Eva pulled a small tablet-like device from her bag. It displayed detailed maps of the old asylum, marked with red indicators highlighting specific rooms and hidden areas that had not been opened for years. She said in a tense tone, "This is Marx's map. He left it here. Maybe he was hoping you would find it one day."
Celine looked at the map, her heart pounding hard.
"We need to move fast. There's no time to waste."
The plan began. They would enter the asylum through the back gate, avoid any potential guards, then head to the second floor where the markings pointed to the detention room.
Along the way, faint, unclear whispers began to follow them, and shadows shifted between the corners, as if the asylum itself were watching their every move. But Celine's resolve did not waver.
They reached the back gate, covered in moss and rust. They pushed it slowly and stepped into the cold, dark corridors. Even though the flashlight's beam was weak, their determination was strong. As they moved cautiously, Celine heard the echo of a soft cry coming from afar. Without thinking, she called out, "Lilia? Are you there?"
No one answered. Only silence, which only strengthened her determination. They approached a room marked with a special symbol, its door locked with a complex mechanism. Eva used the device she was carrying to electronically disable the lock. After minutes of tension, the door slowly opened. Inside, Celine found a small bed. Then she noticed a door in the back wall. She pushed it gently, revealing a narrow passage that led to another room. There, Lilia was sitting, trembling, her eyes wide. But when she saw Celine, she let out a cry of joy, then sighed deeply and hugged her. Celine whispered,
"I'm here. I'll never leave you."
What she did not know was that the shadows she had been warned about earlier were drawing closer. A new trap had been set for them.
The room was small and cold, its walls covered in strange symbols painted in dark red. Lilia sat in a corner, trying to close her eyes, yet she looked unsettled, as if the shadows of the past were chasing her even while awake. Celine sat beside her, gently holding her small hand, and said,
"I'm here. I won't let them hurt you."
But before she could say more, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed on the stairs. Celine's heart began to race, and she signaled Eva to stay silent. They moved quickly toward the dark corner, but the door was suddenly forced open. A large man entered, his face disfigured and his eyes carrying a sinister gleam. He said in a rough voice, "Did you really think you would escape so easily?"
Celine stepped in front of Lilia and shouted,
"No! I won't let you hurt her!"
She grabbed a shard of broken glass lying on the floor and prepared to defend herself. The man laughed harshly.
"You're too young for this game, but you're brave. I'll give you one last chance. Hand over the child."
Eva quietly came up behind him and fired an electric stun device at him. He screamed and convulsed. Celine seized the moment, grabbed Lilia quickly, and ran toward the narrow passage. Footsteps chased after them, and screams filled the place.
Outside the asylum, rain was pouring heavily, as if nature itself were sharing their struggle. They ran through the dark forest, their breath ragged, their hearts pounding. In that moment, Celine realized that the real battle had only just begun, and that the past everyone had tried to bury was still alive within their very breaths.
To be continued...