The eerie silence in Leo's mansion hung heavy over Yumiko and Kaido as they sat on the cold stone floor of one of the mansion's upper rooms. The recent revelation—being trapped in this mansion forever—had shaken them to the core. Leo's smile had been so casual, yet his words carried a weight that felt like chains around their souls.
"We can't stay here forever," Yumiko muttered, staring at the floor, trying to control the fear bubbling up inside her.
Kaido leaned against the wall, gripping his knees tightly, his brow furrowed. "We need to figure a way out of this. There's got to be a way."
Yumiko nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She had noticed something earlier, a shadow lurking in the hallway, watching them. She had felt it following them ever since Leo's ominous declaration. But she hadn't mentioned it to Kaido yet—she didn't want to seem paranoid.
"Let's start searching," Kaido said abruptly, standing up. "We've looked around already, but maybe we missed something. We need to go room by room."
"Yeah, you're right," Yumiko replied, trying to push away the unsettling feeling gnawing at her.
They spent the next few hours searching the mansion. Room after room revealed nothing. Dusty furniture, old paintings, cobwebbed chandeliers—but no answers. The mansion itself felt like a labyrinth, each turn taking them deeper into confusion.
It was Dan who eventually broke the monotony.
"I found something!" Dan's voice echoed from the kitchen.
Yumiko and Kaido rushed to his side, finding him standing by an old wooden door at the back of the kitchen. The hinges were rusted, and the wood looked aged, almost brittle.
"A basement," Kaido said, eyeing the door suspiciously. "Why didn't we see this before?"
Dan shrugged. "Maybe it was hidden or something, but it's here now."
Without wasting time, they opened the door. A wave of cold, damp air hit them, sending shivers down their spines. The staircase led into pure darkness. Dan pulled out a small torch from his pocket and clicked it on. The narrow beam of light cut through the shadows, illuminating the stone steps that descended into the unknown.
"Be careful," Yumiko warned, her voice trembling slightly. "Who knows what's down there?"
Kaido nodded, gripping the stick he had been carrying as a makeshift weapon. "Let's go."
They began their descent. The steps creaked under their weight, and the air grew colder with each step. It seemed like they had been walking for hours, though it had only been about ten minutes. The deeper they went, the more the sound of dripping water echoed around them.
Finally, the staircase ended, and they stepped onto the basement floor. Kaido was the first to notice the strange sensation underfoot.
"The floor's flooded," he said, his voice echoing in the vast space. The water wasn't deep, but it covered the entire floor, soaking their shoes. The only sounds were the quiet plops of water dripping from the ceiling.
"This place is huge," Dan whispered as he panned the torch across the room. The light flickered across walls covered in strange, intricate symbols. But what caught their attention wasn't the symbols—it was the enormous machine in the center of the room.
It was massive, shaped like a giant donut, with various wires and panels hanging loosely from its sides. The machine looked ancient, worn with age, but at the same time, it seemed to pulse faintly with life.
"What the hell is that?" Kaido muttered, stepping closer.
"Don't touch anything," Yumiko warned, her voice sharp. "We have no idea what this thing does. It could be dangerous."
But as they backed away from the machine, something strange happened. The machine began to hum softly, the noise gradually growing louder. The symbols on the walls started glowing a faint blue, and a bright light shot from the center of the machine, forming a swirling vortex—a portal.
Kaido's heart pounded in his chest. "What is this thing? A portal?"
Dan, against Kaido's warnings, picked up a small metal piece from the floor and tossed it toward the portal. The object vanished as soon as it touched the swirling light.
"It's... a gateway," Dan said, his voice filled with wonder. "It must lead somewhere."
"Or it might disintegrate anything that goes in," Yumiko said, her voice tense. "We don't know what it does."
Dan, ignoring Yumiko's concern, took a deep breath. "I've had enough of this place. I'm going in."
"Dan, don't!" Kaido shouted, but it was too late. Dan stepped forward and vanished into the portal.
For a moment, everything was still. Kaido and Yumiko stared at the portal, their hearts racing. Then, suddenly, the machine sputtered and the portal flickered, the light dimming before shutting off entirely.
"He's gone," Yumiko whispered, her face pale.
Kaido ran to the machine, frantically searching for a way to turn it back on. "Dan! Damn it!"
They waited for what felt like hours, but there was no sign of Dan. The water on the floor began to rise slowly, and Kaido realized with dread that they couldn't stay down there any longer.
"We need to get out of here," Kaido said, his voice tight with fear. "The basement is flooding."
Yumiko nodded, and they quickly climbed the ladder back to the kitchen. Once they emerged from the basement, they stood in silence, still shaken by what had just happened. But their relief was short-lived.
A low growl echoed through the kitchen.
They looked up and saw it—a monstrous figure, standing at least twelve feet tall. It had the form of a werewolf, its glowing red eyes fixed on them, claws ready to strike.
"Run!" Kaido shouted.
But there was nowhere to go. The creature had them cornered. In the chaos, Yumiko fumbled with the button Leo had given them—the emergency button. With shaking hands, she pressed it.
A deafening thunderclap shook the mansion. A brilliant yellow flash of light filled the room, and they were thrown against the walls from the impact.
Kaido struggled to his feet, his head spinning. Through the dust and debris, he saw a figure floating in the air—Leo.
Leo's eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and with a wave of his hand, he effortlessly destroyed the werewolf, sending it flying into pieces with a surge of psychic energy.
"You're safe now," Leo said, his voice calm but filled with power. He snapped his fingers, and in an instant, they were teleported back to his room.
Yumiko clutched her arm, wincing from the impact. Leo floated toward her and, with a simple gesture, healed her injury. The pain vanished instantly, leaving her both shocked and grateful.
"Thank you," she muttered, still in awe of Leo's abilities.
Kaido, however, wasn't as easily swayed. "Leo, we need answers," he said, his voice firm. "Dan went through that portal in the basement, and now he's gone. What is this place? What happened to him?"
Leo raised an eyebrow, a look of confusion crossing his face. "Portal? Basement? What are you talking about?"
Kaido's heart sank. "The basement in the kitchen! We found a machine—a portal—and Dan went through it. Then it closed."
Leo's eyes narrowed, and his expression became deadly serious. "There is no basement in the kitchen."
Kaido froze. "What? That's impossible. We were just there!"
Leo shook his head slowly. "I've lived in this mansion for a long time. I know every inch of it. There's no basement, and I've never met anyone named Dan."
Yumiko's face went pale, her voice barely a whisper. "He was real... he was with us..."
Leo glanced at her, his eyes softening. "I'm afraid something is playing tricks on your mind, Yumiko. This mansion has a way of... confusing things."
Kaido clenched his fists. "No! You're lying! We were all there!"
But Leo simply shook his head. "You two are the only ones I've met. Whoever this 'Dan' is, he doesn't exist in this world."
Yumiko's legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed to the floor. "No..."
Leo's voice became soft, almost sympathetic. "Your mind can't always be trusted, Yumiko. Sometimes, we believe things that aren't real."
Kaido stood frozen, his mind reeling. But before he could speak, Yumiko whispered, "What are you?"
Leo's eyes glowed, a smirk playing on his lips. "I think it's time you knew the truth."
With a wave of his hand, the room darkened, and his once youthful appearance began to twist and contort. His eyes burned red, his features sharpening into something terrifying.
"I am a vampire," Leo said, his voice now deep and menacing. "And you are in my world now."