The Tales and Adventures of Daniel Newman and Celeste Hawthorn

Chapter 14: Dan's Trial Part 1

As the group opened their letters, the letters reads "You are invited to a dinner party at my mansion. Please dress formally."

"I think we should go to this because it might lead us to Celeste," Daniel says as he puts on his hat and red suit.

Ken and Arcan agree and get changed into their nice outfits. They walk to the mansion and the mansion is this huge, multiple story house with a fountain in the driveway. They knock on the door and a very elderly man answers the door "Welcome to my home. I am glad you guys got my letters. Please come in and make yourself at home."

As they walk in, they enter the foyer and it opens up to this high vaulted, massive living room. "Wow, this place is huge!" Arcan exclaimed.

"Why thank you son. I have spent a lot of money on this house. Is that right Daniel," The mansion owner said as he dropped his demeanor for a brief moment.

The group sat down for a brief moment then, the power went out. When the lights came on, Ken was gone. "Where did Ken go? He was just here a second ago," Dan said.

"I don't know. We need to find him!" Arcan exclaimed.

"Don't worry, we will find him," A mysterious man said.

"Who are you and where did you come from?" Arcan questioned. 

"You will find out in due time. In the meantime why don't we find your friend," The mysterious man said.

As they investigated the mansion, the group noticed that all the exits were blocked off. Dan asks the mansion owner why the exits were blocked. The mansion owner looked at Dan and said with a smug look on his face "I don't know what you are talking about Daniel."

Just after the mansion owner said that, the lights went out again. Daniel rushed to grab Arcan's hand but before he could do that, Arcan was taken. When the lights came on, Daniel was alone with the mansion owner and the mysterious detective.

"Where are my friends? Who are you?" Daniel questioned worryingly.

"You already know who I am Daniel," The mansion owner laughed like a maniac.

The mansion owner stripped away his disguise to reveal that he is Daniel's dad Giovanni. "I knew it had to be something but, I wasn't expecting this," Daniel said.

"You should have expected this and you didn't. That is what a failure of a son would do. There is someone I would like you to see. Come on out," Giovanni said as he gestured towards the staircase.

Daniel looked toward the staircase and said "Celeste?"

"That's right Daniel. Your precious Celeste is here with me and look she is being very obedient. Celeste, why don't you go up to say hello to our guests," Giovanni said as he guided Celeste toward Dan.

Before Celeste could ever reach Daniel, she and Giovanni started glitching. "Now I know for a fact that all of this isn't real," Daniel said.

"What do you mean Daniel? All of this is real. There is nothing you can do about it!" Giovanni exclaimed as he laughed.

"No it's not real and I can prove it," Daniel says as he sits down in a chair.

"W-w-what are you d-d-doing?" Giovanni asked, glitching out.

"Waiting for you to glitch out of existence," Daniel said defiantly.

As Dan let those words out of his mouth, Giovanni was gone. All that stood there was Celeste who wasn't even real.