Chapter 8: the locked door
392 Words
The Valente mansion never truly slept.
Even after midnight, Ava could hear footsteps somewhere beyond the walls. Doors opened and closed. Quiet voices drifted through the endless corridors before disappearing into silence. It was as if the house itself was alive, guarding secrets it refused to share.
Sleep never came.
She slipped on a sweater, opened her bedroom door, and stepped into the dimly lit hallway.
The mansion felt different tonight.
Too quiet.
As she wandered, she noticed something strange.
A faint light glowed beneath a door she had never seen open before.
Unlike the other polished wooden doors, this one was black, old, and scarred with deep scratches. A silver key remained in the lock, but the door was chained shut from the inside.
Curiosity tugged at her.
Just as she reached for the handle—
"Don't."
The voice came from behind.
Ava spun around.
Dante stood at the end of the hallway, his expression unreadable.
"What is this room?" she asked.
For a long moment, he didn't answer.
Then he walked over, removed the key, and slipped it into his pocket.
"A place that should stay forgotten."
"Forgotten by who?"
His eyes met hers.
"Everyone."
Before she could ask another question, a loud crash echoed from somewhere below.
Both of them froze.
Another crash.
Glass shattered.
Dante's calm disappeared instantly.
"Go back to your room," he ordered.
"What happened?"
"Now, Ava."
His tone left no room for argument.
She hurried away, but halfway down the corridor she glanced back.
Dante wasn't alone.
A shadow stood at the opposite end of the hallway.
Tall.
Motionless.
Watching.
The lights flickered.
For a split second the figure vanished.
When the lights returned...
No one was there.
The next morning, the mansion acted as though nothing had happened.
The broken glass was gone.
The servants avoided eye contact.
Even Dante seemed colder than usual.
As Ava walked into the library, something caught her attention.
A folded piece of paper lay inside the novel she had been reading.
She was certain it hadn't been there before.
Hands trembling, she unfolded it.
Only one sentence was written in neat black ink.
If you want the truth, don't trust Dante Valente.
Ava's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
She looked around the empty library.
Who had left the note?
And more importantly...
Why did they know her name?
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