Whispers Behind Cold Walls

Lina turned helplessly, staring at the small cupped room given to her. Tomorrow will be a great day indeed! Lina thought within herself. She scoffed the moment the thought crossed her mind. Who was she fooling? Herself, maybe. Because there was nothing great about tomorrow, not when the owner of this house enjoyed living in the shadows like a bat that feared the sun.

She hissed, thinking back at what Igor had said earlier. "Tomorrow will be a great day." His voice echoed in her mind. A great day for who exactly? For the ones who enjoyed scaring people half to death? For the guards that never smiled, always standing still like statues with eyes that followed her every step? She shivered at the memory.

Lina hadn’t come here to find peace. She came because she needed money. Ethan needed money. Her little brother, so frail and pale, stuck to that roughed-worn-out cushion with wires around him like he was some kind of machine. They couldn't afford the hospital bills any longer. And her father, helpless, broken by debt and guilt, couldn't do anything anymore. She had to do something. So when the offer came from the strange agency and the pay was too good to ignore, she had to say yes because of their situation.

She sighed as she sat on the small bed. Her shoulders drooped as if all the weight in the world had finally landed on them. She bent slowly, untied her sneakers, and pulled them off, one after the other. With a loud thud, she threw them aside, not caring where they landed. Her hands rubbed her sore feet before she leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She tried to breathe slowly. In. Out. In again. The calm didn’t come. But at least the fear rested a little.

She stared at the plain white ceiling for a while, as her eyes wide open. There were no drawings, no cracks, just dust with cobwebs. It was never perfect. Just scary. Everything in this house was like that. They were just beautiful and neat outside, but crawling with secrets beneath.

Just as she felt herself drifting into a light sleep, there was a sudden knock.

"Hey miss!"

She blinked her eyes. The voice outside was loud and sharp. Lina stretched, her hand reaching up lazily before her head turned toward the door. The knock came again, louder this time.

Her eyes shifted quickly to the small window. The outside was covered in fog, the kind that made everything look like a horror movie.

"It’s morning already?" she mumbled and jumped off the bed. She groaned when she realized she was still in yesterday’s clothes, wrinkled and smelling of sweat.

The knock came again.

"Hey miss!"

This time she noticed something different. The voice wasn’t like the deep grunts she’d heard from the guards. It was softer, sharper… female. Lina’s heart jumped a little with hope. She thought she was the only female in the whole building, stuck between men with hard faces and the scar-faced, scary boss who barely said a word.

Quickly, she rushed to the door. Her fingers brushed through her hair, trying to smooth it down. Her lips stretched into a hopeful smile. Maybe this woman would be friendly. Maybe she could finally talk to someone.

But the moment she opened the door, the smile on her face froze.

A woman stood in front of her. Tall, with her hair pulled tightly into a bun. Her face was sharp, her lips thin, and her eyes? They held nothing but insults.

"What took you so long to open, lady?" the woman snapped.

Lina took a small step back. That wasn’t what she expected. The tone was too harsh, too unfriendly.

"I was asleep when you knocked, please," Lina said softly.

The woman rolled her eyes. She didn’t even bother to hide the disgust on her face.

"You’re not in your house to sleep as you like, woman," the woman said with a voice that could slice glass.

Lina lowered her gaze. She didn’t want trouble. She didn’t know the rules here. And she couldn’t afford to get kicked out now. Not when Ethan needed her.

"Alright ma'am. I will adjust," she said, giving a slight bow, unsure of what else to do.

The woman didn’t reply. She just walked into the room like she owned it. Lina stepped aside quickly.

From the hallway downstairs, a noise came. It was low, like distant murmuring, but there was something angry about it. Shouts. Voices. But not the playful kind.

Lina’s heart started racing.

The woman looked at her, raising one brow as if reading the fear in her eyes.

"Take this cloth," she said coldly, holding out a folded dress.

Lina hesitated.

The woman’s eyes narrowed.

"What’s your name?" she asked, stepping into the room further, scanning every corner as if checking for her lost gold.

Lina got the message. "Lina," she replied immediately.

"Wear this, Lina. The master needs you to meet him in the hall. Immediately."

Lina’s eyes grew wide.

Master? Did she hear that correctly? She felt her skin crawl. No one had ever called someone master around her before except the boss. It felt like she’d walked into a place where time stood still.

"What for, ma'am?" Lina asked, the words escaping her before she could stop them.

The woman looked back with a wicked smile. It was a smile without warmth. A grin that meant something else.

She turned toward the door, her heels clicking loudly against the floor.

"Maybe you should ask Master Kade that question, Lina," the woman said with a dry laugh and disappeared down the staircase.