The door behind Ryan creaked slowly.
He turned instantly.
His eyes scanned the dark entrance of the room.
Nothing.
Just silence.
But something felt wrong.
He was not alone.
Ryan stepped back slightly, his senses alert. The faint light in the room flickered again, casting long shadows across the walls.
"Who's there?" he asked quietly.
No answer.
Only the sound of his own breathing.
For a few seconds, everything was still.
Then—
A soft footstep echoed from the corridor outside.
Ryan moved quickly toward the door and stepped into the hallway.
The corridor was empty.
But the dust on the floor told a different story.
There were fresh footprints.
Not his.
Someone had just been there.
Ryan followed them carefully. Each step he took felt heavier, as if the darkness around him was closing in.
The footprints led toward the staircase.
But suddenly…
They stopped.
Right in the middle of the corridor.
As if the person had simply… disappeared.
Ryan frowned.
That was impossible.
He looked around, his eyes searching every corner.
Then something caught his attention.
On the wall, just beside where the footprints ended, was the symbol again.
But this time, something was different.
Below the symbol, written in dark ink, were two words:
"Too late."
For the first time, a shadow of unease crossed Ryan's face.
He immediately turned and rushed back into the hidden room.
The table.
The files.
The recorder.
Everything was still there.
But something was missing.
One of the photographs he had seen earlier… was gone.
Someone had taken it.
And that meant only one thing.
They weren't just watching him anymore.
They were interacting with him.
Ryan slowly clenched his fist.
"This isn't a game…" he whispered.
From somewhere deep inside the mansion, a faint sound echoed.
A door closing.
Or maybe…
Someone leaving.
Ryan stood still for a moment, his eyes dark and focused.
Whoever was behind all this was always one step ahead.
And now, they had made it clear—
They knew him.
They were watching him.
And they had already begun to move.
Outside, thunder roared over Blackwood, as the storm grew stronger.
And deep within the shadows…
the real mystery had finally begun. 🌑📖