The storm pressed against the windows, rattling the glass like impatient fingers. Layla hadn't let go of her phone, gripping it as if the glow of its screen could keep the shadows at bay.
Iman tried to steady her voice. "You need to stay close to me. The halls... they don't always stay the same."
Layla frowned. "What do you mean, they don't stay the same?"
Iman hesitated. "You'll see."
They stepped into the corridor together. They walls stretched unnaturally, the candles on the walls flickering as if the house itself was aware of their presence. Layla's breath quickened.
"This place is wrong," she whispered. "It feels like it's watching us."
Before Iman could answer, a figure emerged from the shadows. Dorian. His pale eyes locked on Layla, sharp and unyielding.
Layla froze, clutching her phone tighter. "Who the hell are you?"
Dorian tilted his head, studying her. His expression was cold, but his gaze lingered. "You don't belong here."
Layla bristled. "Neither do you."
Something flickered in Dorian's eyes-amusement, interest - but it vanished as quickly as it came. "You don't understand what this place is," he said, voice low.
Layla stepped closer, defiant. "Then explain it. or are you just here to glare at me?"
Dorian's jaw tightened. "You're reckless. Charging into things you don't know."
Layla shot back, "And you're arrogant. Acting like you own the place."
Their voices rose, sharp against the silence of the manor. But beneath every word, Iman saw it-the way Dorian's gaze softened for a heartbeat when it met Layla's, the way his tone faltered before hardening again.
Iman moved between them, her heart pounding. "Stop. Both of you."
Dorian's eyes flicked to Iman, then back to Layla. "She shouldn't be here," he said but the words lacked conviction.
The air thickened, charged with something unseen. The walls seemed to pulse, alive with tension.
For a moment, silence. Then Dorian stepped back, his expression unreadable. "The house will decide," he murmured, before fading into the corridor's shadows.
Layla exhaled shakily, her knuckles turned white around her phone. "Iman... what the hell is going on here?"
Iman swallowed hard, the echo of Elara's warning heavy in her mind. They will find you. They always do.