Where The Heart Is

Chapter 5 : The Call Of The Mansion

Despite her promise to James, Anna found it increasingly difficult to ignore the pull of the mansion. Every day, as she went about her routine—attending classes, studying, training with James—she felt its presence gnawing at the back of her mind, like a persistent whisper that refused to be silenced.

It started subtly at first. A fleeting thought here, a vague sense of longing there. But as the days passed, the compulsion grew stronger, more insistent. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the dark, ivy-covered walls of the mansion looming before her, could hear the faint creak of its rusty gates calling her back.

Anna knew she was playing with fire. James had made it clear that the mansion was dangerous, that it was connected to a darkness she couldn’t hope to understand. But the questions that had plagued her since her first visit demanded answers, and she knew that those answers lay hidden within the mansion’s shadowy corridors.

Her dreams, too, had become more vivid, more intense. The boy—Samuel—appeared to her each night, his warnings growing more urgent, more desperate.

“Stay away, Anna,” he would plead, his dark eyes filled with a sorrow that seemed to reach into her very soul. “It’s not safe. You’re not ready.”

But the more he warned her, the stronger the pull became, as if something inside her was responding to the mansion’s call. She felt a strange connection to it, as though her destiny was tied to the secrets buried within its walls.

One evening, after another intense training session with James, Anna made up her mind. She couldn’t keep living in fear, couldn’t keep running from the darkness that seemed to be closing in around her. She had to confront it, to face whatever was inside that mansion and discover the truth for herself.

The decision weighed heavily on her, but she knew she couldn’t turn back now. The mansion was the key to everything—the boy in her dreams, her Awakening, the mysterious power that seemed to be stirring within her. She had to go back.

The next day, after class, she told James she needed some time alone to think. He didn’t question her, though she could see the concern in his eyes as he watched her leave. She felt a pang of guilt for deceiving him, but she knew this was something she had to do on her own.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the city in shades of gold and amber, Anna made her way to the mansion. The streets were quiet, the only sound the distant hum of traffic and the rustle of leaves in the evening breeze. Her heart pounded with a mixture of fear and anticipation as she approached the gate, the same gate she had pushed open that day a week ago.

It creaked on its rusty hinges, just as it had before, as if welcoming her back. The yard was just as overgrown, the tall grass swaying gently in the twilight. But this time, Anna didn’t hesitate. She walked straight to the front door, her steps steady and purposeful.

She reached for the door handle, her hand trembling slightly as she wrapped her fingers around the cold metal. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever lay ahead, and pushed the door open.

The inside of the mansion was shrouded in darkness, the air thick with the smell of dust and decay. The only light came from the faint glow of the setting sun, filtering through the cracks in the boarded-up windows. The atmosphere was oppressive, the silence so deep it seemed to press in on her from all sides.

But Anna didn’t turn back. She stepped into the mansion, the floorboards creaking under her weight, and let the door swing shut behind her.

As she ventured further into the mansion, she felt the pull of the place grow stronger, guiding her deeper into its shadowy depths. The air grew colder, and she could hear faint whispers, like echoes of long-forgotten voices, swirling around her.