Inside Rowel Don's mansion, the air felt heavier that night, like an unseen weight placed on her shoulders. Sitting on the edge of the bed, holding the cup, she stared at the tea and perceived the bitter scent of herbs, a scent she had come to associate with forgetting. Her fingers closed tightly around the porcelain handling it into her palm
Was it real? Was it all in her head, or was she going crazy? The messages on the mirror. The missing pages in her journal. The strange headaches.
Noticing how Rowel had tightened his control over her, wasn't something she could comprehend...but why? Tonight, she decided she wouldn't drink the tea. Not until she understood what exactly was happening.
She breathed out shakily and set the cup down, untouched. The door creaked open, and Rowel stood there, watching her. His gaze stared at the full cup, then back to her. His expression didn't change, but she knew—he noticed.
"You didn't drink it," he said smoothly, stepping inside the room. He pushed the door as it clicked shut behind him, a sound that felt too final.
Kelly swallowed. "I wasn't thirsty."
Rowel walked forward to her, each step deliberate. When he reached her, he picked up the cup, shaking the liquid inside. Then, with force and ease, he turned it toward her lips.
"Drink Kelly," he muttered
She looked sideways and hesitated. "Why?"
His eyes darkened. "Because I said so."
Kelly tightened her fists; she felt upset and tired of being controlled. But before she could protest or refuse, a knock came at the door.
Rowel's jaw clicked, and he set the cup down, barely sparing her another glance before moving towards the door.
"A voice spoke from the other side. "Sir, there's been an incident."
Kelly barely had time to process before Rowel set the door open and stepped out, his body tense.
An incident? She waited until his footsteps faded, then rapidly moved to the dresser. The journal...It had to be here. She searched through the drawers, hands shaking. She found Nothing.
Then she saw it in the mirror..she looked to see what was written on it
"Midnight, Library...Trust no one."
She stood staring at the mirror and wondered why the statement "Trust no one" kept popping up
Her heart pounded. Could it be that someone was helping her, Or… someone was leading her into a trap? Either way, she had no choice but to find out.
Kelly's breath came in shallow gasps as she stared at the words written across the mirror. Midnight, Library...Trust no one. Her gut twisted.
Who wrote this? Her own handwriting? Someone else's? She had no memory of it.
The more she thought about it.., the more she felt like going crazy. She wasn't sure of what was going on or what she was doing.
The floor outside made sounds as she heard footsteps approaching. Her heart hammering, she quickly, grabbed a nearby cloth and wiped the message away in strokes
Just as she finished, the door handle turned..to open. She hurriedly leaped onto the bed, throwing the covers over herself, eyes squeezed shut.
The door opened. A pause. Then the soft measured sound of Rowel's breathing.
Kelly forced her body to stay still on the bed, willing her own breathing to slow cause she couldn't control breathing fast... In her head "Please leave. Please leave Rowel"
After a moment, the door clicked shut again. She decided not to move for a long time..cause she didn't know what Rowel was up to
Finally, when the clock ticked to 11:50 PM, she slipped out of bed. She had only ten minutes to follow the instructions on the mirror
Pulling on a robe, she tiptoed across the room, pressing her ear against the door. There was Silence.
Slowly and carefully, she twisted the handle and Unlocked the door
She exhaled in relief and slipped out.
The hallway stretched before her in a creepy quiet. The mansion was like a maze, but she remembered the glimpses—dark wood shelves, leather-bound books, the scent of an aged paper.
The library had to be downstairs so she moved quickly, staying close to the shadows.
Every turn felt like an invitation to disaster. She was scared cause every shift of air felt like a presence..as if someone was watching and waiting to strike
Then, ahead—a faint glow.
The library doors were slightly opened.
Someone was already inside.
Kelly hesitated. Was this a trap?
She took a step forward—then stopped.
She heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor.
A silhouette moved inside.
She pressed herself against the wall, heart pounding in her throat.
"She's beginning to remember," a low voice said.
Kelly's stomach dropped. Rowel!!
A second voice responded very quietly
"You can't stop it forever. She'll definitely find out soon."
A pause...
Then Rowel's cold reply..made her shiver
"Then we'll make sure she forgets."
Kelly's hands turned ice-cold immediately... What!?? This was even worse than she had thought.
She needed to find out the truth before it was too late.
But first… she had to get out of there alive
____
Standing there and freezing in fear she realized she had only two options either to quietly sneak back to her room and pretend she didn't hear anything or stand there and investigate further
Kelly took a deep breath and chose to take the risk. She moved away from the wall and took a step forward, trying not to make a sound and avoid being caught
Approaching the library door, she heard Rowel's voice again, sounding more desperate this time.
"We need to take care of this now. Before she remembers everything."
Kelly's heart skipped a beat. What did he mean? What was she supposed to remember?
She was curious to understand what exactly was going on; carefully, she pushed the door open and slipped inside quietly, trying to stay out of sight.
The place was dark, with only a few candles burning on the shelves; the light in the library was dimly lit. She saw Rowel and the other person standing by the fireplace, their backs facing her.
Kelly moved closer, trying to hear what they were saying.
"...can't let her find out," the other person said.
"I know," Rowel replied. "But we need to be careful. She's already getting closer to the truth."
Kelly's mind was racing. What truth? What was Rowel hiding from her that she wasn't aware of?
She took another step forward, her heart pounding in her chest..but still trying to keep balance
Suddenly, Rowel looked around, his eyes catching hers.
"Kelly," he called out to her with his low and threatening voice. "What are you doing here?"
Kelly froze at the spot, her mind instantly went blank. At that moment she knew she had to think fast, or else she would be caught red-handed
But before she could come up with an excuse or say anything anything further, the other person turned around, revealing a shocked face.
It was Alex, Rowel's loyal assistant.
But what was he doing here? And why was he conspiring against her with Rowel?
Kelly's world turned upside down upon seeing Alex, her mind didn't know who to trust anymore.
"Kelly, come here," Rowel said, his voice sounding with malice.
On the other hand, Kelly knew she had to get out of there fast. She quickly turned around and ran away, not stopping or looking back. On getting to her room she hurriedly entered and locked the door behind her.
Obviously, she was aware of the fact that she couldn't hide there forever. Kelly had to take the risk and uncover the truth, no matter how dangerous it was
And she was determined to start by revealing the secrets of the strange message in the mirror.
Who wrote it? And what did they want her to know? The next step to take after that
Kelly's journey to uncover the truth had just begun.