Guri's Old Mansion ✅

26.

Midori's heart raced as the realization hit her like a freezing gust of wind. The dim lights that had flickered softly in her room suddenly shut off, plunging her into disorienting darkness. Then, a chilling draft flowed through the room as the window creaked open, smoke curling in like a sinister whisper.

Panic surged within her. "What on earth...?" she muttered, instinctively rising from her bed. She rushed to the window, but her mouth fell agape at the sight before her. There, framed against the swirling smoke, stood Minhee-her best friend, and one of the last people she expected to see at this hour, especially not like this.

"What is she doing here?" The thought echoed in Midori's mind, panic seizing her thoughts. "I locked her door!"

Desperation clawing at her, she pushed through the overwhelming sense of dread and flung open her bedroom door, her feet propelling her towards the staircase. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, reverberating in her ears like a war drum. She descended the stairs, her mind racing with questions, fears, and an instinct that screamed for action.

As she reached the front door, she hesitated for just a fraction of a moment. What if this was a trap? What if the smoke was more than just a sign of something wrong? But that thought was quickly drowned out by the urgent need to check on Minhee and see what was truly happening.

With a determined breath, she pulled the main gate open and stepped out into the cool night air. The world outside was eerily quiet, the hushed sounds of the night enveloping her. She scanned the yard, the shadows playing tricks on her mind, making her second-guess every rustle of the leaves.

"Minhee!" she called, the name escaping her lips in a breathy gasp, her stomach twisted with worry. As she stepped out further, she felt the otherworldliness of the moment settle around her. Intently looking for her friend, she was struck by the realization that the smoke was thickening, swirling around her like a haunting fog.

Midori's heart raced as she chased after the figure of her best friend, Minhee. The girl moved with an unnatural speed, almost gliding over the ground rather than running. She called out again, desperation creeping into her voice, but there was no response. It was as if Minhee had become a mere ghost, slipping further away with each passing moment.

"What is happening? How can she move so fast?" Midori gasped, pushing herself to keep pace. The night air felt electric around her, thick with an unsettling tension. Questions swirled in her mind-was this some sort of conspiracy? Where was the real Minhee?

As she rounded a corner, the sight of an old, dilapidated mansion loomed before her, its gothic architecture casting eerie shadows against the moonlight. Midori's breath caught in her throat, disbelief mixing with a creeping dread. Surely, Minhee hadn't gone in there.

But before she could process this revelation, she saw that familiar figure disappear through the creaking front door of the mansion. Anxiety clutched at her gut; she felt she had no choice. With trembling hands, she stepped forward and entered the mansion, the door slamming shut behind her with a deafening thud that echoed through the hollow halls.

Midori flinched, the sound reverberating off the old walls as the dim light flickered, casting strange shadows. Panic surged within her, urging her to find Minhee, to understand what was happening. Just as she gathered her courage to call out her friend's name, she spotted Minhee in the dimly lit foyer.

"Minhee!" she cried, rushing forward to grab her arm-but as her fingers made contact, they passed through Minhee's form like mist. Midori's heart sank as the realization hit her with the force of a punch: the figure before her was not Minhee. It was a hollow illusion, a cruel trick designed to entice her deeper into this sinister place.

"No..." she whispered, step backing in disbelief as the air grew thicker with an ominous presence. The realization washed over her like ice water; she had been lured into a trap, and the chilling truth began to settle in-this was a conspiracy far darker than she could have ever imagined.

Fear dripped into despair as she looked around the mansion, the walls seeming to close in as shadows danced in the corners of her vision.