Chapter 9: The cracks in her mind

It started with small things - barely noticeable yet deeply unnerving. 

Ariel would walk into a room and something would seem out of place. A scarf she never wore, now tied neatly on her bedpost. A book she started reading was missing from the nightstand, only to reappear in her drawer. At first, she thought it was exhaustion, the pressure of everything building Inside her. But then came the whispers -soft and fleeting, always when she was alone.

She began to lose sleep.

The chandelier in the hallway flickered every time she passed as if mocking her. The distance in the mansion grew colder and uneasy. Then came the dreams - distorted memories of Vienna, of Connel and Tori dancing under the rain, Tori whispering, “You don't belong here.”

Reality and illusion began to blur. Ariel couldn't tell the difference between the two, Tori's voice became a constant echo in her head. 

Ariel moved down to the kitchen to get water. Her hands trembled as she clutched the edge of the sink. Her reflection in the mirror looked like someone she barely recognized - tired eyes, pale skin, lips pressured into a constant frown. The air in the mansion had changed; it wasn't cold anymore, and it felt watched.

She couldn't tell if it was her own mind unraveling.

That evening she knocked softly on the door to the study, knowing Watson was there. He looked up, surprised to see her. “Ma'am?”

“Do you mind if I sit?” she asked, voice small.

Watson stood immediately, pulling out a chair for her. "Of course. You look troubled.”

“I think I'm losing it,” Ariel admitted with a shaky laugh. “I don't sleep, I hear things, see things out of place, things I know I didn't do or place.”

Watson's expression grew serious. He leaned forward. “You're not losing it. I've noticed things too. Small things at first, subtle changes.”

“Like what?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

The strange noises and unexplained movements, the thermostat being set to freeze in your wings, doors creaking, Miss Laurent walking around the house at odd hours smiling at nothing."

Ariel felt her heart drop. “So I'm not imagining it?”

“No,” Watson said. “And if I may say, this house has known quiet madness before. But what's happening now feels deliberate.”

Ariel looked at him, her eyes swimming. “She's trying to break me, Watson.” 

“And I fear she might if you keep it all to yourself.” Watson said.

At this point, Ariel couldn't take it anymore; she was too weak to understand anything happening around her. She just wanted to go back to her life, she longed for the cramped apartment that smelled of old books and fried onions. For her dad's voice humming off-key in the kitchen. For nights that ended in laughter, not whispers in the dark. Her life wasn't perfect but she loved it.

She looked at Watson and he stared back at her. “Wait right here, I'll get you tea and we can go on a walk,” Watson said.

Ariel smiled “Don't bother, I can return to my room. I'm going to try and sleep, my eyes ache.”

“Alright, if you need anything don't hesitate to call me.” Watson said as he watched Ariel leave the study.

Her feet felt heavy as if rooted to the spot, and she shuffled forward with a slow, labored pace, her hand sliding along the wall to steady herself. 

Back in her room, she found it hard to sleep, her head pounded like never before. She could hear bells ringing in her head. 

She could remember how her dad would wrap her up in blankets whenever she was sick, feed her soup and stay with her till she was strong enough. It was different now; she picked up a book she'd been reading for days now and started reading. It wasn't long till she fell asleep.

Time went by fast; even in her sleep, she felt watched, she heard whispers, her body itched, and she woke up countless times.

She couldn't take it anymore, she finally woke up but something was missing, her locket. She was certain she placed it on the bedside table when her body started itching. She searched everywhere, asked Watson, and questioned the maids. Still, nothing.

She was restless, that locket was the only thing left in memory of her mother. Her mother had left them when she was still very young, and the only thing she left behind was that locket; she didn't get the chance to pass it on to Ariel. 

Ariel's grandmother gave her the locket, and anytime she asked about her mum, her grandmother just said she'd be back, and her dad didn't want to talk about it. With time she knew her mum wasn't going to return. She tore through every drawer, every corner, her fingers shaking as if her bones remembered the necklace better than her mind. And when she sat back, empty-handed, the first tear fell hot onto her wrist.

As she wandered, the clouds grew darker bringing down the storm. It poured down heavily, slapping the windows like it was going to break it down. Then came the bedroom window, left open during the storm, despite Ariel always locking it. Her sheets were soaked, and her book was ruined. The latch? Broken from the inside.

She tried to ignore it. She went to call a maid to clean it up. It was late, the house was quiet and the only sounds were drops of rain coming from outside. Ariel moved quickly, barefoot, and headed down to call a maid and grab a glass of water. The lights were dimmed, then - her foot slipped.

She hit the stairs hard, tumbling down with a scream, her body slamming against the railing. By the time she stopped moving, her breath was ragged, her shin throbbing, blood seeping through a gash on her arm. 

Watson and one of the guards rushed to her aid.

“There seems to be oil across the top stairs.” The guard said, confirming what might have caused the fall.

“I, I didn't see it,” Ariel gasped, pain clouding her vision.

Watson looked shaken. “No one has access to that corridor but you and Master Connel.”

She was patched up, but not before Connel arrived - furious, demanding answers. Ariel saw it in his eyes: he knew who had done it. 

But Tori was nowhere to be found.

Later that night, as Ariel rested in bed, she noticed something tucked beneath her pillow. It was her necklace, wrapped around a torn piano string. And attached to it, a note - elegant handwriting in black ink: “Break something fragile and you see what's inside.”

Ariel's hands shook as she read it. This wasn't a warning, it was a promise. Ariel's fingers trembled around the paper, her pulse thudding against the silence. The necklace- the last piece she had of her mother, felt like it was burning into her skin. Her pulse raced, but her mind moved faster.

Tori had been here, close enough to lean over her while she slept, close enough to press a note beneath her pillow like a curse. Ariel's hands trembled as she clutched the locket, suddenly colder than metal should ever be. And Connel had done nothing. Not when she wore Ariel's clothes, not when she invaded her space, not even now after Ariel bled.

Footsteps outside, heavy and measured.

Connel.

Ariel shoved the note into the drawer just before he entered. He saw the bandage on her arm and the swelling in her cheek.

“Are you okay?” he asked, softer than she expected.

She didn't answer right away. Just stared at him. “How long are you going to pretend you don't know what she's doing?” 

He didn't flinch, didn't even deny it.

“She's dangerous, Connel. You know it, you've always known.” Ariel pressed.

Connel sat down, weary. “It wasn't meant to get this far.”

“Meant?” Ariel snapped. “She almost killed me, Connel.”

“She won't,” he said tightly. “Not if I keep her close.”

Ariel's breath caught. “You let her stay, so you can control her?”

“I'm not defending her,” he said. “But there are things about Tori, about my family that I can't explain yet. If she's here I can manage her. If she leaves...” He trailed off.

Ariel's voice trembled, “She doesn't want you back. She wants me gone, and I don't get why I'm in the middle of all these.” 

Connel stood, pacing now, torn open. “She knows things. Things that could destroy more than just me; if she feels threatened, she'll unleash them. You, my business, my father's legacy - it would all burn.” 

“Then let it burn,” Ariel said sharply. “Because I won't be your shield. I won't sleep with one eye open while your ex plays house with my life.”

Connel turned to her slowly. “I'll keep her away, trust me.”

Ariel stared at him. Her lips parted. She realized she couldn't trust him, he had different sides and she found it hard to trust him. She watched him leave her room in silence.

Days had passed and there was no sign of Tori, it seemed like she disappeared into thin air but without her belongings. No one knew her whereabouts and didn't bother searching, she'll come back she always did, but at her time.