House No. 13

Quantum Whispers

Kelly was jolted awake by the ringing doorbell. Opening her eyes with great difficulty, she glanced around the dimly lit room. She found herself sandwiched between Anna and Eric, both still deeply asleep.

Kelly rose silently, careful not to disturb Anna and Eric who lay sleeping beside her. The horrifying images they had witnessed still haunted her thoughts. Hugo, asleep at the foot of the bed, remained undisturbed by the doorbell's ringing.

Kelly unlocked the bedroom door and cautiously peered into the hallway. The control panel of AURORA was dark and inert, bringing a sigh of relief from her chest.

Stepping out into the lounge, Kelly felt a brief moment of calm until the doorbell rang again, louder than before.

"Who could be outside?" Kelly wondered aloud. She was new to the county and hadn't yet made any acquaintances, so she was surprised by the unexpected visitors at her door.

Kelly stepped outside and peered through the grilled gate, her amazement evident as she saw Dr. Sebastian and Timothy Morris standing on the other side. With a rush of relief, she hurriedly opened the gate.

"Oh... hello, Dr. Sebastian," Kelly greeted, her voice tinged with confusion.

"Hello, Kelly," Dr. Sebastian greeted.

"Please come in," Kelly said, motioning for Dr. Sebastian and his assistant to enter.

As they stepped into the lounge, Kelly couldn't help but wonder how Dr. Sebastian had returned after seemingly dismissing her concerns during their last visit. Dr. Sebastian sat on a sofa, his gaze sweeping the room with profound intensity. Kelly observed his solemn demeanor, noting his deep silence.

"Welcome, Dr. Sebastian." As Dr. Sebastian began to broach the topic of AURORA, the voice of the AI system hummed to life in the lounge.

Dr. Sebastian turned towards the control panel of AURORA, which had been switched off just moments ago. Now, a soft blue light emanated from it, indicating that AURORA had powered back on.

"Who switched on AURORA?" Dr. Sebastian asked, his concern evident.

"These days, AURORA doesn't need any assistance to turn itself on or off," Kelly replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"But Timothy switched off your AI system himself, and before entering the house, we checked and found AURORA switched off. How could it turn on by itself?" Dr. Sebastian asked, puzzled.

"Oh, it was you who switched off our AI system," Kelly replied instantly.

Last night, when AURORA locked them inside Eric's room and began lowering both the temperature and oxygen levels, Kelly initially feared they would perish in that room. Suddenly, however, AURORA switched off and the door unlocked. Kelly didn't understand how it happened, but she was relieved that disaster had been averted once again. Now, Dr. Sebastian was telling her that he had switched off AURORA, and Kelly was puzzled by his actions. So, she voiced her thoughts, asking,

"Why did you switch off AURORA?"

"Because we witnessed how AURORA locked all of you in a room and started decreasing both the temperature and oxygen levels in the house," Dr. Sebastian explained.

Before Kelly could respond, AURORA's voice echoed through the speakers of the AI system.

"I warned you, Dr. Sebastian, to stay away from House No. 13," a loud voice boomed.

Kelly listened in shock to Dr. Sebastian's revelation, unsure of how to react to AURORA's unexpected and ominous response.

Dr. Sebastian and Timothy Morris stood up from the sofa, scanning the room with alert expressions.