The room went dead silent after Leo's revelation. Kaido and Yumiko stood paralyzed, the weight of the truth sinking into them like cold, sharp blades. Leo's smile, calm and collected, only added to their terror.
"A vampire?" Yumiko whispered, her voice barely audible as she clutched her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.
Kaido, who had been silent for a moment, suddenly stepped forward, his voice tight with anger. "What are you playing at, Leo? Is this some kind of sick joke?"
Leo tilted his head, the flicker of amusement dancing in his crimson eyes. "A joke? No, Kaido, this is far from a joke. You see, in my world, I control everything—your thoughts, your fears, even your reality. There is no escape, and now, you are part of my dark story."
Yumiko's legs trembled beneath her as she tried to back away from Leo, but the room itself seemed to close in around them. The once spacious mansion felt suffocating, the walls darker, the shadows alive with unseen eyes.
"You said there was no basement," Yumiko said, her voice cracking. "But we were there! We saw the machine! Dan was real. We—"
Leo interrupted her with a gentle wave of his hand. "Ah, but reality is a fragile thing, Yumiko. One moment, you believe something is real, the next, it vanishes like smoke. Your 'friend' Dan, as far as this world is concerned, never existed."
"That's not possible," Kaido snapped. "We all remember him! You're lying!"
Leo's smile didn't fade. Instead, he floated down from his chair, his feet barely touching the floor. His movements were slow and deliberate, like a predator playing with its prey.
"You're confused," Leo said softly, his voice a hypnotic melody. "I've seen into your minds. I know everything about you—every fear, every desire, every secret you thought was buried deep."
Yumiko shuddered, recalling the strange telepathic connection she had felt earlier. The way Leo had spoken into her mind, the way he had known her darkest secrets, things even she had tried to forget.
"What do you want with us?" Kaido demanded, gripping the chair beside him as though it would somehow ground him in this crumbling reality.
Leo laughed lightly, a sound that echoed through the room like a chilling breeze. "What do I want? I want companionship, Kaido. I've been alone in this mansion for centuries. I've watched people come and go, but they never stay. They always run, always try to escape. But you... you three are different."
"Three?" Yumiko gasped. "Dan… where is he?"
Leo's smile faltered for a moment, and for the first time, there was a glimmer of something else in his eyes. Was it uncertainty? Regret?
"I told you," Leo replied, his voice quieter now, almost reflective. "Dan doesn't exist anymore. He's... gone."
"What did you do to him?" Kaido shouted, taking a step forward, his body tensing as if ready for a fight.
But Leo didn't answer. Instead, his eyes shifted to something behind them. Yumiko and Kaido turned slowly, their hearts pounding. The shadows on the walls seemed to twist and contort, forming into shapes—dark, formless figures that slithered across the room like living smoke.
One of the shadows detached itself from the wall, moving silently toward them. It was the same shadow Yumiko had felt watching them earlier, the same unsettling presence that had followed them throughout the mansion. It was no longer just a feeling. It was real, standing before them.
"What... is that?" Yumiko stammered, stepping back in fear.
The shadow stopped a few feet away, and though it had no face, no features, it seemed to be watching them, listening.
Leo stepped forward, his eyes locked on the shadow. "You've been curious about them, haven't you? These shadows... they've been watching you since you arrived."
"W-what are they?" Kaido asked, his voice strained.
Leo chuckled. "They are my companions, my servants. They're part of the mansion, just as much as I am. They exist in the corners of your vision, in the dark places of your mind. They listen, they watch, and they feed on fear."
"Feed on fear?" Yumiko whispered, her skin crawling.
Leo's gaze darkened. "Fear is a powerful thing, Yumiko. It keeps you alive, but it also weakens you, makes you vulnerable. The more afraid you become, the stronger these shadows grow."
Kaido's fists clenched in anger, but there was a flicker of fear in his eyes. "We're not afraid of you," he lied, trying to sound strong.
Leo smiled, clearly amused. "Oh, Kaido, that's where you're wrong. I can feel it... the fear is growing inside you. It's only a matter of time before you give in."
The shadow moved closer, its form shifting and changing like a dark mist. Yumiko could feel its presence, like cold fingers crawling up her spine. She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, but her mind was racing.
"We need to leave," she whispered to Kaido, barely audible, as if hoping the shadows wouldn't hear her.
But Leo heard. "Leave?" He laughed again, the sound colder this time. "I told you, there's no escape from this mansion. The more you resist, the more trapped you become. I can feel your thoughts, your doubts. You want to run, but deep down, you know you can't."
Yumiko's heart pounded in her chest as she clutched Kaido's arm. "We have to find a way out of here," she whispered urgently.
Kaido's eyes darted around the room, searching for an exit. But all the doors seemed to melt into the shadows. The walls felt closer now, almost like they were breathing, watching, waiting.
"We don't have much time," Kaido whispered back, his voice shaky. "There has to be something we're missing."
Yumiko nodded, her mind racing as she replayed everything they had seen and heard since arriving at the mansion. Then it hit her—the basement. It may have disappeared, but she remembered it clearly. The portal, the machine, Dan going through it... it had to mean something.
"Kaido, we have to go back to the kitchen," she said urgently. "The basement. There was something there, something we missed."
"But Leo said—" Kaido started, but Yumiko cut him off.
"I don't care what Leo said!" she snapped. "We saw it. I know we did. Dan went through that portal, and if there's even a chance we can find him, we have to try!"
Kaido hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Let's go."
They turned to leave, but Leo's voice stopped them in their tracks.
"You won't find anything there," he said softly, his voice almost gentle. "The basement doesn't exist in your reality anymore. You're chasing shadows."
Yumiko glared at him, her fear slowly turning into anger. "I don't care. We're going to find the truth, even if we have to tear this mansion apart to do it."
Leo's expression hardened, his playful demeanor vanishing. The shadows around him seemed to pulse with energy, growing darker, more solid.
"You're making a mistake," he warned, his voice icy.
But Yumiko didn't listen. She grabbed Kaido's hand and together they ran out of the room, the sound of Leo's voice fading behind them.
The mansion seemed to shift as they ran, the hallways stretching and twisting, but Yumiko kept her focus. She knew the kitchen was real. She knew the basement was real. They just had to find it again.
When they finally reached the kitchen, they were breathless, their hearts racing. But as they looked around, their hope began to fade.
The door to the basement was gone.
"It's not here," Kaido whispered, his voice filled with despair. "Leo was right. It's gone."
"No," Yumiko said, shaking her head. "It has to be here. We were here!"
She started frantically searching the walls, running her hands over the cold stone, desperate to find some hidden mechanism, some clue. But there was nothing. No door, no secret passage—just a blank wall where the basement door had once been.
Tears welled up in Yumiko's eyes as she turned to Kaido, her voice shaking. "What's happening to us? Are we going crazy?"
Kaido placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, though he too was struggling to hold onto reality. "I don't know. But we can't give up. We have to keep searching. There has to be a way out of here."
But before they could continue, a deep, guttural growl echoed from behind them.
They turned slowly, their hearts pounding, and saw it—a monstrous shadow rising from the floor, its eyes glowing a sickly yellow. It was different from the other shadows. This one was solid, real, and it was hungry.
Kaido instinctively reached for the emergency button Leo had given them, but his hand froze halfway. Could they trust Leo to save them again? Or was this another one of his twisted games?
Yumiko's voice was barely a whisper. "What do we do?"
Kaido swallowed hard, his mind racing. "I don't know... but whatever happens, we stick together."
The shadow growled again, advancing slowly, its massive form blocking their only exit.