DNLYHS Chapter 3 (Part 3)
by BrieYeonseo used that gap to continue.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry, but right before we left the broadcasting room, I saw your Code of Conduct! It was open on the desk.”
[Huh? Oh, I did leave my Code of Conduct notebook open on the desk… Wait, is it okay for you to just read someone else’s stuff like that?!]
“We had no choice if we wanted to understand who you are! You can only communicate with us through broadcasts, right? That must be why! Even when we were inside the broadcasting room, you and we couldn’t see each other!”
[…O-oh! Now that you say it, that makes sense! I kept wondering why that happened!]
Hearing the supervising teacher’s relieved voice made Yeonseo relax too.
He hoped this meant Yeongwon wouldn’t pick a fight anymore, but there was another reason.
The Code repeatedly warned not to go insane.
If the teacher reached a breaking point, there was no telling what might happen.
“…I’m sorry. It seems I misunderstood you.”
Yeongwon apologized. Then he nudged Yeonseo’s side and murmured almost silently, as if just moving his lips, something like, “Let’s talk more about that Code once we get back.”
Yeonseo gave a small nod and spoke toward the door of the broadcasting room.
“We’ll keep bringing you lunchboxes every day. Something like today could happen again, so we’ll open the door, push it in with our foot, and close it immediately.”
[Th-thank you.]
“If you need anything, tell us. If we can bring it, we will.”
Saying he would come again tomorrow, Yeonseo picked up the key bundle hanging on the door.
It needed to be returned to its original place.
They returned to the teachers’ office, hung the key bundle back in place, and searched the third floor for a while.
But there were no results.
No one was in any of the remaining classrooms, and there wasn’t a trace of the janitor anywhere.
The humming and the jingling of keys were gone as if they had never been heard.
‘Did she go downstairs? No, if she had, the sound of the key bundle would’ve given it away. Maybe she really disappeared like a ghost…?’
While they searched, Yeonseo briefly explained the supervising teacher’s Code of Conduct to Yeongwon.
It wasn’t very long, so the explanation ended quickly, but Yeongwon listened with a serious expression throughout.
“…That’s roughly what was written for day one. I wish I had time to read the rest.”
“No, don’t think that way. You wouldn’t have been able to read the rest anyway.”
“What? Why?”
“You were covering your ears with both hands. How would you have turned the page in that state? You already did everything you could.”
Right, when he said it aloud, it made perfect sense.
Yeonseo had been quietly holding on to regret, but those words finally eased him.
Meanwhile, Yeongwon kept staring at him with a thoughtful expression.
It was almost as if he were studying him, or drawn by something firm yet gentle.
But by the time Yeonseo felt that gaze and turned his head, Yeongwon’s expression was clean and unreadable again.
“Just reading all of that in such a short time is impressive. I got a lot of help from you today, really… Hey, Yeonseo.”
“Yes?”
Yeongwon hesitated for a long time, unable to speak his next words easily.
Yeonseo’s heart beat a little faster.
The atmosphere felt like gratitude or an apology was coming. And for once, he felt he deserved to hear something like that.
But when Yeongwon finally spoke, his tone was so plain it made the previous silence feel pointless.
“…Should we take the clock mentioned in the Code?”
“…What?”
Yeonseo, ready to say something like “You’re welcome,” froze awkwardly.
Sure, the man was infuriating, but this wasn’t the moment to brag. His mind blanked for a moment before he refocused.
“What clock? Oh, do you mean the wristwatches in the classroom?”
“Yes. If we have a clock, it’ll be useful for checking how much time is left until final assembly… I keep feeling like time moves strangely fast in this school.”
“……”
“Judging from how the Code of Conduct said ‘clocks,’ there must be several of them, right? It shouldn’t be a big issue if we carry at least one. And if the supervising teacher ever asks for one, we can hand it over then.”
Yeonseo felt like the man had deliberately glossed over something he really wanted to say, but he still nodded before he could think too deeply about it.
He wasn’t wrong.
The two of them had never seen a clock anywhere in this school, and they always had to run to the hideout the moment the evening broadcast rang.
A wristwatch would definitely help.
And the school’s sense of time really was strange.
According to the Code, the main activity period should last from 8:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., which was long, yet Yeonseo only ever felt like it lasted three or four hours.
Sure, fear could make time feel short, but even so, it felt like they needed a more objective way to check time.
Or so he thought, but…
“No, I think we shouldn’t take it right now.”
“Is there a reason?”
“Given the context, it sounds like… one of the students left their clock behind when they went outside for PE or something. If we steal a student’s clock, and they find out, we might end up provoking the entire class.”
Yeonseo involuntarily shuddered at the memory of the students tying down the cook and tearing off his flesh the previous day.
If possible, they should avoid making enemies.
Unless something critical happens, like the broadcasting room clock breaking, they should avoid provoking the students.
After thinking for a moment, Yeongwon nodded.
“…You’re right. We should try to find another way to obtain a clock.”
“If we’re going to take one, let’s only take a clock we can be absolutely sure is safe. What if it explodes or something?”
“Why would a clock explode…? Though I get what you mean. Thinking of that weird digital clock earlier… it does make me uneasy. The time kept jumping all over the place.”
With that, Yeongwon lowered his head, fear flickering across his face. He was clearly remembering what happened inside that room.
As Yeonseo recalled the endlessly looping digital clock, a troubling thought crept up on him.
‘What exactly was that illusion we saw in the broadcasting room? The supervising teacher called it [Repeat].’
The simplest explanation was that it had been a hallucination meant to frighten them.
Yeonseo immediately wanted to believe that.
It was less a conclusion and more like wishful thinking.
If he wanted to believe that the scenes of himself and Yeongwon trying to kill each other were nothing but the school’s manipulation, then that illusion had to be meaningless.
But if he thought a little more seriously, there was more to unpack.
The digital clock had repeated the same span of days over and over.
It always began on a specific date, moved forward one day at a time, then suddenly blacked out and reset back to day one.
It happened repeatedly.
And not once did the date ever reach the fourteenth day.
‘I don’t like where this is going.’
It was an absurd idea.
Ridiculous.
But given how bizarre this school was, it wasn’t entirely impossible either.
He thought about the line in the Code regarding “escape probability.”
If they failed to escape… what would happen to them?
The cafeteria students claimed they “couldn’t die,” but was that true only for the students?
While Yeonseo was lost in thought, his face pale, Yeongwon looked down at him with sudden concern.
“Yeonseo.”
“……”
“Yeonseo, look at me.”
He placed a hand on Yeonseo’s shoulder and gently shook him. Startled, Yeonseo turned his head, and Yeongwon asked with worried eyes:
“…I think I said something unnecessary. Are you remembering what happened in the broadcasting room because I mentioned the digital clock?”
“Doesn’t anything about it strike you? What any of it actually meant?”
“To be honest, I don’t want to think about what happened there. Remembering the feeling of choking you, that… well, it doesn’t make me feel very good.”
Yeonseo desperately wanted to press him further.
Did he not hear anything, even though he hadn’t covered his ears? What did he truly think about what happened?
But Yeongwon clearly didn’t want to talk about it. Was it because he hated guessing blindly?
Or because…
“…If possible, I’d rather you didn’t think too deeply about what happened there either.”
Because he was thinking the same thing, and was afraid it might be true.
While Yeonseo stood there blankly, exchanging a quiet gaze with him…
[…Ah, ah. The final assembly broadcast will now begin.]
The voice of the teacher supervising the Broadcasting Club flowed out from the speakers placed throughout the hallway. It had already been an hour and a half? It only felt like thirty minutes had passed. Yeonseo flinched in surprise, but whether he reacted or not, the voice from the speakers continued speaking.
[You must all be used to this by now, right? Your daily tasks have ended. If you have completed all your duties, please head to your hideout. If you have not yet finished your work, please proceed as quickly as possible. I trust you understand why!]
Right, come to think of it, he still had not finished his tasks! Yeonseo pulled the permanent marker from his pocket and looked around for a spot suitable for writing something down. Luckily, he had already planned the content in his head. First, send Yeongwon downstairs, then quickly record everything afterward…
[Once again, this is an announcement. The daily tasks for Day Three have ended. If you have completed all your duties, please head to your hideout. For those who cannot enter a hideout, please prepare yourselves for the night! … And.]
But then, the Broadcasting Club teacher brought up something different from the past three days.
[…Forget the “repetition” from earlier, all right? For the sake of your sanity.]
The moment that sentence pierced his eardrum, Yeonseo felt a hazy fog spread through his mind, making everything feel dull.
[Once again, this is an announcement. Forget the repetition.]
[Once again, this is an announcement. Forget the repetition.]
[Once again, this is an announcement. Forget the repetition.]
[Once again, this is an announcement. Forget the….]
Until now, it had always repeated exactly twice and stopped, but this time the voice repeated endlessly, like someone was looping a recorded message.
Yeonseo looked toward Yeongwon with unfocused eyes. Thud, he saw the tall man collapse weakly to the floor. Was he also affected by the broadcast?
This is bad. This is dangerous…
In the end, was Yeongwon right? Was the broadcasting room a dangerous place, and was the Broadcasting Club teacher someone who should not be trusted? Or was he still following the Code of Conduct and fundamentally someone they could trust…?
There was no way to know right now. But one thing was certain: if he kept listening to that broadcast, he would forget something important.
Then what do I do? Is it something I can afford to forget?
Yeonseo hesitated in fear, then quickly rejected his own question. No, there was no way he should forget this.
If forgetting was unavoidable, then he had no choice but to write it down. He originally planned to write something slightly different, but under the circumstances, he had no choice.
He looked around, then reached toward a corner of the wall hidden in the shadow of a potted plant. He had actually planned to write “Cover your ears.” somewhere near the broadcasting room. He thought it was valuable enough information that did not overlap with the Broadcasting Club teacher’s Code of Conduct.
But not now. The most important record he had to write was this:
Why does the history of repetition piled up in the broadcasting room exist? If you are only going to make us forget it, why show it to us at all?
It was more of a question than information, but a powerful instinct told him he absolutely had to write it today.
He stole a glance at Yeongwon, who was holding his head and groaning, unable to even look this way. Maybe that was why, right after finishing the sentence, an instinctive sense washed over him: he had completed today’s task.
Now it was fine. After slightly shifting the potted plant, so the writing would not be noticed by Yeongwon, Yeonseo slipped the permanent marker back into his pocket and walked over to him. As he squeezed his eyes shut and sank down beside him, the fog that clouded his mind suddenly washed out completely, turning into a blank white…
[…I hope you all have a safe night.]
With that calm closing remark, the broadcast ended.
By the time Yeonseo opened his eyes again, he did not even realize that he had forgotten something.
“Let’s go back to the hideout. This isn’t the time for us to be chatting!”
Forgetting exactly what they had even been talking about, the two of them immediately ran toward the art preparation room on the third floor. The gym storage room would have been more convenient in many ways, but for now, heading to the closest hideout seemed like the better choice.
What record did I just leave behind? I feel like I wrote down something important…
The entire time he ran, Yeonseo struggled to hold onto the scattered fragments of his thoughts. The fact that his memory was evaporating this quickly was clearly abnormal, yet even the awareness that it was abnormal was strangely faint.
As he ran, he glanced back at the potted plant in the corner of the hallway. He had written something important behind that plant. That much, he must not forget. He had to check it tomorrow when he had the chance. He repeated this over and over in his mind as he followed after Yeongwon.
Maybe because they ran so earnestly, they once again managed to reach the hideout without being attacked by any monsters. Whether those masses of flesh rolling their huge eyes even attacked people in the first place, or what would happen if someone was attacked, still remained unclear.
“Today was confusing in many ways. The Broadcasting Club teacher and the janitor, both situations were uncertain, like we both did and did not encounter them.”
Yeonseo nodded at Yeongwon’s words. They had spoken with the former, and the latter had saved them, but they hadn’t seen either one’s face even once. He wanted to trust them for now, but he couldn’t ignore the possibility that they might be something other than human.
“It would have been nice if we could’ve talked to the janitor. Since he saved us, at least thanking him…”
“Even today, you went to the broadcasting room with the same intention and suffered for it, didn’t you? I don’t think the Broadcasting Club teacher or the janitor are bad people, but considering what happened, we should continue to be cautious. Trusting too easily could put us in trouble.”
“…I know it’s hard to trust them, but still, I hope we can cooperate.”
No, cooperation was inevitable. For Yeonseo and Yeongwon to escape the school safely, they would have to rely on the duties of those people.
But the moment he thought that far, Yeonseo felt a twinge of worry.
So far, they had confirmed five “people with roles” inside the school, including himself: the Librarian, the Disciplinary Committee Member, the Cook, the Janitor, and the Broadcasting Club teacher. Even setting aside the question of whether the last two were human, he couldn’t deny that those with roles played important parts in the school’s system…
Except him. If anything, wasn’t his role the most trivial?
Even if he considered the two whose roles hadn’t yet been revealed, he couldn’t deny that his own job provided barely any meaningful help.
All he did was record the things he discovered in the school. And if his recording overlapped with someone else’s Code of Conduct, it caused them harm. To avoid that, he had to secretly read other people’s Codes. What meaning did that even have? How did that help anyone? He had no idea.
The only advantage was that he wasn’t locked into a specific location like the others, but that applied to Yeongwon and the janitor as well.
He could help by sticking close to Yeongwon, but that had nothing to do with his role. In fact, to properly carry out his role, he had to avoid Yeongwon and write where his eyes couldn’t reach. At this point, it was dangerously close to being a burden.
And judging from the past few days, the Librarian role didn’t gain benefits with each added instruction, it only became more and more restricted. What if, eventually, he turned into nothing but dead weight instead of being helpful?
Would things really be okay like this?
As Yeonseo was sinking deeper into thought…
“…Yeonseo.”
Sitting across the table, Yeongwon suddenly reached out and brushed his cheek and the back of his neck. The sudden touch startled Yeonseo so much that he flinched hard.
“Wh-what?!”
“Your neck injury has already healed. Just a moment ago, you were bruised and scratched all over. It was a mess.”
Muttering that, Yeongwon withdrew his hand with an embarrassed look.
Noticing the guilt and concern in his eyes, Yeonseo felt his face warm slightly. Earlier outside, he had felt hurt that the man didn’t seem to acknowledge his trouble, but now that Yeongwon was acting like this, he didn’t feel proud or pleased, just a little awkward.
“They said injuries heal when the situation becomes safe. Maybe that’s why?”
“Strictly speaking, they said the injuries move. You’re the one who will have to pay the price.”
“That sounds exactly like the line I said yesterday, not a single word different…”
“That’s why I’m saying you were right, and that I’m sorry. You went through so much trouble because of me today, didn’t you?”
“…Uh.”
Why was this man acting so embarrassingly sweet? Yeonseo thought that, but he didn’t shake his head. Seeing that, Yeongwon let out a small laugh. It didn’t sound like he was mocking him, more like a self-deprecating chuckle.
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to escape the broadcasting room on my own. Even if I had escaped by luck, in that state I wouldn’t have read my Code of Conduct properly, so my relationship with the Broadcasting Club teacher would’ve definitely fallen apart. The reason that didn’t happen is because of you.”
“No, really, it’s fine. We both didn’t have much choice…”
He said that, but the corners of Yeonseo’s mouth were creeping upward. His role might be useless, maybe even a burden, but the fact that he had helped this man at all made him feel quietly proud.
Yeongwon saw that but didn’t tease him. Instead, he whispered softly.
“…From now on, I’ll make sure to protect you. Not threaten you like I did today.”
“Even hearing that is nice.”
Strictly speaking, it might have been more like a vow to fulfill his role properly. But Yeonseo still liked the sound of it. It felt like the man was saying he would stay by his side even if he were useless or a burden.
And even though he knew the injuries were gone, the hand lingering on the back of his neck felt warm and comforting, despite being embarrassing.
Still, he wished the touching of his cheek would stop. It wasn’t an injured spot, and somehow it felt like the man was kneading his cheek for the texture… When Yeonseo shyly pulled his face away, Yeongwon gave an awkward smile and withdrew his hand.
“…Well then, let’s read tomorrow’s Code of Conduct.”
“Right. We need to see what ridiculous thing they’ll make us do tomorrow.”
As they had on the first day, they began reading the Code with the help of the desk lamp.
But Yeonseo couldn’t help feeling confused. The Day Four Code of Conduct was just too short and simple.
[Code of Conduct: Day Four]
[If the Broadcasting Club teacher goes insane, your chance of escape is 0%. If he does not, it is 21%.]
[1. From Day Four to Day Six, the Code of Conduct will be the same. If you have successfully adapted to the rules of this school, familiarize yourself with everyone who has a role, gather information, and record it. The information you gain during this period will help you make your “first choice” on Day Seven.]
[2. Even if there are people whose locations you do not know, do not be discouraged. You can find them. Theoretically, you can encounter every human being present in the school before reaching Day Seven. The difficulty will change depending on how diligently you have recorded information.]
…That’s it? This doesn’t even fill half a page, let alone a full one.
And the fact that they intended to reuse this same short Code for three whole days was almost laughable. Considering that some people had no choice but to rely on the Code, shouldn’t they have written it with a bit more care?
No… it was better than having bizarre restrictions piled on endlessly. But still…
There was important content. The most eye-catching part was the phrase [first choice]. On Day Seven, he would have to make some kind of choice. If they called it a first choice, there would almost certainly be a second. Maybe even a third, and more…
“…So from Day Four to Six the Code is unified? Unbelievable. How about yours, Yeonseo?”
Judging from the deep frown on Yeongwon’s face, it seemed his Code was lacking information as well. He flipped the pages as if refusing to believe it, but after reading only a few lines, he closed the notebook.
“Oh? Mine too. It says to interact with everyone and gather information so I can make a ‘choice’ on Day Seven…”
“A choice? What kind of choice are they talking about?”
“I don’t know exactly, either. It only says that I have to make a choice.”
It seemed there wasn’t even a mention of that on Yeongwon’s side.
Instead, his Code of Conduct apparently contained the line: [Prepare for Day Seven.] When Yeonseo asked what he was supposed to prepare, he avoided answering, but it was clear that something would happen on that day.
“I’m sorry, but it says I’m not allowed to talk about the details… Anyway, Yeonseo. The one certain thing is that you have to find everyone before Day Seven, right?”
“Yes. Theoretically, it says we can meet all of them by then.”
“Then the janitor should be first. He has the most information out of the ones we know. We don’t even know the job titles of the others, but we have a clear description of him and his appearance.”
“But how do we find him? Even though his Code said he was trapped, he was still walking around outside. That’s how he managed to free us…”
Is he really like Schrödinger’s cat? When Yeonseo muttered that, Yeongwon quietly nodded without a hint of sarcasm this time. As long as the Code wasn’t wrong or lying, the man truly was in a state of being “trapped yet moving.”
After thinking for a moment, Yeongwon finally spoke.
“What if we ask the Broadcasting Club teacher?”
“Ask? What for?”
“We ask him to make a ‘missing person announcement.’ We describe the janitor’s job and appearance, then request that he leave an obvious sign at a place where we might be able to find him. Something like that.”
“Uh…? Do you think that’s possible?”
“If it doesn’t work, then it can’t be helped. But it’s worth trying, isn’t it?”
It was a reasonable idea. If they couldn’t find the janitor, then they could try to make the janitor find them.
Of course, the janitor could ignore the broadcast, or the Broadcasting Club teacher might refuse due to Code-related restrictions… but for now, it was the easiest option. At the very least, they could casually bring it up when delivering the lunchbox.
“…It’s a good plan. And if it doesn’t work, we’ll search the entire school and come up with something else.”
“Right. Then now… let’s get some sleep.”
Both of them were exhausted from the long day, their eyes heavy with fatigue. With no better option, they rested their heads on the table and decided to close their eyes.
It was uncomfortable, and tomorrow they definitely needed to look for the gym storage room on the first floor or another hideout… Yeonseo grumbled internally, but the moment he leaned forward and shut his eyes, he fell asleep right away.
And Yeongwon, resting his chin on his hand, stared at the young man for a long moment before finally closing his own eyes.
His fingertips hovered several times as if to touch Yeonseo’s head, but in the end, dropped weakly onto the table.
Right after the end-of-day broadcast, a woman with keys hanging from her waist walked down the hallway humming to herself.
She did not remember the contents of the broadcast. She had barely listened to begin with, so all that remained in her mind was the impression that someone had kept repeating the same words through the speakers. Even that faded cleanly after a short while.
Ever since coming to this school, the woman had always been like that. It wasn’t that she couldn’t perceive what was happening around her, but everything felt hazy and distant, as if her mind was filled with fog. She simply repeated her assigned “tasks.”
When it was time to move around, she walked through the hallways. If she found an open door, she closed it. Sometimes, if she felt like opening a door, she opened it. When her allowed moving time ended, she returned to her [original spot].
If she couldn’t remember things well, she opened the notebook that contained her Code of Conduct. The notebook hung from her neck on a long cord like a necklace, so she could stop anytime and check it whenever she wanted.
[Your job is “Janitor.”]
[Time remaining until escape: 14 days (2 weeks).]
[Trust the Code of Conduct. It must be obeyed absolutely.]
[Your current chance of escape is 4%. Patrol the school at the designated times. Lock doors or open locked ones as instructed.]
The notebook was one of the few things she could properly recognize.
She understood that the Code of Conduct written inside was important. According to it, her chances of leaving this place were extremely low, but even so, she had a sense that by following the instructions she could protect something precious.
[Code of Conduct: Day Three]
…….
…….
[3. You may occasionally encounter people traveling in pairs. If you see the Librarian, you may ignore him.]
[Helping him survive at this point in time does not significantly increase your chances of escape. Of course, if you feel inclined, you may help him.]
[3-1. The Librarian is incompetent, and will beg for survival in various ways. Likewise, you may ignore him. There is virtually no situation in which he will be of benefit to you now.]
[Of course, helping him is fine. He is incompetent, so he cannot harm you. Perhaps he may have helped you many times in the past.]
[3-2. However, if the writing the Librarian leaves on walls begins to feel strangely tempting to you, close your eyes and count to ten. Your body may not withstand it otherwise.]
But at times, the notebook contained things she could not understand.
She assumed they were things she didn’t need to know. It told her she could help if she wanted and ignore if she wanted, so there was no need to think too deeply. She simply decided to act however she felt. Just like earlier, when she impulsively opened the broadcasting room door upon seeing the bundle of keys hanging there.
[4. If the group includes * then….]
However, she was in the middle of reading that part when she heard someone knocking on a door. She turned her head.
“Hey.”
It was the door leading to the annex corridor. The door itself was metal, but it had a generously sized window, allowing a view into the passage connected to the annex. A person stood in front of that window.
It seemed to be a man. Even if he was young, he looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties. Like the woman, he wore his cap pulled low. His navy shirt and black pants looked almost like a uniform. He was quite tall, but his build was so thin and fragile that he seemed like he would collapse if someone nudged him, a sickly impression.
But the woman showed no particular interest in his outfit. There was only one thing she knew for certain. Beyond that window, more precisely, the locked passage toward the annex, counted as a “hideout” and was therefore safe.
According to her notebook’s Code of Conduct, because she, the janitor, was already inside a hideout, she could not enter another. Doing so would be a violation of the rules.
“Don’t glare at me like that. I just said something because I was bored.”
The woman had not glared at him, but he shrugged as if to play it off.
“……”
“Hey, why did you save those two today? You didn’t have to. It was written in your Code, too.”
“……”
“I’m not picking a fight, seriously. I’m just bored since I’ve been walking around alone. Up until a few months ago, I always used to go around with that guy. Not that useless little Librarian who doesn’t help with escape. I don’t know if my luck’s been bad lately or if his tastes changed.”
“……”
“So, which door are you opening today? Shouldn’t you check on the nurse soon? Yesterday she got chunks of flesh ripped out, and today she got strangled. She must be struggling. If you leave her alone, the injuries might pile up and she might die. Oh, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Almost half a year?”
The woman thought for a moment and made a conclusion. There was no benefit in talking to him. It was better to move on.
Her mind was as foggy as always, and she didn’t really understand what he was saying. Even if she had been perfectly clear-headed, she doubted she could have followed his context.
Thinking she didn’t even know why she had stopped walking in the first place, the woman turned her body and crossed the hallway to continue her patrol.
After a long silence, just before she disappeared completely from his sight, the man raised his voice.
“You’ll open the annex corridor door on Day Six, right? No matter how much you hate me.”
“……”
“In the past, it opened fine without your help, but lately it just won’t open on its own. Is that the Librarian’s fault for working too hard?”
Opening locked doors is your Code of Conduct, isn’t it? Ignoring the man’s taunting voice, the woman walked down the hallway, passing through the monsters.
Next to the stairway leading down to the second floor, specifically in front of the door labeled [Art Preparation Room], the woman stopped and reread her Code of Conduct.
[If your group includes * observe their movements carefully.]
[However, it is better not to help them. Unless you wish to become a sacrifice for their escape.]
The woman closed her notebook, tilted her head, and descended the stairs. Slowly, weakly, as though she were floating like a ghost.