4

“Kind of?” I shot back, hugging myself to fend off the cold. My breath came out in a visible puff, and the draft seemed to seep into my bones. “Why would anyone buy this place? It feels... wrong.”

Liam shrugged, seemingly unbothered. “Maybe they like fixer-uppers. It’s a steal for a place this big. They could turn it into a hotel or something.”

I shook my head, glancing around. The room felt suffocating, like it was closing in on us, and the shadows in the corners seemed to pulse and breathe, shifting every time I looked away. “I don’t know, Liam. It doesn’t feel... empty.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? The place is falling apart. No one’s been here in decades.”

“Exactly,” I muttered, feeling the weight of those years pressing down on me. “It’s been abandoned too long. It’s like the house is waiting for something. Or someone.”

Liam snorted. “Selene, you’ve been reading too many ghost stories.” He shot me a playful look, but when I didn’t smile, his expression softened. “Look, it’s just an old house. Yeah, it’s creepy, but that’s why we’re here, right? To explore.”

I didn’t answer. Instead, my gaze drifted back to the hallway. The darkness beyond the door seemed to shift, as if something was moving just out of sight. I blinked, and the feeling passed, the unease however remained in my heart.

“Maybe we should head back,” I suggested, my voice low.

Liam stopped, turning to face me. “You’re seriously spooked, aren’t you?”

I bit my lip, not wanting to admit it, but I nodded. “Yeah. This place... I don’t like it. It feels wrong.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Alright, fine. We’ll go. But we’ve gotta come back sometime, right? It’s not every day we get a chance to explore a place like this.”

I didn’t answer. I was already halfway out the door, back into the hallway, eager to put some distance between me and that eerie, suffocating bedroom. Liam followed behind, quieter now, as if he finally sensed some of what I was feeling.

We started down the stairs, but as we reached the landing, I heard something. A faint whisper, like the breath of the house itself, rising from somewhere deep within the walls. I froze, my hand tightening around the banister.

“Did you hear that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Liam frowned. “Hear what?”

I strained my ears, but the sound had vanished, swallowed by the oppressive silence. Maybe it was my imagination. I shook my head, trying to shake off the creeping dread that had settled over me like a second skin.

“Nothing,” I said quickly. “Let’s just go"

The creaking of the floorboards beneath my feet seemed louder now, echoing through the empty halls. Liam was ahead of me, his flashlight beam bobbing as he moved, calling out for me to catch up. But something made me stop—an uneasy feeling like a chill that crawled beneath my skin, prickling every nerve.

I stood still, staring into the dark corridor that stretched before me. The house groaned as if it were alive, each shift in the wooden beams sounding like a whisper just beyond my hearing. I took a step back, suddenly aware that I had lost sight of Liam. He had been right in front of me a moment ago, but now... nothing.

"Liam?" I called, my voice trembling.

No answer. My pulse quickened, the air feeling colder and heavier with each passing second. I turned in a slow circle, trying to figure out where I had come from, but everything looked the same—dilapidated and decayed. Panic surged through me.

"Liam?" I called again, louder this time, hoping he would hear me. But all I got in return was silence. A deep, all-consuming silence that swallowed the sound of my voice.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and I could feel it—something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

I backed away, stumbling over the uneven floor as I tried to orient myself. The corridor seemed to stretch out in front of me, growing longer and darker, the shadows deeper. My breaths came quicker, my chest tight with fear. I needed to find Liam. I need....

Then I saw him.He appeared out of the shadows, tall and looming, as if he had materialized from the very air itself. His presence was suffocating, wrapping around me like a shroud. I froze, unable to move, my feet rooted to the spot as my heart pounded in my chest.

The man’s hair was dark, as black as the deepest night, and his eyes... his eyes were darker still, as if they held all the secrets of the world in their depths. His skin was pale, almost glowing in the dim light, and when he moved, it was with a fluid grace that made him seem otherworldly.

He stepped toward me, his movements slow and deliberate, as though he had all the time in the world. My body screamed at me to run, but I couldn’t. My muscles refused to cooperate, and I was left standing there, helpless, as he drew closer.

He stopped a few feet in front of me and bowed his head, the gesture one of politeness.

“We have been waiting for you, milady,” he said, his voice low and smooth, sending a shiver down my spine. When he lifted his head again, there was a faint smile on his lips, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “How have you been?”

“For... for me?” My voice came out in a whisper, barely audible. Fear coursed through me, cold and sharp, as my eyes darted around the corridor, searching for a way out. But there was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

“Indeed,” the man said, taking a step closer, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “My lord asked us to buy this building for you. It belongs to you now.”

My breath hitched, and I took a shaky step back, my heart hammering in my chest. "What are you talking about?" I stammered, my voice weak. "I... I don’t own anything. I don’t even know you."