Guard of heart

The lock

I stood in my new room at the Wilkins Mansion, surrounded by what felt like an endless sea of boxes. The more I unpacked, the more clutter seemed to appear. It was like they were breeding when I wasn't looking. After hours of sifting through my stuff, I was left with a mix of cherished mementos and... well, junk.

I glanced into a particularly depressing box: a tangled mess of cables, an ancient printer I’d dragged from home that hadn't worked in years, and a few battered books I couldn’t part with.

What am I going to do with all this junk? I thought, chewing my lip. I can’t just throw it all away, right?

Maybe Rosalie would know what to do. I headed out of my room, my footsteps echoing unnervingly loud in the massive hallway. I always felt like the walls were silently judging me in this mansion. Descending the staircase, the scent of freshly baked cookies hit me like a warm hug, making my stomach growl in betrayal.

“Rosalie!” I called out, spotting her arranging flowers in a vase, her usual cheerful hum filling the kitchen. The sight and smell made me feel instantly at ease.

She turned around, wiping her hands on her apron with that ever-welcoming smile of hers. “Of course, dear! What do you need?”

“I’ve got some stuff I don’t need anymore," I said, gesturing vaguely towards the mountain of chaos upstairs. "Any idea where I can store it?"

Rosalie’s eyes twinkled with a knowing look. “Ah, you can put it in the storeroom upstairs. We keep all the odds and ends there. Just a little clutter, nothing to worry about.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Is it safe? I mean, there aren't any creepy old antiques waiting to come alive in the middle of the night, right?”

She chuckled softly, shaking her head. “No, just some old furniture and boxes. Oh!” she paused, like she just remembered something mildly annoying. “I’ll call Aby to help you. He’s probably standing around somewhere pretending to work.”

Oh, great. Aby. The last thing I needed today was him and his oversized ego.

I tried to keep my voice neutral. “Uh, are you sure he’s not busy?”

“Busy doing what?” Rosalie rolled her eyes like the idea of Aby doing anything remotely productive was laughable. “He’ll be free, trust me.”

I sighed internally. The universe really wasn’t cutting me any slack today. After a few minutes, Rosalie reappeared, waving Aby over.

“Hey, Aby! Can you help Elara with her things? She’s got some stuff to store in the upstairs room.”

I turned to see him leaning casually against the doorframe, a lazy grin plastered on his face. Ugh, just seeing him put my teeth on edge.

“What’s in it for me?” he asked, his tone dripping with that infuriating arrogance.

“Maybe a chance to be useful for once?” I shot back, crossing my arms.

He smirked, clearly enjoying himself. “Ha! That’s rich coming from the girl who spilled coffee all over me.”

I bit back a retort, mostly because he wasn’t wrong. But did he have to bring that up every time?

Rosalie, sensing the rising tension, gave him a playful shove. “Just help her, Aby.”

He shrugged, finally pushing himself off the doorframe. “Fine. But if something falls on me up there, I’m blaming you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Let’s just get this over with.”

We made our way upstairs in silence, the tension between us thick enough to cut with a knife. When we reached the storeroom, I pushed the door open to reveal a dimly lit space filled with forgotten items. It wasn’t exactly the creepy attic from a horror movie, but it was close enough.