The Unseen
1206 Words
Celine sat in the plush chair, her heart racing. The room was silent, the air thick with tension. Gabriel's eyes were fixed on her, intense but unreadable. The other men watched her closely, though none of them spoke.
"There's something we need to discuss," Gabriel repeated, his voice smooth, almost too calm.
Celine swallowed hard. She wasn't sure what to expect, but whatever it was, it felt like her life was about to change.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, trying to sound casual, though her voice trembled slightly.
Gabriel's lips curved into a faint smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No, Celine," he said, leaning forward in his chair. "Not everything is okay. We have certain... expectations of you."
Her stomach twisted. "Expectations?" she echoed, unsure of where this conversation was going.
The room seemed to grow colder as Gabriel spoke.
"You see, this mansion isn't like any other place you've worked in before. The rules here are... different. And you will need to follow them carefully."
Celine nodded, her mind spinning. She had heard about the mansion's strict rules, but hearing them from Gabriel, in such a quiet, serious tone, made her feel even more out of place.
"Is this about the rules I signed?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Gabriel glanced at the others, who were all still watching her with a strange intensity. Then his gaze shifted back to her.
"Partly," he said. "But there's more to it. You see, Celine, you're not just here to clean and serve. You’re here for a reason. And you’ll learn that reason soon enough."
Her breath caught in her throat. What was he talking about? She didn't want to ask too many questions, but the weight of his words hung heavily in the air.
"Why me?" she asked, her voice shaky. "What do you want from me?"
Gabriel's smile faded, replaced by something much darker. "It's not what we want from you, Celine. It's what you’ll become."
She didn't understand. "Become?" she repeated, trying to make sense of his words.
Before Gabriel could answer, Leo, who had been silent until now, stood up from his chair. His presence felt like a storm about to break.
"Celine, this isn't a place for curiosity," Leo said, his voice low and commanding.
"You need to focus. Don't ask questions that you’re not ready for the answers to."
Celine felt a chill crawl up her spine.
"I just... I don't understand. What’s going on here?"
Jack, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly spoke up. His tone was almost friendly, but there was an edge to it that Celine couldn't ignore.
"You’ll understand soon enough," Jack said. "But for now, just follow the rules. Do your job, and keep your head down. Things will be easier that way."
Celine's eyes darted around the room, looking for some kind of explanation. But none of the men seemed willing to give her one. Instead, they all watched her with varying degrees of interest, as if she was some sort of puzzle they were waiting to see unfold.
Gabriel leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled under his chin. "I suggest you go back to your work, Celine. You'll be needed tomorrow."
Celine stood up, feeling a strange sense of unease settle over her. She had no idea what was happening, but something told her that the world she had walked into was far darker than she had imagined.
As she made her way back to her quarters, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. The halls felt colder, the shadows deeper. Every footstep echoed in the silence, and every turn seemed to lead her further into the unknown.
Once back in her room, Celine tried to calm her racing thoughts. She had come here for a job, a chance to start over. But now, it seemed like the mansion was a maze, and she had no idea how to find her way out.
The knock on the door came unexpectedly, causing her to jump. She opened it to find Leo standing there, his face as unreadable as ever.
"Leo?" she asked, her voice tight with uncertainty.
He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
"You need to be careful, Celine," he said, his voice low and serious.
"There are things here that can change you, if you're not careful."
Celine felt her heart race again.
"What are you talking about? What’s going on here?"
Leo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked to the window, looking out at the mansion grounds. His back was to her, but she could feel his attention still on her.
"This place," he began, "it's not just a home. It's... something else. Something more."
Celine swallowed hard.
"What do you mean by that? What are you not telling me?"
Leo turned around, his dark eyes piercing through her. "I can't explain it all to you, Celine. But I can tell you this: you're not here by chance. There’s a reason they brought you here. And it’s not just for cleaning."
His words left her breathless.
"Then why am I here?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Leo took a step toward her, his presence almost overwhelming. "You’ll find out soon enough," he said, his voice cold and detached. "But you need to be ready for what’s coming. Because when it comes, you won’t have a choice."
Celine's mind was racing, but before she could ask any more questions, Leo turned and left the room, closing the door behind him with a soft thud.
The silence in the room was deafening. Celine sat down on her bed, her heart pounding in her chest. She had no idea what was happening, but one thing was clear: the mansion, and the men in it, were hiding something. Something dangerous. And she had a feeling she was at the center of it all.
As the hours passed, Celine tried to sleep, but her mind wouldn’t stop spinning. She kept thinking about the words Leo had said. "You're not here by chance." What did that mean? Why her? And why had they brought her to this place?
Suddenly, there was a noise outside her door. A faint scratching sound, almost like someone trying to get in. She stood up, her breath catching in her throat.
"Who’s there?" she called out, her voice shaky.
The scratching stopped.
A chill ran down her spine. She walked cautiously to the door, her hand hovering over the handle. Whatever was going on in this mansion, it was far more sinister than she had realized.
With a deep breath, she opened the door.
The hallway was empty.
But on the floor, just in front of her door, was a small, ornate key.
Celine’s blood ran cold as she stared at the key, the same one she had found earlier.
What was happening here?
Without thinking, she bent down and picked it up, her fingers trembling as she held it in her hand.
And then, without warning, the lights went out.
Complete darkness swallowed the room.
And somewhere in the shadows, a whisper floated to her ears.
“Don’t trust them.”
- Writer
