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It was quiet on the second floor, eerily so. Irina stood on the top stair in debate. In which directions should she walk? She looked left; the Hall of Joy was in this direction, then she looked right. There was evidence that Ethan had gone this way; a broken vase lay on the floor near the corner of the hall. Her first thought was to retrieve the Mask of Pleasure but knowing that Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters were most likely searching for Ethan, she chose to retrieve the Mask of Joy first.
As she started down the hall, a gunshot pierced the air. Irina jerked in fright; the reaction caused her to reach for her gun, but on hearing another gunshot she realized that the sound was becoming more distant. She took an uneasy breath and continued walking left. Whatever was going down in the opposite direction she hoped would be done when she returned.
At the doorway to the Hall of Joy, she leaned down and examined the lock; it was not the same as some of the locks she had seen around the castle, meaning it was special and the key was most likely hidden somewhere else.
Irina grinned and reached into her vest to retrieve her lock pick set. Doors like this were no problem for her. She knew that Ethan could benefit from her unique skill, but she honestly wanted to remain as neutral as possible. The chance that something might go wrong was likely and the last thing Irina wanted was for the Lords to turn their vigilant eyes on her.
The door clicked as the lock turned and Irina opened it wide. She walked in and immediately saw the mask on its perch; it was eerie when in place of a statue who was being stabbed, making it seem happy to die. Taking it from the statue, she held the mask tight; one down and one to go. The library was on the left and the Atelier was to the right, but honestly, Irina could find no reason to visit either of the rooms at the current moment, so she left and walked back to the main stairwell.
The mask wasn't an item she wanted to get caught with, so she hid it behind the bust of a nearby statue and walked towards the door that led to the Hall of Pleasure. Irina was pleased that Ethan had come this way already due to the door being locked with a special item; the maroon eye it appeared. She pushed the door open and walked through immediately staring in awe at the décor. It was stunning. The walls were white with gold trim that shimmered in the dim light. Compared to the rest of the castle, this hallway was breathtaking.
Irina descended the hall until she found the door to the Hall of Pleasure. The lock was much harder to pick due to it being much grander, but she was able to get in, walking into a room with another statue; a beautiful fireplace sat in the corner, but it was unlit. She hummed. Finding the masks was much easier than she thought.
Taking the Mask of Pleasure from the statue, Irina stared at it for a moment. It was much different from the other mask, but it certainly didn't appear like it was in pleasure. Oh well! Beggars can't be––
A sudden noise caught her attention and before she could react, metal bars descended over the door. Irina panicked. Shit! Was she locked inside?
She walked over and wrapped her fingers around the bars tugging at them. She was.
