The Sanskrit verse left Ava breathless, its weight settling over her like a dark cloud. Her mind raced, but the words, though unfamiliar, felt strangely familiar. She had heard them before. But where? Why did they resonate so deeply within her?
Her thoughts scattered, fragments of doubt creeping in. Was this a warning? A sign? The verse—what could it mean? She had to know more. Her eyes scanned the page, but the cryptic message didn't offer any more clarity. Instead, it taunted her with its enigma.
Before she could process further, the sharp ring of the doorbell pierced the silence of the room. Her heart skipped in her chest. She glanced at the clock—it was almost dusk. Alexander's return was imminent, but who was at the door now?
She set the journal down on the bed, the verses still echoing in her mind, and walked cautiously to the front door. Her hand trembled as she reached for the knob. She had expected it to be Alexander, but the person on the other side of the door was someone entirely unexpected.
A man, tall and broad-shouldered, stood before her. His face was familiar, yet unfamiliar, his sharp features almost out of place in the dim light of the evening. The same deep-set eyes that held secrets were now fixed on her, sending a shiver down her spine.
"I'm sorry to intrude," he said, his voice calm but laced with something darker. "I'm looking for Alexander."
Ava hesitated. Her pulse quickened as she processed his words. Alexander hadn't mentioned anyone was coming. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She was unsure of how to proceed.
Before she could find the words, the man continued, his gaze shifting behind her into the room. "I need to speak with him. It's important."
His presence seemed to fill the doorway, his intensity palpable. She felt trapped, her mind swirling with uncertainty. Who was this man? And why did she feel like something was about to shift?
"I'm sorry," Ava managed, her voice shaky. "He's not here right now."
The man studied her for a long moment, as if weighing her every word. Finally, his lips curled into a faint smile, but there was something off about it—something unsettling. "I see. Well, I'll wait for him. He knows I'm coming."
Ava stepped back, unsure of how to handle the situation. The stranger's calm demeanor only heightened the tension she felt. He wasn't leaving. And she wasn't sure if she wanted him to.
As the man stepped inside, Ava's heart raced. She turned back toward the journal on the bed. The verse, the man—it all felt like pieces of a puzzle she couldn't yet understand, but the edge of danger was closer than ever.
With a final glance at the stranger, Ava closed the door behind her and retreated further into the house, her mind still racing with the cryptic words and the growing sense of unease. She needed to speak with Alexander, to make sense of what was happening.
But as she walked away from the door, she couldn't shake the feeling that the answers she sought were closer than she realized, hidden within the walls of the mansion, waiting to be uncovered