Faceless Instincts

The Secret Passage

Nikolai and I were both stumped as a dark passage revealed itself in the corner of the room, "ready?" He whispered taking my hand.

"I don't see any other option" I stammered as fear settled in my core.

I had never seen Nikolai this tensed. He was alert and caught even the faintest sound or movements. As we slid through the narrow opening, I stumbled upon the immediate stairs, "careful" Nikolai said gripping my hand tighter.

"Why are these even here?" I grunted standing up.

"The question is why is any of this here."

Nikolai and I climbed up the stairs slowly. It was pitch dark and the Nikolai refused to turn on any light until he was sure that we were the only people down there.

There were only seven or eight steps that led us into an extensively narrow passage. Only a person can walk through it and no two people can either walk side by side or pass each other. It took Nikolai a good minute to debate upon whether to let me walk ahead of him or behind him. He was afraid, both the options looked risky to him, for once he contemplated sending me back to the room but then it seemed even worse. He finally decided on making me walk ahead of him, shielding me from behind while keeping an eye on anything that would come from ahead.

The walls were ice cold and high. I touched it and it felt like stone. We inched forward slowly and Nikolai turned on his light shortly, revealing nothing but a grim passage that appeared to be ending right in front of us.

"What the hell?"

"Walk, walk, don't stop."

I shook my head and walked ahead. What appeared to be the ending was merely a turn to the left. We took the turn and Nikolai flashed the light ahead revealing an old, murky wooden door.

"Not again." He groaned as we reached it.

I pushed the door a little to see if it was locked and to our surprise, it creaked, "it's open"

"I shouldn't have let you walk ahead" he mumbled and I rolled my eyes while opening the door.

What we saw next left us in awe. I rubbed my eyes to look clearly and Nikolai leaned against the wall, utterly disoriented. My eyes were wide while he ran his fingers through his hair in shock and dismay, "that son of a bitch." He grunted and I whipped my head towards him.

"Nikolai.." I whispered, "did you just call your father-"

"Don't even start on it Kiara you know I am not wrong...this-" he gestured towards the view, "this is plain satanic."

What were seeing was the study room. On our right was a solid wall but on our left was a one-side view fake canvas. What might appear as a solid wall to a person was a look through sheet for a person who was standing on our side. We were standing inside the walls of the Ashford Residence.

As we walked ahead it became clear that the entire house was built like this, not a single room was spared. Whoever was walking inside the walls was watching everything that was happening in the family.

"Maybe this is where your father used to go in and out of the house."

"No doubt in that." Nikolai said as we came to an intersection, "and to think that Dorian was telling the truth all along. My mother was telling the truth and this man just spun it all around."

I felt his grip tighten on my hand and I squeezed his hand back. I knew he was drowning in guilt and I just wanted him to know that I was here, "I am just...-" I trailed off.

"What happened?" He said as he Instinctively pulled me a little closer.

"Do you smell it?" I said raising my nose a little higher.