Lr stories part 1: Power royale

Chapter 6: Haunted Mansion, Part 1

**Announcer 1:** "Ladies and gentlemen, after that explosive encounter, our contestants are in for a different kind of thrill. What could be scarier than fire and ice? How about a haunted mansion?!"

**Announcer 2:** "A wise choice to rest and recover, but in Power Royale, nothing is as it seems. This mansion could be a trap waiting to spring, and they might not be the only ones there. Stay vigilant, viewers."

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The trio trudged through the forest, their exhaustion palpable in every step. The adrenaline from the fight had long worn off, leaving behind the bitter taste of survival. William glanced at Angelo, who was still limping from his burn, and then at Laurel, who walked silently beside them, lost in his own thoughts.

"Hey, look," Angelo said, breaking the silence. Up ahead, nestled among the thick trees, was an old wooden mansion. It loomed over them like a dark sentinel, its towering structure casting long shadows across the forest floor. The place seemed ancient, with ivy crawling up its walls and the wood weathered by time.

William raised an eyebrow. "A mansion? Out here? That's either really good luck... or really bad."

Laurel nodded, his voice quiet. "We need to rest. It might be our only option."

The three of them approached the mansion cautiously. The front door creaked as William pushed it open, revealing a large foyer filled with old wooden furniture and dusty chandeliers. Everything was wooden—the floors, the walls, the ceiling, even the banisters on the grand staircase.

Angelo let out a relieved sigh as they stepped inside. "It's quiet. Too quiet... but I'll take it." He hobbled over to a worn-out couch and collapsed onto it, wincing as he stretched out his injured leg. "We can at least rest here for a bit."

William inspected the room, his eyes narrowing at the dark corners. "I don't like it. It's too perfect, too... inviting." His hand hovered over the metal pieces he had scavenged earlier, ready to defend them if needed.

Laurel stood by the staircase, his gaze drifting over the room. Despite its worn appearance, the mansion felt eerily well-kept. No broken windows, no collapsed ceilings. And the furniture, though dusty, seemed almost... placed, as if someone had been here recently. His skin prickled with unease.

Suddenly, a loud creak echoed through the room. Angelo yelped in surprise as the couch beneath him shifted, causing him to tumble onto the floor. He groaned in pain, clutching his side.

"What the hell?" Angelo muttered, looking up at the couch. "That thing moved by itself!"

William was already on high alert, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of movement. "We're not alone here," he said in a low voice. "Stay sharp."

As if on cue, the floorboards beneath them groaned, and the chandelier overhead swayed ominously. Laurel took a step back, his instincts screaming at him to get out, but the door behind them suddenly slammed shut with a deafening bang.

The air grew thick with tension as the room seemed to come alive around them. Shadows danced along the walls, and the wooden floor began to shift, twisting and warping beneath their feet.

Angelo gasped as the staircase he was standing next to abruptly retracted, leaving him stumbling. He caught himself just in time but couldn't shake the feeling that the mansion was trying to play with them.

"Someone's controlling this place!" Laurel shouted, his eyes darting around the room. "They're messing with us!"

William cursed under his breath, his grip tightening on a piece of metal he had bent into a makeshift weapon. "We need to find them, and fast."

But before they could make a move, the mansion shifted again. The walls seemed to breathe, expanding and contracting, as if the building itself was alive. A cold wind whipped through the room, sending shivers down their spines.

And then, in a chilling whisper that seemed to come from everywhere at once, they heard it: **"You shouldn't have come here."**

The words echoed through the room, sending a wave of dread through the trio. Laurel's eyes narrowed, and Angelo clenched his fists, ready to fight. But William knew they were at a disadvantage. Whoever was controlling the mansion had the upper hand.

**Announcer 1:** "Whoa, folks! Things are getting spooky! Is this a haunted mansion or just another twisted trick? Either way, our contestants are in for one hell of a ride!"

**Announcer 2:** "This is a calculated move by whoever is manipulating the mansion. They've turned the environment into a weapon. The question is, will our trio be able to outsmart them before it's too late?"

The three stood back-to-back, their breaths shallow, as they tried to anticipate the next move. The mansion creaked and groaned around them, each noise making their hearts race faster. They could feel it—the presence of someone watching, waiting, pulling the strings.

The floor beneath Angelo's feet suddenly dropped away, and he fell with a cry of surprise, landing hard on a wooden step that hadn't been there moments before. He groaned in pain, but before he could get up, the step shifted again, trying to trap him.

"Laurel! William!" he called out, panic lacing his voice. "It's got me!"

William lunged forward, grabbing Angelo's arm and pulling him free just as the step closed with a snap. They both stumbled back, hearts pounding, as the mansion seemed to grow darker, the shadows pressing in closer.

"This place is alive," Laurel whispered, his voice barely audible over the creaking wood. "We need to get out of here. Now."

But the mansion wasn't going to let them go that easily. The walls began to close in, the space around them shrinking as the floor buckled and twisted. They were trapped, and the unseen enemy was tightening its grip.

With nowhere left to run, the trio huddled together, bracing for whatever came next. And as the mansion continued to shift and change around them, one thing became clear: this was only the beginning.

**To be continued...**