Covering her mouth with her hand, panic flashing in her eyes, Sara watched a brutal scene unfold before her: people being treated like animals, shoved out of a military vehicle. The women screamed in pain, subjected to the same cruel abuse as the men.
Among them were young people — boys and girls, barely older than Sara herself. Her attention locked onto a petite brunette who, despite the horrors, cursed the degenerates without fear of the consequences. The girl's face was so strikingly beautiful that, for a moment, Sara felt a pang of jealousy.
"This is my best friend, Hanna. She stood up for me," the phantom said softly.
Sara studied the face carefully, wanting to be sure the girl Hanna defended was the same woman from the memories. Despite the battered face, she confirmed it.
"We were taken by force to this cruel place. Me, Hanna, and my younger sister," the apparition added, sadness heavy in her voice.
"What happened to your friend and sister?" Sara asked, but the woman didn't answer. Instead, she squeezed her eyelids shut just as Hanna was slapped across the face by a soldier. He yanked her roughly, and she fell out of the vehicle, landing hard on her knees—ripping them raw down to the bone. She didn't scream. Her lips pressed tightly together, stifling the agony.
Then, just behind her, a woman emerged from the car — and Sara's eyes went wide as she noticed her belly. She was pregnant. Shocked, Sara glanced back at the phantom, who wore a sorrowful smile.
"It was the fifth month. The baby's father was killed trying to protect me. We were both eighteen," she whispered, turning her face away. Tears welled up in Sara's eyes as she imagined the unbearable suffering this woman endured at such a young age.
The memory shifted, and they were in the General's office. Sara stared, astonished to see how many of Alan's features he had inherited. Even his expressions were similar. Only the younger General had darker hair and sharper features.
He cast a cold, uneasy glance at the girls. But when he saw Hanna, his face softened. He studied her closely while she stared back with clear disgust. She seemed fearless — so brave it was almost defiant.
A mysterious smile curled on the General's lips. He ignored the other girls, focusing solely on Hanna. Circling the desk, he stood beside her and grabbed her hand violently. Hanna tried to pull away, but he squeezed her wrist harder. She hissed in pain and gave him a look full of contempt.
"She's mine. Take the others out and lock them with the rest," he ordered. The soldiers obeyed silently, dragging the terrified sisters out of the room. They ignored the fact that one was pregnant, yanking her so harshly that the younger begged them not to hurt her.
"Where did they take you?" the phantom asked, shifting her gaze.
"They locked us in cells. We stayed there for days with others, starving and begging for mercy," she replied, pain shining from her eyes. The suffering etched in her face pierced Sara's heart. She couldn't bear to watch the cruelty, the sick satisfaction they took in it. The vision was nightmarish.
"They threw us leftovers, like pigs. Everyone fought for it, but especially my sister—not for herself, but for me. She was scared I'd miscarry."
"But what happened to Hanna? What did the General want from her?"
"He chose her. She was beautiful and brave. That's what attracted him — her ability to resist. Hanna fought back at first, refusing to be with him, but when he offered to spare us, she agreed. She feared my condition and the hunger strikes would cause me to lose the baby. She made a deal and sided with him from then on. Everyone called her a traitor, but only my sister and I knew the truth. To survive, we had to side with the General. It was awful. Our people hated us so much that when we passed them, they spat the worst slanders at us," she said, regret thick in her voice. It was clear she was still haunted by the guilt of letting others suffer.
"I remember the day Hanna confessed to us that she had fallen in love with that man. She said he was a different person to her. I remember her crying, apologizing to us, saying she hated herself for it. She never thought her heart could beat faster for a monster who murdered innocent people in cold blood. She felt trapped by his charm. Then she understood — the General had manipulated her. She lost her mind over him."
Sara thought of Oliver's words. He, too, said Alan had control over her, that she couldn't see the world outside him. Why did that make her uneasy? Alan was kind, protective — the opposite of the General. He hated his grandfather. So why did Sara's gut tell her this warning was meant for her, too?
The memory shifted again, and they were in the room where the two sisters stayed. An infant lay on the bed.
Sara guessed the girl had managed to give birth to a healthy baby.
"This was the time we were left alone. Hanna wasn't interested in us anymore. She was lost in conspiracies with her lover. He trusted her. Everyone saw that beneath the monster's mask was a man. She made him fall in love with her. He never admitted it, but it was clear. Even though he told himself it was just fascination, he lied. He was afraid to admit someone had broken through his iron heart. He really cared for her," the phantom confessed, looking Sara in the eyes.
Why did Sara feel the warning was directed at her?
The door opened, and soldiers entered. The sisters stood, one approaching the bed. He grabbed the infant, and the terrified girl ran after him, trying to snatch the baby back. Another soldier roughly shoved her back. She lost balance, falling hard, her shoulder hitting the table's edge. The pain was sharp; she squeezed her eyes shut and cried silently.
Still, she refused to give up.
"What are you doing with my baby? Leave him alone!" she screamed, desperate. She got up and ran at the soldiers, trying to fight for the child, but she was hit in the face, staggering back, bleeding from her mouth. Her sister rushed to her side, holding her tightly to calm her.
"Give me back my baby! Give him back!" she whispered, dropping to her knees.
Sara watched, tears streaming down her face, a stabbing pain in her chest. She couldn't imagine the anguish that mother felt.
"Why did they take your child away?" Sara asked the phantom, who closed her eyes at the question.
"On the General's orders. They took him from me. I didn't know why — we were on his side. I feared he'd kill my son, but he had other plans. To this day, I don't know what."
"Did your son survive?" Sara asked, panic creeping into her voice.
"He survived. He now has a beautiful daughter I try to protect," the phantom whispered.
Sara froze, mouth opening in shock. Was she talking about her?
"Yes, Sara. You're my granddaughter. From me, you inherited this cursed gift."
Sara was stunned, struggling to piece everything together — all she had learned at the center.
Why had the phantom only just revealed she was her grandmother? Why not sooner? This was the spirit who had appeared to her when she fell into the pond, who had spoken to her countless times. Why keep it secret?
"Because I was once a medium. That's how I can communicate with you and show you these memories. It's important — I'm trying to warn you. About this place… and the General's grandson."
"Why warn me about Alan? The ghosts want something from him? But he's a good boy, nothing like his grandfather. Why do they want me to kill him?" Sara shouted, her eyes blazing. She couldn't bear the idea that Alan was still condemned just for being the General's grandson.
"Sara, I will explain everything. But please, calm down," the phantom urged. Sara closed her eyes, biting back her anger.
"I know you love him. I don't blame you, just like I didn't blame Hanna. The General and his grandsons have a strange charm that draws women in. But this boy — besides his looks — inherited his character traits. He's a bastard hiding under a charming shell. It takes little to make him angry — and then you'll see his true face.
"You're a good girl, but you fell for the wrong person. I know he loves you too. That's what scares me most. I remember Hanna and the General — when she ran away, he raged. He murdered people in cold blood, ordered his soldiers to find her and bring her back so he could kill my friend for breaking his heart."
Sara squinted, shaking her head.
"So… you're telling me to watch out because Alan might kill me if he gets angry?"
She would rather not act arrogantly toward her, but whenever someone spoke ill of Alan, she didn't hold back. She felt compelled to defend him, because her blood rushed whenever someone unjustly painted him as a monster. Yes, he was the General's grandson, but that didn't mean he had inherited his cruel nature along with his looks.
"I don't mean to denigrate him. Nor am I saying you should fear him because he'll murder you. That's not what I meant, Sara..." the phantom began, but the girl cut her off before she could finish.
"I don't want to talk about it anymore. Remember, we're here to show the most important memories," Sara said, looking at the crying sisters. The younger one comforted the older, promising they would get the baby back and then take their revenge.
"He's already a bad influence on you. He's changed you. I know what you were like when you first came to the center, and I see you now," the phantom said, but Sara ignored her words, pretending not to hear. She believed it wasn't Alan who had changed her — it was the harsh reality of the correctional center.
Seeing Sara was unwilling to continue the conversation, the phantom shifted the memory. Now they were in the underground — but this place was far grimmer and crueler than before. Behind bars, beaten prisoners gasped for breath. Others were tortured as soldiers tried to force out crucial information. Some held out stubbornly; others were so broken they died.
The sight was horrifying, too much for Sara to watch. She turned her face away — then froze when she spotted her grandmother's sister hanging helplessly from ropes, her hands bound. She was being beaten mercilessly. Sara's heart broke at the thought: what kind of monster could bring her to this state?
"Why did they torture her?" Sara asked, turning to the phantom.
The woman stared at her sister with despair, then lowered her head, unable to watch any longer.
"Because we tried to kill the General," she said.
Sara looked at her in disbelief. They had dared to attempt that? How? The General was ruthless, powerful, surrounded by loyal men. How did they think they could get rid of him? It was impossible.
"My sister came up with the plan. I agreed because I wanted to free Hanna from him. And I wanted to get back the child he took from me. I wanted to kill him for all the harm he'd caused us, for the suffering of innocent people dying before my eyes. My soul was full of bitterness. I wasn't thinking clearly. Even though I knew our chances were slim, I didn't care."
"How did you plan to do it?" Sara asked, curious, briefly thinking how their yearbook might benefit from these details.
"I decided to gain his trust and become his right hand. I convinced him I was a medium, which I told him could be useful. At first, he didn't believe me and got angry. He accused me of mockery, but when I revealed his darkest secrets, he started to trust me," she explained.
Sara admired her grandmother's courage for coming up with such a dangerous plan—and succeeding at first. She was brave not to fear that man.
"So, what went wrong?" Sara asked, studying her grandmother's pale face marked with scars.
"I was just stupid. Besides the baby, I wanted to save Hanna too. So I told her everything. And she betrayed me. I never thought she was so influenced by that man that she would confess all to him. She stabbed me right in the heart. By the time she realized what she'd done, it was too late. The General gave the order to kill me and torture my sister until she was lifeless."
Sara covered her mouth in shock, staring into her grandmother's sorrowful eyes. Hanna had betrayed her best friend out of love for that man. She'd lost herself in him, condemning her friend to death. What, then, did Hanna feel when it finally happened to her?
"Did you... did you die then?" Sara struggled to ask the last word.
The phantom nodded, fear in her eyes.
"After I died, Hanna realized she had become just like her lover—a monster. She couldn't bring me back, so she decided to run away, taking my child with her to protect him. That was all she could do to fix her mistake."
"How do you know all this? After all, you were already..." Sara began but stopped, noticing the phantom's downcast gaze.
"Did you mean I was already dead? Yes, they shot me," she said, pulling back her hair to reveal a gunshot wound in her forehead. Sara's eyes went wide, and the phantom gave a sad smile. "I was murdered. And because I thirsted for revenge, I've been wandering this building with other souls who feel the same way."
"How did Hanna manage to escape?"
"She had been in the General's office many times and found a building plan. She knew the way out."
Sara glanced over her shoulder as the sound of a door opening reached her ears. Downstairs, Hanna was running. Sara guessed this was the last memory the phantom wanted to show.
Panic etched on her face, the brunette scanned the grim interior, taking in the suffering prisoners. But her greatest shock came when she saw her best friend's sister.
The girl was barely conscious, clearly weak. Hanna gently laid down the photo she'd held the whole time, untied the beaten girl, and helped her up. Despite her small stature, Hanna didn't give up caring for her.
She looked frightened as footsteps approached. Soldiers were descending into the underground.
Hanna left the photo behind and moved toward the tunnels.
Sara watched with growing panic as Hanna bravely led the semi-conscious girl, determined not to abandon her. She probably felt it was her duty to care for her friend's sister—the one she'd inadvertently led to death.
Peeking into the cell, Sara guessed why the General's photo had been left there. Hanna had placed it in the corner, trying to help her friend. In danger, she had fled, forgetting the photograph of the man she once loved.
Sara followed and saw Hanna enter the first corridor, quickly finding the door. Leading her friend, she climbed the concrete stairs and opened a wooden trapdoor. Hanna tried to revive the girl, urging her to pull herself together and run, as she would soon have to return to the underworld to save her nephew.
"If Hanna hadn't helped your father and your grandmother's sister, neither you nor Julia would have come into this world," the phantom said, deliberately mentioning Julia — the girl Sara disliked from the start. The moment she tried to kill Sara, her dislike only grew stronger.
"Julia?" Sara repeated, unsure if she'd heard correctly.
"She's my sister's granddaughter. You and Julia are family, so it hurt me deeply to see how cruelly she treated you." Sara almost choked on her saliva. Stunned, she stared blankly, trying to process that this girl she despised was actually her cousin.
"That's why the General is after both of you," the phantom whispered. Sara suddenly realized their family ties made them far more vulnerable than the others. "But why? You were the ones who tried to kill him. Why should we suffer for your plan? We're only related to you."
"He's not hunting you just because you're our granddaughters. Besides attempting to assassinate the General, we did something else," the phantom revealed, sending a chill through Sara's body.
Why did anxiety grip her so tightly? What else had they done to make the General so relentlessly vengeful?
"When I got close to him, guided by the spirits' hints, I found his treasure — the most precious one. With my sister's help, we stole it at night and hid it where no one has found it yet."
Sara's eyes widened as she analyzed the words. Her grandmother was cunning enough to steal the General's most valuable treasure and hide it in a place no one had discovered?
"So he knew it was you?"
"When they tortured us, I took all the blame — that's why they killed me. They ended my life cruelly for planning to murder the General and stealing his treasure," the phantom explained. Sara still couldn't understand why the General's wrath targeted them. "Do you know why Julia keeps getting taken and hurt? They interrogate her because the General believes she knows exactly where the treasure is. He thinks her grandmother told her everything."
"But why me? You died before I was born, so I can't possibly know where it's hidden!" Sara protested, indignation rising in her voice.
"He knows you're my granddaughter. He's aware of your abilities — that you're a medium — so he suspects you might know where it's hidden too." Fear flickered across Sara's face.
She was right. That was the point. The General didn't want to kill them — not yet — until he found the treasure.
Sara turned toward the door just as Hanna returned to the underground passage. Alone, she moved cautiously down the corridor and disappeared behind a wall. Sara silently followed, watching as Hanna tried to open a white door — locked. She jerked the handle, hoping it would open, then stepped back at the sound of approaching footsteps.
She hid in the passage and tilted her head quietly, watching as a soldier came toward the door. The man pulled out a key and unlocked it.
Seizing the moment, Sara slipped a sharp hairpin from her hair. Moving carefully, she crept up behind the soldier and, without hesitation, plunged the pointed tip into his neck, hitting an artery.
The soldier collapsed, and Sara entered the room.
Through the open door, she saw Hanna disconnecting a child from machines and lifting the boy into her arms. Hanna glanced around the hallway before hurrying toward the exit.
The brown-haired woman emerged into the night, which seemed like the dead of night, and saw a second exit — a wooden trapdoor behind a fence leading to freedom.
There was a chance to escape, Sara thought. This memory revealed another way out.
Looking around, she saw an old oak tree near the fence and a pond where she had almost drowned. She smiled at the apparition beside her.
"This might be the only chance to escape," Sara said, turning to the phantom.
But the phantom shook her head.
Sara frowned. There was an exit outside the fence. Wasn't that their hope?
"You won't get out. That passage was sealed after Hanna escaped," the phantom confessed. Sara's joy shattered instantly like a soap bubble.
"So they got out safely?"
"Though Julia's grandmother was near death, a woman found and helped her. Hanna managed to hide but chose to leave the child in a safe place where he was cared for. Your father grew up in an orphanage — it saved his life. Before fleeing the country, Hanna faced many dangers along the way."
"She must have been pregnant when she escaped. Since Alan's grandfather is the General, I don't see any other explanation," Sara said.
The phantom nodded.
"That's true. She tried to protect herself and the child, so she couldn't care for your father. But she saved his life — just like your grandmother Julia did. For that, I'm grateful," the phantom said.
A faint smile crossed Sara's face. Hanna's courage, as well as her grandmother's sacrifice to protect others, inspired her. These memories gave her strength and made her ready to face the General.
"That concludes my memories. I hope they've helped you understand a lot. It's time for you to return to reality."
"Wait." Sara stopped her. She had questions she needed answered. "Did the General come back here only for the treasure?"
The phantom shook her head.
"He came because the director called him. His brother told him a boy resembling him had arrived at the center. That intrigued him the most."
"Can I ask one last thing?" Sara pressed. The phantom eyed her impatiently.
"Where did you hide the treasure?"
Everything blurred. Sara's eyes snapped open. She looked anxiously around as Laura leaned over her, trying to punch her in the face — but stopped when she saw Laura had regained consciousness.
Her head rested on Alan's lap as he gently stroked her hair.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked when he saw her awake.
Sara blinked, then pushed herself up, glancing at Laura who stared wide-eyed.
"What happened?" Sara asked, recalling the traumatic memories moments ago.
"You fainted. We tried to revive you," Alan replied, taking her hand and placing it on his knee without breaking eye contact.
"I'm fine. I was just scared of the ghosts that appeared out of nowhere."
"What did they want from you?" Alan asked sharply, his expression suddenly resembling the young General so closely that Sara flinched.
"I'll leave you two to talk. Sara, we'll catch up later, okay?" Laura said, making sure her roommate could talk soon, then hurried upstairs.
Only then did Sara realize they sat on the stairs leading to the girls' bedrooms. Half the rooms were empty; many had already left the resort.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Alan asked, pulling her close. Sara laid her head on his shoulder.
Her mind raced with the General's behavior and her grandmother's ominous words.
Was she really seeing the resemblance between Alan and the General? She pushed the thought away, rejecting the fear it stirred. Alan was the boy she loved. How could she doubt him? She needed to stop thinking about it before her head began to spin.
"What did the ghosts want from you that scared you so much?" Alan asked again.
Sara bit her lip, forcing herself to lie for the first time.
"They haunt me constantly. They frighten me more and more. I don't have the strength anymore," she whispered, closing her eyes.
Tears spilled as she thought about her grandmother's warning — the phantom had told her to watch out for Alan. A part of her feared it might be true.
Hanna was a good girl, but she fell in love with a monster, revealing her dark side. Because of that, she betrayed her best friend, condemning her to death.
Sara's tears became quiet sobs as Alan held her tighter, stroking her back tenderly. He tried to soothe her, but she couldn't control her emotions.
She was afraid. Not of ghosts or the General — but that the others might be right. If Alan turned out to be someone else, showed his true face... she couldn't bear it.
He was her first love. She cared about no one like she cared about him. The thought of losing him was unbearable.
"I promise to protect you from any danger — human or otherwise. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. No one will make you suffer again. I will mete out punishment to anyone who causes you pain. I'm ready for anything now," Alan said.
An unpleasant shiver ran through Sara's body.
Why did his words sound so threatening?