"Did it begin after touching water?"Alfred's question lingered heavily inside the hidden room while the distant sound of thunder rolled somewhere beyond the mansion walls.Ethan remained silent for several moments as memories from earlier that afternoon resurfaced inside his mind with startling clarity.The kitchen sink…. The cold water running over his fingers…. The sudden vision.His grandfather was standing beside the old man, and the shadowed figure whose face had been scratched away both in the photograph and in the memory itself.Finally, he drew a slow breath."Yes," he replied quietly. "As far as I remember, the first vision happened during the time I washed my hands, I thought it's a random hallucination after a long day." The old butler closed his eyes briefly, there's no surprise or panic in his face, only recognition of something he was already aware of.Scarlett noticed the subtle shift in his expression immediately."You expected that answer, didn't you?" Her voice car

"Yes... someone looked back at me."The words settled over the hidden study like a heavy fog, draining every trace of warmth from the room.The ticking of the old clock suddenly became louder than before, each swing of its pendulum echoing against the stone walls while rain continued to beat relentlessly against the windows outside. Ethan remained where he was, his gaze fixed on the Dragon Ring circling his finger as if it had suddenly become something unfamiliar.Alfred did not respond immediately.His weathered face revealed almost nothing, yet the slight tightening of his grip around the polished wooden cane betrayed what years of discipline could not completely conceal.Scarlett noticed it at once."You knew there was a chance this could happen, didn't you?" Her voice remained steady, though concern had quietly replaced the irritation from moments earlier.Alfred drew a slow breath before answering."I knew there was a possibility…. I simply prayed the possibility would never beco

"Ethan... Can you hear me?” Scarlett's voice sounded close enough to touch, yet it also felt impossibly distant.The sharp pain behind Ethan's eyes intensified until the hidden study blurred into a mixture of shadows and pale light. His fingers instinctively tightened around Scarlett's hand, clinging to the familiar warmth as if it were the only thing anchoring him to reality."I... I can't..."His sentence never reached its end.The floor beneath his feet disappeared, a strange cold wind rushed across his face.The scent of old parchment, damp ground, and burning cedar surrounded him, replacing the smell of polished wood inside the mansion. When his vision finally cleared, he found himself standing in the same wooden cabin from before.Nothing had changed.The fireplace continued crackling quietly, rain tapped gently against the roof.His grandfather stood beside the weathered table with one hand resting upon its surface, while the mysterious old man remained seated across from him

“What did you say?” Scarlett was slightly puzzled because of what Ethan had said."He was standing outside Prison... watching me the day I walked free." Ethan repeated once again and the confession settled over the hidden study with suffocating weight.Scarlett searched Ethan's face, hoping to find uncertainty, but there was none. His expression carried the unmistakable certainty of someone recognizing a detail that had been buried deep inside his memory."Do you remember him clearly?"Ethan slowly nodded."Not his entire face. I'm not sure, though it is not heavily raining, still, he stood beneath a black umbrella. Most of his features were hidden, but his eyes..." He turned toward the photograph resting on the desk. "I could never forget those eyes.”Alfred stepped closer until he stood beside Ethan. "Tell me everything you remember.""There isn't much.""Even the smallest detail matters."Ethan closed his eyes briefly, allowing the memory to unfold naturally."The prison gates had

"You cannot stay at Carvendish Mansion any longer."Alfred's calm voice settled over the room as the security footage froze on the stranger's hand, the ancient ring still visible on the monitor.Scarlett leaned against the edge of the desk, her eyes remaining fixed on the screen."As far as I know, this mansion has survived for generations…. Whoever that man is, he walked onto the estate without triggering a single alarm, knew there was a hidden study beneath the library, and left before we even realized he was here. However, as if these all aren't enough, you're telling me this place isn't safe anymore.""I know you both are frustrated because of what's happening here young lady, but whatever I'm saying, that is just to keep you both safe.” Ethan folded his arms across his chest. “Do you think he'll return?” "I don't think…." Alfred met his gaze. "I just know."Silence followed.The mansion suddenly felt different. Only hours earlier it had seemed like the safest place in the world