The air inside the mansion was thick with tension. After the terrifying encounter with the werewolf-like creature, Yumiko and Kaido were still reeling from their experience, while Leo sat calmly in his room, brooding over the events that had unfolded. The mansion seemed to have taken a darker turn, as if it was alive and aware of the growing fear within them.
Yumiko paced back and forth, her mind racing. She couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that something about Leo wasn't right. He had saved them, yes, but the way he had done it—the power he wielded—left her unnerved. And the fact that he claimed Dan never existed made her question her own sanity.
"I know what I saw," she muttered to herself. "Dan was with us. We went into that basement together. There was a portal..."
Kaido, sitting quietly in the corner, looked up at her. He had been deep in thought since they had returned from the basement, but Yumiko's muttering brought him out of his reverie.
"You're not alone, Yumiko," he said softly. "I remember Dan too. But Leo..." He hesitated, unsure how to put his thoughts into words. "Leo's different. He's hiding something."
Yumiko stopped pacing and faced Kaido. "What do we do? We can't keep relying on Leo if he's part of this... this nightmare."
Kaido sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We don't have much of a choice. This mansion, these creatures... we're in over our heads. We need answers, and Leo might be the only one who knows what's really going on."
"But can we trust him?" Yumiko's voice was laced with doubt. "He's powerful, Kaido. More powerful than we realized. And the way he talks sometimes... it's like he knows everything, like he's been watching us from the start."
Kaido nodded, his expression grim. "I know. That's what scares me."
Just then, the door to Leo's room creaked open, and the man himself stepped out. His eyes, glowing faintly in the dim light, seemed to pierce through the gloom. He looked at them both, his face expressionless.
"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice low and commanding.
Yumiko crossed her arms, her posture defensive. "Ready for what, Leo? You haven't told us anything. We're in the dark here, literally and figuratively."
Leo's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he spoke again. "There are things in this mansion you don't understand. And it's better that way."
Kaido stood up, stepping forward. "No, Leo. We've had enough of your cryptic answers. We deserve to know the truth. What is this place? Why are we here? And who—" his voice grew more intense, "—who is Dan?"
Leo's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't respond immediately. Instead, he turned and gestured for them to follow him down the hallway. "If you want answers, then follow me. But be prepared. The truth may be more than you can handle."
Reluctantly, Yumiko and Kaido exchanged a glance before following him. As they walked through the mansion's winding corridors, the shadows seemed to move with them, slithering across the walls like living creatures. The oppressive atmosphere grew thicker, and with each step, Yumiko felt her heart race faster.
Leo led them to a part of the mansion they hadn't seen before. The walls were lined with ancient portraits, their eyes watching the trio as they passed. At the end of the hallway was a large, imposing door made of dark wood, carved with intricate patterns that resembled swirling mists.
"This," Leo said, his voice barely above a whisper, "is the heart of the mansion."
Yumiko frowned. "What do you mean by 'the heart'?"
Leo placed his hand on the door, his fingers tracing the carvings as if he were familiar with every groove and line. "This mansion isn't just a building. It's alive. It feeds off the emotions, the fears, the hopes of those who enter it. The longer you stay, the more it consumes."
Kaido's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're saying the mansion itself is a living thing?"
Leo nodded. "In a way, yes. It was created long ago by forces far beyond your understanding. It exists outside of time, outside of reality. And those who enter are bound to it."
Yumiko's hands clenched into fists. "Then why are we here, Leo? Why were we brought to this place?"
Leo turned to face her, his eyes glowing brighter. "Because the mansion chose you."
Yumiko's breath caught in her throat. "What... what do you mean? It chose us?"
"The mansion calls to those who have a certain... potential," Leo explained, his voice calm but filled with a dark undertone. "It sees something in you, something it can use. It twists your mind, your memories, until you can no longer tell what's real and what's not."
Kaido's face paled. "Are you saying... Dan never existed? That it was all in our heads?"
Leo didn't answer directly. Instead, he pushed the door open with a slow creak, revealing a large circular chamber beyond. The room was filled with an eerie light, its source coming from a massive crystal that hung in the center of the ceiling. The walls were lined with strange machines and symbols, all pulsing with a faint, otherworldly glow.
"This," Leo said, stepping into the room, "is where it all began."
Yumiko and Kaido followed him inside, their eyes wide as they took in the strange surroundings. The air in the chamber was thick with energy, and Yumiko could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
"What is this place?" Kaido asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Leo walked to the center of the room, standing beneath the glowing crystal. "This is the mansion's core. The source of its power. The portal you saw in the basement was just one of many... conduits. The mansion is connected to other worlds, other dimensions. And it can bring people in... or send them out."
Yumiko's heart raced. "So... Dan could still be alive? He might be in another dimension?"
Leo's expression darkened. "Perhaps. But finding him won't be easy. The mansion's portals are unpredictable. And those who are sent through... rarely return."
Kaido stepped forward, his fists clenched. "Then we have to find him. We can't just leave him out there."
Leo's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure you want to take that risk? The mansion will not let you leave easily. And the more you fight it, the more dangerous it becomes."
Yumiko felt a chill run down her spine. "What do you mean? What happens if we try to escape?"
Leo looked at her, his gaze intense. "The mansion will use everything at its disposal to keep you here. It will twist your mind, your memories, your very soul. It will break you."
For a moment, silence hung in the air, thick and oppressive. Yumiko's mind raced, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and fear. They had come so far, faced so much... and yet they were no closer to escaping.
Suddenly, the crystal above them flickered, and the ground beneath their feet trembled. The mansion groaned as if it were alive, and the strange machines lining the walls began to hum with energy.
Kaido's eyes widened in alarm. "What's happening?"
Leo's expression remained calm, though his eyes glowed brighter. "The mansion knows we're here. It's waking up."
The floor beneath them cracked, and a low, rumbling growl echoed through the chamber. Yumiko and Kaido spun around, searching for the source of the sound, but all they saw were shadows—shadows that seemed to move and shift of their own accord.
"We need to leave," Leo said, his voice suddenly urgent. "Now."
But before they could react, the shadows surged forward, taking shape into twisted, monstrous forms. Creatures made of darkness, with glowing red eyes and gnarled claws, emerged from the walls, their growls filling the air.
Yumiko's heart pounded in her chest. "What... what are those?"
Leo's eyes blazed with power as he stepped forward, his voice cold and commanding. "The mansion's guardians. And they will not let us leave without a fight."
And with that, the creatures lunged toward them.