people we know nothing about."

Obscura ignored her, instead reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small device. A quiet click and a soft red glow illuminated his face.

A portable infrared scanner.

The screen flickered, showing a crude layout of the space around them. It wasn't a large room—maybe ten feet across—but at the far end, there was a doorway. More importantly, just beside it, the scanner picked up movement.

A figure.

Standing completely still.

Eclipse, peering over Obscura's shoulder, stiffened. "You seeing this?"

"Yeah," Obscura muttered. "And they're not moving."

Eclipse didn't like that. "Could be a mannequin, right?"

"Could be," Obscura said, though his tone suggested he didn't believe it.

Eclipse wasn't afraid of people—she was good at fighting—but ghosts were a different story. She was scared of them, thanks to her brother, who loved scaring her with horror movies when they were kids.

She had been keeping up a calm front since they entered the horror house, repeatedly reminding herself that nothing here was real—just people in disguise, wearing costumes to scare visitors.

Eclipse sighed. "Great. You go first, then."

Obscura didn't argue. He took a slow, deliberate step forward, his boots barely making a sound against the cold concrete floor. Eclipse followed, her senses on high alert.

The closer they got, the heavier the air felt. The red glow of the scanner cast eerie shadows on the walls, making the figure ahead look even more sinister.

Finally, they were just a few feet away.

Obscura lifted the scanner higher, revealing more details.

It was a mannequin.

Or at least, it used to be.

The head was missing, wires protruding from the neck as if it had once been part of some animatronic setup. Its arms were bent at odd angles, and its torso was covered in something dark—either dried paint or something far worse.

Eclipse let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Okay. Not as bad as I thought."

But the moment she spoke, a sound came from behind them.

A soft, deliberate creak.

Like a door... slowly opening.

Eclipse turned her head slightly, heart pounding. "Tell me that was you."

Obscura didn't answer.

Because the door behind them—the one that had sealed shut just minutes ago—was now open again.

And something was standing in the doorway.

A tall silhouette stood in the doorway, motionless. No discernible features, no sound—just the outline of a figure barely visible against the absolute darkness behind it.

Eclipse's breath hitched. Her fingers twitched toward her belt, where a concealed knife rested. Obscura, however, remained completely still.

A beat of silence stretched between them.

Then—

The figure took a step forward.

A quiet, deliberate step.

The floor creaked beneath its weight.

Eclipse tightened her grip on her knife, her mind racing. Fight or flee? She wasn't afraid of a confrontation, but something about this presence sent a warning signal straight to her instincts.

No! It can't be! Ghosts aren't real... there are no ghosts in this world. Her heart pounded as fast as her mind kept reminding her that they didn't exist.

Obscura finally moved, his voice barely above a whisper. "Don't react."

Eclipse shot him a look. Are you serious?

Obscura shifted the infrared scanner slightly, just enough to glimpse the figure's shape. The display flickered, rendering the outline in distorted red pixels.

And then—

The figure moved again.

This time, with inhuman speed.

One second, it was in the doorway.

The next, it was right in front of them.

A sharp rush of wind followed as Eclipse barely jerked back in time, her heartbeat hammering against her ribs. Obscura had already moved, stepping to the side with calculated precision.

The mannequin.

It was gone.

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Just seconds ago, the broken, headless mannequin had been standing against the far wall. Now, only empty space remained.

Eclipse swallowed hard. "Tell me that thing didn't just—"

A sound cut through the darkness.

A click.

Then another.

Click. Click. Click.

Like fingers tapping against glass.

Except there was no glass.

Obscura exhaled, barely above a whisper. "We need to move."

No argument there.

Without wasting another second, they pushed forward toward the only other door in sight—the one past where the mannequin had been.

Click. Click. Click.

The sound followed.

Eclipse resisted the urge to look back as she reached the door. Her hands moved fast, testing the handle. Locked.

Of course.

"Obscura—"

Already ahead of her, Obscura pulled a slim tool from his vest and jammed it into the lock. His movements were swift, precise.

Click. Click.

The tapping was getting closer.

Eclipse felt something shift in the air behind her. Too close.

She spun around—

And saw nothing.

Just darkness.

But she felt it.

Something unseen. Something watching.

A final, sharp click from the lock.

"Go."

Obscura yanked the door open.

Eclipse didn't hesitate—she bolted through, Obscura right behind her.

The door slammed shut the moment they were through.

And then—

Silence.

Heavy, suffocating silence.

Eclipse took a deep breath, her pulse still racing. "What the hell was that?"

Obscura didn't answer right away. He was scanning the new room—a narrow hallway lined with more mannequins, each one frozen in eerie poses. Unlike the last, these had heads.

And they were all facing the door they just came through.

Eclipse's stomach twisted.

Obscura finally spoke.

"I don't think this is just a test."