MARRIAGE CONTRACT WITH THE MONSTER

CHAPTER SIX:

The game is starting now. It is really exciting to see what will happen in the game. The game. Everyone is waiting to see what the outcome will be. The game is going to be a lot of fun.

The mansion felt really cold that morning. It was a feeling in the mansion. The cold air was around the mansion.

The sun just could not shine into the windows. It was like the sun was being blocked from getting to the windows. The windows were really hard for the sun to reach.

Elara walked behind Marco through the halls. The floor made a lot of noise as they walked on it.. Elara and Marco did not say a word to each other. The silence between Elara and Marco was really uncomfortable.

Marco said that you are thinking a lot. He said this all of a sudden. Marco's voice was soft. It echoed in the hall.

Elara said "I have to do this". Her hands were shaking a bit. If Elara makes one mistake Elara could really die.

"True, " Marco said. ". If you hesitate it will be the end of you. Marco thinks that you have to do something. You cannot just think about it. Wait for something to happen. Marco believes that you must act now. Act is what you have to do.

Elara nodded. She took a breath and tried to breathe normally. Elara wanted to calm down and breathe steady again.

They came to a black door at the end of the hallway. The black door was really tall taller, than any door she had seen before. It had iron handles on it. A heavy lock that looked very strong. The black door looked very solid.

Marco said this is where your next test begins. He told me to step and do exactly what he says. Marco wants me to follow his instructions carefully.

Elara's stomach was doing flips. What is inside the thing she asked?

Marco said that this is something you have never faced before. You will have to talk to someone who knows Dante well, someone who knows Dante better, than anyone else.

Elara swallowed. She felt like her throat was really dry. Elara needed a drink of water because her throat was so dry.

Marco unlocked the door. The door creaked open slowly. A soft light from the room spilled into the hall. Marco saw that the light was very nice. The hall was bright now because of the light.

Elara stepped into the room. She was now inside. Elara had just walked in.

The room was empty, at first. Then this man stepped forward. He had hair and a sharp jaw and his eyes were cold. This man looked like he could hurt someone. He did not seem like Dante. He was really calm. He seemed to be thinking about what he was going to do next. He was watching everything that was happening. This man was calm. He was thinking carefully about what he was doing.

"Welcome, " he said. His voice was really low. "I am Lorenzo. Dante thinks I am the person to trust. He trusts me more than anyone. Today I am going to teach you some things or I am going to decide what happens to you. I am going to be your teacher or your judge so it depends on you and that is what Lorenzo is going to do.

Elara's hands were shaking badly. She said "Teacher what are you talking about?. Are you talking about a judge? I do not understand what you mean by teacher or judge.

Lorenzo told me that I would learn fast. He gave a smile. I would. Pick things up or I would not make it. If that happened I would be sorry I came to this place Lorenzo said. The thing is, I would regret being at this place.

Elara's chest felt really tight. She said "I am not going to fail" to herself. Elara wanted to make sure that Elara did what she had to do. Elara was determined that Elara would succeed.

Lorenzo said "That is good". Confidence is really necessary.. The thing about confidence is that it can also be very deadly. Lorenzo thinks that confidence is a thing. Confidence is necessary for people to do things.. Sometimes confidence can get people into trouble because it can be deadly.

Elara swallowed. "What am I supposed to do "

Lorenzo stepped closer to the person. He said "You have to answer the questions that are asked of you. You have to make some choices. You have to show that you are intelligent.. You have to show that you are courageous. Do not tell any lies. Do not wait long to answer.. Do not beg for anything. Lorenzo wanted the person to be honest and brave and to make choices, which is what Lorenzo was looking for in the person, good choices and courage, from the person.

Elara said that she understood.

Lorenzo said " question". He walked around her slowly. "So someone comes to you. Says they will give you a lot of power but your family will be in danger. What do you do with the power that someone is offering you if it means your family's safety is at risk?"

Elara thought to herself. Her mind was over the place. She thought about her parents. What they would do. She thought about Dante. How he was involved in all of this. She even thought about the house and all the memories she had there.

She said this after a while. "I would say no to the power " she said. Family means a lot to me. It is more important than anything. I would rather lose my chance to stay alive than give up my family.

Lorenzo nodded slowly. He said "That is interesting. Most people want to have power.. Few people want to be with their family. You are already different from people. Remember that you are different because you choose family over power. Lorenzo thinks that is really something to remember about yourself.

Elara swallowed. She said "What is next?"

Lorenzo said "Yes". So what do you do when someone you know you cannot beat wants to fight you? Lorenzo asked this question. If someone you cannot defeat challenges you how do you react Lorenzo wanted to know.

Elara said "I notice things, I hear what people say, I see what is going on, I am patient and wait for the moment. Then I will do something about it."

Lorenzo smiled a little. He said "You are clever, that is good.. Just seeing things is not enough. The Strength of the Human Body comes in forms like the strength of the mind and Lorenzo thinks that is what really matters the strength of the Human Body and the strength of the mind.

Elara nodded, she was trying hard to keep her hands from shaking.

The door opened all of a sudden. Dante stepped inside the room. He was very calm. Dante was silent. Dante was watching everything around him.

The man told me "you are here". His voice was soft. It had a sharp edge to it. I could tell he noticed that Lorenzo is teaching me things.

Lorenzo said yes. The woman is learning the things she needs to know quickly. Lorenzo thinks that the woman is picking up skills at a really fast pace. The woman is learning quickly.

Elara looked at Dante. "I want to survive, " she said to Dante. Elara really wants to survive. She told Dante that she wants to survive.

Dante said to me "You will do what I say.. It is not just about staying alive. You need to know what I am talking about. You need to know what this house is like. You need to know the people who work for me. If you do not understand these things the house and the people who serve me and the world outside will be too much for you. The world outside will hurt you if you do not understand the house and the people who serve me and what I am saying to you.

Elara swallowed. "I am really trying to do this thing"

Dante said to me "You are trying." He took a step closer to me. Trying is not good enough, he told me. I need to think about what might happen. I have to do something before something bad happens to me. I have to know what to do before I even know what the rules are. I have to learn the rules before they are written down, he explained.

Marcos' voice was really quiet as it came from the doorway. He said "She is listening".

Dante's eyes met Elara's. They were dark. They were dangerous and they were sharp. Dante said "And I am watching Dante and Elara closely" because Dante was watching Elara.

Elara's chest felt really tight. "I understand, " Elara said.

Dante said that everything is good. Now the next part of the test, for you, is going to start.

Lorenzo came out of the shadows. He said "Now you will meet someone. This person does not trust people. They will test how brave you are and if you tell the truth. You have to be careful with this person. If you do something, your time with them will be over. Lorenzo said this because Lorenzo wants you to understand that this person is very serious. Lorenzo is telling you that you have to be honest and courageous when you meet this person.

Elara's hands were shaking badly. She said "Who is it?"

Lorenzo said to me "You will see things for yourself.. You will figure things out quickly. The mansion is really full of secrets. Some of these secrets are very deadly. Some secrets of the mansion will teach you things.. Every single secret of the mansion will test you.

Dante's voice came from behind me. He said "Remember, Elara fear is something you can use to your advantage. Courage is what protects you.. When it comes to trust you have to think carefully because it is not something people will always give you. Trust is a choice. It is one that people may not always let you have again, Elara."

Elara nodded. She looked at Marco then she looked at Lorenzo and after that she looked at Dante.

The woman said that she is ready.

Lorenzo told me that I am brave. That is a thing.. Being brave is not everything. I need to be smart. I need to be quick. I have to be okay with making mistakes and dealing with what happens after that. Lorenzo said I must be clever and fast and willing to make mistakes and survive them because bravery alone is not enough. I need to be smart and quick, like that. Lorenzo said this to me. It made me think about what it means to be brave and clever and fast and to make mistakes and survive them like Lorenzo said.

Elara swallowed. She said to herself I will survive. Elara knew that she had to be strong so Elara told herself again I will survive.

Dante's eyes moved for the time. You could see a bit of something, in them maybe it was respect. He said "We will see" and then he said it again "We will see".

The mansion seemed to shift around her. The shadows. The light flickered. There was danger in every corner of the mansion. The mansion was a place and the danger was all around the mansion.

Elara stepped forward. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. Her hands were shaking badly.. The thing that was important to Elara was that her mind was sharp and thinking clearly about the situation with Elara.

She was no longer just a pawn.

The woman was trying to understand the rules. She wanted to know what the rules were. The rules were important to her.

She was trying to learn about the monster. The monster was something that she really wanted to understand. The monster was very important to her.

And the game had just begun.