The Whisper Mansion

Blood had shed, soaking in red.
Dreams shall speak the language of the dead.
Hide in your blanket, under your bed
You won't escape the nightmares ahead.

»»————-　★　————-««

Darius's watch ticked, filling in the silence. The vehicle wobbled and kept Eva restless on her seat—not that she would be able to sleep in the first place.

Whenever her eyes dwindled, teasing her to rest, her mind would flash the thought of an ambush. The same thing repeated itself over and over in a perpetual loop of anxiety.

Darius had been staring at Eva for hours with eyes of pity. Only now did he muster the courage to speak.

"Eva," he called her and took a deep breath. "The attack came unprecedented... It's my fault, not being able to foresee the situation. I'm not going to make excuses. I know what you feel, and I—"

"Darius. It's fine. I'm not upset." She swallowed and fixed her posture. "I have no reason to be..."

Eva pulled her limbs towards her body as she sat on the delicate seat. Her muddy feet hovered above the cerulean carpet as her hair surged down in hag-like curls.

The furry white cloth, now stained with mud and blood, rested on her palms.

Eva tipped her face near the lamp, embracing its warmth. As she enjoyed the dancing light, the two men sat in their places, radiating a pensive air.

Darius sat, leaned forward, watching Ferdinand rub the crimson stain off his vest. The doctor's mystical threads moved by themselves as it stitched the open tears of his clothes and wounds.

"How about you. Are you alright?" Darius asked and lifted Ferdinand's face by his chin. He drew a clean white cloth and smeared the drop of blood off his cheeks.

"I'm fine," he growled, simultaneously snatching the fabric from his hands.

"W-what's wrong?"

Ferdinand stayed quiet and continued to scour the filth off his body. As much as he tried to suppress it, his fingers trembled in the presence of blood. It only caused further confusion for Eva.

She delivered a heavy sigh and sat straight. "Is it because I killed someone?" she asked, visibly irritated.

Darius's eyes widened. "Y-you killed someone?"

"I did. We buried it together before you arrived with the royal guards. Ferdinand said the council would be suspicious that there was a third party if they found the dead assassin."

"I see. Did you use the poisoned dart that I let you keep?"

Eva nodded and directed her gaze at the floor.

"I can't imagine the king's reaction if he got news of this. Well, that's not something you need to worry about. Ferdinand and I will deal with them once we get to the mansion where you'll be safe."

Eva rocked her fist in frustration. "What I did... was it wrong?" she paused and gasped for air. A wave of tears flooded her vision. "That person was enemy. It's either her or me! I did the right thing, right?"

Ferdinand looked at her, and they found themselves staring eye-to-eye. Ferdinand's face shifted from contorting and relaxing. It was as if he was suppressing an outburst of emotion.

The doctor released the moving threads to focus on Eva. "What you did wasn't wrong..., but it wasn't right either—" He stopped himself abruptly. The way his lips moved suggested he had more to say. Still, he chose to keep it inside and go back to healing his injuries.

"That's right. What is done is done. If you need someone to blame, put it on me," Darius responded before glancing to the man beside him. "That was meant for you too. Don't beat yourself over it."

"I'm not blaming you, Darius. My burdens are mine to carry, alone." He lowered his gaze to the ground. "As irrational as it is, I feel guilty for letting a person's life fall off my hands, and I'm the only one that needs to suffer for this."

A tear shed in the corner of Eva's eye. Facing the ceiling, she took a deep breath to regain her composure. "I-I'm sorry... I was just frustrated..., though I still have one question." She hesitated for a second as her eyes turned merciless. "How were you able to defeat a dozen men all on your own?"

Ferdinand beamed a little as if flattered. "I might be growing a tad old, but I'm still a capable sorcerer." Then, his smile faded into a sulk. "They're mere children playing with knives that warrants their killing in the name of justice."

"What do you mean?" Eva clicked her tongue.

"Did you see how that assassin resented me? I can't blame her, for I know first-hand the discrimination and pain sorcery brings. But I can't condone her actions either."

Eva responded with an irritated glare to the floor. She bottled her pent up frustration as much as she could, though it can't help but surface in the form of a scowl.

How can a person be kind and sinister at the same time? I know he doesn't give a crap about me, but why go to such lengths to preserve an assassin's lives. It disgusts me.

The three grew silent. It didn't take long for the grand marble carriage to slow down, eventually coming to a stop. Darius, sitting next to the door, stood up, and opened it. A cold gust of air embraced them, overtaking the comfort of heat. They shivered together as they stepped down the vehicle like walking wilted plants.

Eva strode barefooted on the stone pathway, shadowing after the two men.

Behind the vehicle extended a vast field of elegantly trimmed moss and grass. Dewdrops coated the greenery as humid as the looming fog.

The bright half-crescent moon began to sink into the enormous stone walls that encircled the land. The house sat in the pits of its shadows, in front of the mountainous landscape.

Faintly, a lamp burned in the distance, which marked the front doors. They wandered through the cemented pathway, soon leading them inside the porch, built of white marble and iron.

"Are we going to go inside?" Eva asked, wrapping herself in her arms.

The aroma of grove coated the arched mahogany doors, filling every inch of its intricate design. The three of them stood still, exposed to the freezing air.

"What are we waiting for?" she asked again and tapped her feet against the wooden plankings.

"Faun might already be asleep. She probably got tired of waiting for us," Ferdinand said.

Darius glanced at his watch. "I guess we have to open it the old fashioned way."

He pulled his sleeves and planted his feet on the floor. When his palm rested against the iron ring knob, the door began to shake violently. "Stand back."

Before he even said it, Eva had already taken a step behind.

The giant doors resisted his power, trembling madly in the process. Like loud maracas, it busted through the tranquility and hushed the soft chirps of the crickets.

All of a sudden, the doors separated as it flew like arrows towards the inside. The hinges snapped, leaving a giant open doorway in the entrance.

"You broke it!" She chuckled.

Darius scratched his scalp while bearing a playful smile. "Don't worry about that. Shall we go inside?"

Eva followed after as they went inside the cloud of pitch-black. They were half-way into the entrance when Darius raised his hand and snapped. Instantly, the lamps lit, following the route to the grand marble stairs.

"Where are the other tenants?" Eva asked as they followed them to the staircase. The carpet brushed against the soles of her feet as she dragged her muddy dress through the luxurious floor.

Darius turned around and smiled proudly. "They're not just tenants. We're more like a family here."

The doctor retorted, "A very dysfunctional one. So you don't have to worry, you'll fit right in."

They passed by the massive granite kitchen with a long table that could fit a hundred guests. Three chairs were pulled out from the dining stand, and three silver cloche presented themselves in a fancy plating.

Darius took off his vest and lit up the candlesticks with a wave of a hand. "Let's eat. I'm sure Eva's hungry after coming back from the afterlife."

Eva shook her head. "Thanks, but I'll eat tomorrow. Can you show me where the room is?"

"I'm tired as well. Darius, show her to her room. I'll head to bed."

Darius nodded. "I guess it's my turn to babysit you."

They strolled through the red decorative carpet within a long and somewhat spooky hallway. A gallery of landscape paintings hung on the walls.

Well, it's better than spooky portraits of dead people.

They took a few more turns and passed through countless doors. Eva's curiosity sparked as she passed through what seemed like an endless collection of entrances. After a few more strides, they finally arrived at the hallway's end. Darius snatched the silver key that dangled on the hook and opened the wooden door.

"I asked Faun to lend you everything you'll need, so make sure to change clothes before you sleep."

A brightly lit quarters came into her view. Lamps adorned the walls in bright orange while a small bed stood at the farthest side.

She brought out her kindest smile—a slight arching of her lips and waved him goodbye.

"I'll have my student explain the house rules and give you a tour tomorrow. He's a good kid. You might get along together."

"I'm sure."

Eva locked the door. She then lumbered towards the mattress, and like a fallen tree, she lost consciousness, succumbing to her exhaustion.

Her face lay flat on the pillow, decaying into sleep with each passing second.

Even for just a few hours, Eva confined herself in a pleasant dream, devoid of her misery. Just until morning, she would like to forget everything: the dread of killing, the king's sorrowful goodbye, and her untimely return.

She drifted in her dreams through the pastel clouds and sky. She immersed in the peacefulness, enjoying in bliss. It did not take long for the colorful air to turn into a shade of black and blame.

The stars dimmed the whole land and covered it with a musky paint of the abyss. A ray of light opened up in the sky as a familiar sense sent shivers down her spine.

The afterlife. I couldn't forget it.

Eva believed that it was just a delusion of her mind. But the nightmarish hell soon proved how wrong she was when an unknown voice trembled over the land.

A demanding voice, neither masculine nor feminine, spoke from the heavens. No, it was all around her—talking in every direction.

She stood frozen as her joints weakened at the being surrounding her. A surge of wind blew from the sky and forced her to her knees.

"The divine's intention shall be carried out. The supreme accord will not be severed. The absolute plan had already commenced," it declared along with the crack of lightning. "Take flight young phoenix. May every flap of your wings know that nothing is a coincidence."