Chapter 3
The following morning, sunlight streams weakly through the windows of the mansion, casting long shadows on the floor. Adira wakes up on the bed, her sketchpad lying open next to her. She stares at the mysterious figure in her drawing, her mind racing.
Adira (FL)
(to herself) I don’t remember drawing this. Maybe I was half-asleep... or just imagining things.
She flips the page to start fresh but can’t shake the feeling of being watched. She gets up and heads to the kitchen to make coffee. The mansion is eerily silent, except for the occasional creak of the floorboards.
In the kitchen, Adira opens a dusty cupboard and finds an old coffee pot. As she rinses it, her phone buzzes on the counter. It’s a video call from Maya.
Maya (FL friend )
(cheerfully) Good morning, spooky mansion dweller! How’s the first night?
Adira (FL)
(sarcastic) Oh, just peachy. The house whispered to me, and my sketchpad decided to draw on its own.
Maya (FL friend )
(laughing) Very funny. Seriously though, are you okay? You don’t look like you slept much.
Adira (FL)
(hesitant) I’m fine. It’s just… this place is weird. Like, I can’t explain it, but something feels off.
Maya (FL friend )
Adira, you’re probably just freaked out because it’s new and creepy. Give it a few days. And if it gets too much, you know I’ll come kidnap you.
Adira (FL)
(smiling) Thanks, Maya. I’ll keep that in mind.
After the call, Adira decides to explore the mansion more thoroughly. She roams the dusty halls, her footsteps echoing. She stops in front of a large painting in the main hall, depicting the mansion as it once was, surrounded by lush gardens and fountains.
Adira (FL)
(murmuring) Hard to believe it ever looked like this.
As she moves closer, her eyes catch something strange in the painting—a figure standing by the fountain, half-hidden in shadow. She squints, feeling a chill run down her spine.
Adira (FL)
(to herself) That wasn’t there before… was it?
Later, Adira climbs the creaking staircase to the attic. The air grows colder as she opens the door, revealing a cluttered space filled with old trunks, broken furniture, and cobweb-covered mirrors. She spots a brick wall with a portion that looks uneven.
Adira (FL)
(curious) What’s this?
She carefully removes the loose bricks, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside, she finds an old leather-bound journal. The cover is worn, and the name "Kian" is etched in faded gold letters.
Adira (FL)
(whispering) Kian… Who are you?
Adira sits cross-legged on the floor, opening the journal. The first few pages are filled with elegant handwriting. She begins to read aloud.
Adira (FL)
(reading) ‘April 14th, 1885. Today, I walked through the gardens with Eveline. She seemed distant, but I brushed it off as nothing. Little did I know, her heart was already drifting away…’
Adira pauses, the name "Eveline" sparking a strange sense of familiarity. She shakes her head and keeps reading.
Adira (FL)
(reading) ‘The mansion holds secrets I cannot explain. At night, I hear whispers calling my name, and the shadows grow darker with each passing hour.’
Adira’s hand trembles as she flips the page, but the rest is blank. Her breath catches as a faint whisper breaks the silence.
She freezes, her eyes darting around the attic.
Adira (FL)
(shouting) Who’s there?!
The room falls silent again. She clutches the journal tightly, her pulse racing. A cold breeze brushes against her neck, and she bolts out of the attic, slamming the door behind her.
Back in her room, Adira sits on the bed, staring at the journal. The name "Kian" seems to pulse in her mind, growing heavier with each passing moment.
Adira (FL)
(to herself) What have I gotten myself into?
As she places the journal on the nightstand, the camera pans to the mirror. For a brief moment, a shadowy figure stands behind her, its eyes glowing faintly, before disappearing as she turns around.
Adira (FL)
(whispering) I’m not alone here… am I?
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