_{edited with inshot app.}

First of all, I would like to thank @ladyaryastark for giving me the opportunity to turn my earlier contribution into a separate conclusion. When I first joined the game, I misunderstood part of the connection between the different editions and ended up taking my writing in the wrong direction. At first I thought I had simply made a mistake that had to be thrown away, but thanks to her suggestion, I can give that piece its own ending instead.

So, here is my version of the conclusion.

---

Every shadow in the room seemed to stretch toward the corridor, then slowly pull back, as though the castle itself was holding its breath. The scraping sound went on for a few painful seconds before suddenly fading, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence. Only the soft crackle of the candelabrum beside my head broke the quiet.

My chest felt tight, and my damp shirt clung to my skin as I listened for any sign of movement beyond the doorway.

"Pedro?" I called again.

There was no answer.

Slowly, I moved my legs over the edge of the bed. The cold stone floor sent a chill through my bare feet. Whatever was out there, or somewhere below, wasn't going to wait for me. Staying in the turret room was no longer an option.

I stood there for a moment, trying to gather enough courage to leave the room.

Then I noticed something strange.

The shadows had stopped moving.

All of them were pointing toward the same place—the corridor.

I took a step forward.

Then another.

The door remained open behind me, but somehow the room already felt impossibly far away.

At the end of the corridor, I saw a faint light.

I was almost certain there had been no light there before.

I walked toward it slowly, afraid that whatever I found would finally explain everything. Yet with every step, the feeling became stronger that I had already done this before.

The same corridor.

The same cold floor.

The same silence.

And suddenly, I remembered.

I had been here before.

Not in a dream.

Not in a memory.

Here.

A sound came from behind me.

I turned.

The door to my room was closed.

"Pedro?"

This time, a voice answered.

But it wasn't Pedro.

It was my own voice.

And it was coming from inside the room.

I stood frozen in the corridor, listening to myself whisper the same question I had been asking all night.

"Are you awake?"

I couldn't answer.

Because somewhere deep inside me, I already knew the truth.

I wasn't sure which version of me had opened the door.

And I wasn't sure which one was still trapped inside.

The light at the end of the corridor suddenly went out.

Then I heard the scraping sound again.

This time, it was coming from directly behind me.

I closed my eyes.

And waited.

CONCLUSION

Thank you again, @ladyaryastark, for explaining the situation to me and for giving me the chance to turn my earlier contribution into something separate. I really appreciate the patience and encouragement. This game is definitely teaching me to read the story carefully before adding my little piece to the chaos. 😊

And perhaps this is what makes the Exquisite Corpse so interesting: sometimes even a mistake can become another story.

_{Thanks for going through my post, I really appreciate....}

BYE👋 FOR❣️NOW 🤝

Cc,
@ladyaryastark

Best Regards
✍️ @dannyben39