《The Game》


 Chapter 1

    It was another regular and awful day in your life. Your feet ached to the point where you could barely feel them from another grueling 11-hour shift at a 24/7 diner. It was located in a sketchy part of town that was infamous for its high crime rates. During your shift, you had to put up with loud drunkards as they slurred their orders, leers from the regularsas they tryto ''subtly'' implied for ''other services'' when you were off the clock, and constantly on edgefor a fight to break out at any moment.


    You groaned as you opened the door to your dingy apartment. It was far from what anyone would consider ''home sweet home'',with only cheap furniture that broke down even under the slightest of weights,the permanent and faint smell of mildew and mothballs in the air, and a few flimsy posters to cover up the cracks that spiderwebbed upthe walls.No matter how much you tried to clean it up, the place would almost immediately revert to a filthy hellhole followed by a rat or moldinfestation a few days later. You winced as you heard your neighbors, a couple that was made up two junkies,above you screamed over who would get the last of their heroin.


    You shook your head as you took off your leather jacket and ran a hand through your straggled hair. You glanced at the microwave''s clock that read 12:45 AM in a bright sickly green and flipped the light switch next to you. The light bulb flickered for a moment before it illuminated the living room in a harsh, bland cool white: making the space look all the more depressing and lifeless. Sitting on your scratched table, was a largepile of half-finished schoolwork that seemed to sneer at you, reminding you that they were due within only a few days.


    Suppressing the groan in your throat, you dropped your bag and rushed to finish your assignments. The textbooks''words swam in your tired eyes and through your exhaustion, you could barely focus on the paper in front of you. Your hand shook as you wrote notes, making your handwriting illegible to even yourself. Throughout thelong early morning hours, you fought against your exhaustion as you tried to finish the last of your workload, knowing that at best you would get a barely passing grade when you turned them in to your professors.


    As you finished your final assignment, you noticed a black journal with gold stars on the coversitting in the corner of the table. It was your writing journal, one that you haven''t touched in well over a month and left all alone to be forgotten. The ideas, plotting, and excerpts of stories that will never be told.


    With a cry, you threw your head in your hands and groaned. Tears started to roll down your face as you violently trembled.


    It was like this almost everyday for the last several months.You sacrificed your hobbiessocial life just towork long hours at your dead-end job with no other source of income.You had toup with seedy customers, horrible co-workers, your witch of a boss, and the occasional fight. All while tryingto keep a neutral face only to barely make enough money to afford thishellhole that was also populated with the same kinds of people you put up at work andconstantlystaring down dropping out of college in the eye. But worst of all, you had to put aside your dreams of becoming published just to scarcelykeep your head above.Month after month, more of your mental fortitude was starting to wear down and you wondered if all of your effort was worth it if all you could do was barelyget by in every aspect of your life.


    "Idon''t want to put up with this anymore!" You choked out. "I''ll give up anything just so mylife to be alittle bit better!"


    You slumped down into the table, barely registering the impact.Your eyes blurred from tears and exhaustion, turning the world around you in a swirling fogof colors and shapes. You succumbed to your fatigue andclosed your eyes as youslowly drifted away into a dreamless sleep.


    ---


    A year later....


    Your fortune has completely reversed. Instead of being barely scraping by no matter how hard you''ve struggled, you were now enjoyingthe complete opposite. Now you were livingina decent apartment in a nice part of town that was within walking distance of college,your grades only consisted of strong As and Bs, and you had landed the paid internship of your dreams at a major publishing houseas you learnedthe ins-and-outs of the trade. It was as if you were living in a fairytale.


    At first, you didn''t think too much of it. After all, anything was better than barely getting by and living in a mold and rat infested apartment that you could barely afford and struggling to keep up with class whileworking long hours for less than minimum wage. But as the initial shock and joy wore off, you were starting to get the inkling that something wasn''t quite right about this sudden change. You don''t remember doing anything to improve your living conditions. You didn''t fill out any applications to the internship, you didn''t find moretime to dedicate for studying,nor made a paymenttowards the new apartment.


    It was just that one day you got a phone call with an editor at the publishing house, asking if you would like an internship with them and you accepted. The next day, you turned in your two-week notice to your former boss and quickly scrounged up enough money to move out into a better apartment despite working shorter hours now.


    Oh well, life has its random chances like that. You shrugged it off, yet that feeling of unease still remained in the back of your mind.


    Yellow sunlight streamed through the gaps in your blinds and into your eyes. With a groan, you turned on your side and felt paper underneath your fingertips. You jolted upwardsto a strange note on your nightstand that read:Your debt is due by the end of today.


    You ripped the note off of the nightstand, flipping it both sides to see if there was anything else on it. Be it a signature or anything else, but after reading it all over again on both sides,you found nothing else.


    You looked at the calendar hanging on your wall to see that in bright red marker, you had circled todaywith the words:RENT DUEwritten in red ink as well.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Guess I wrote this last night as a reminder," you shook your head as you rubbed the sleep from your eyes before starting your day.


    ---


    The day flew by in a blur without anymore notes regarding debts nor any other unusual activity.As you were going editing the document your boss assigned you, Anya, a fellow intern gently knocked on your cubicle wall.


    "Hey what''s up?" You turned around.


    "I''m gonna head out,can you close up the office when you leave?" She asked and undid the tight bun in her hair.


    "Yeah. I''m gonna be here for like one or two more hours," you nodded.


    "Great. Have a good one."


    "You too."


    When she was out of view, you leaned out of your chair to see the window on the far end of the hall. The sun was beginning to sink into the horizon:turning the sky into shades of purples, oranges, and pinks as elongated shadows were cast across the ground.


    "It''s starting to get late. Ibetter finish this up soon," you muttered to yourself and brushed a strand of (H/C) behind your ear. As you typed in your notes regarding an awkward phrasing in the document, you heard a muffledbang!coming from the end of the hallway.


    "Anya?" You called out, "I thought you clocked out already."


    Silence.


    It''s probably the custodial staff then. You disregarded and sat back down, trying to get back to your train of thought. Just asyou were about finish up another comment regarding your edit, another and louderbang!echoed outside.Annoyed, you got out of your seat and stepped out of your cubicle.


    "Some of us are still here working, can you please try to keep it down?" You asked, tryingkeep the growing annoyance out of your voice.


    Once again, silence.


    "I hope they heard me this time," you grumbled and went back to editing.


    Not a minute has passed when a thirdbang!startled you out of your seat. You clenched your eyes in annoyance and shot out of your seat.


    "I swear I''m going to flip," you growled and stormed over a few more feet into the hallway.


    "Listen! Some of us are trying to get some work done! Can you please keep it down?"


    You were replied with an overwhelming deafening silence. For several seconds you stood there, before turning around. Before you could get five steps in,the florescent light above you went off, plunging the office space into darkness for a few seconds followed by a quiet laughter coming from somewhere in the distance.


    W-what the hell?


    You swallowed thickly and called out again:"Listen Anya, or whoever is out there, this little prank of yours isn''t funny. I''m trying to get my workdone, so stop distracting me and leave me alone!"


    Once more you were met again with an uncomfortable silence, the only thing you could hear was the slow and steady pounding of your heart. You shook your head and went back to your desk. As you finishedthe last of your edits the sound of someone whispering came from the end of the hallway.


    Sucking in a deep breath, you saved your work, emailed it to your boss, and logged off. You put on your leather jacket and grabbed your weathered leathermessenger bag. You stormed over to the end of the hallway and looked out to see nothing. However, you rolled your eyes and took a step out into the main corridor.


    "The gig''s up already," your voice was heavy with annoyance. "Your stupid prank to scare me isn''t working. Now leave me alone."


    The whispering laughter became louder and distorted. High-pitched and mechanical yet childish as well. The lights above you flickered violently and you yelped as they went out,leaving you in an abyss of black.


    You stood still in shock at what had happened. Your pounding heart drummed in your ears as you looked at theblack outlines of cubicles and desks that surrounded you, looking for who or what was the source of this. You stiffened asyou heard thedistant sound of footsteps heading towards your direction.


    Panic took over and you ran towards the exit. In the darkness, the hallways seemed longer and twisted violently. Sweat rolled down your face as the footsteps came closer.


    Just gotta find an exit! Come on! Where is it!?


    You screamed as something crashed in front of you-- blocking your path. Nearly tripping over yourself, you took a sharp right. The hallways stretched on for far longer than you remembered. Each second felt like an eternity as you ran faster through the dark and narrow corridors. Your lungs felt like you had swallowed pins and your knees threatened to give out from exhaustion.


    God no! Come on! Where''s that exit!?


    The footsteps drew near in all directions alongside that horrible, chittering laughter. You spun around wildly like a marionette. In a split second, you rushed down the hall and into the nearest room. You slammed the door shut. Even in the darkness, you knew that you were in the bathroom due to the glinting coming from the mirror on the left. As quietly as possible, you went over to the last stall and locked it. You huddled yourself in the corner and held your breath.


    The footsteps came towards the bathroom. You heard the door groan open as your stalker walked inside, their shoes clacking against the tiles like bones. You dared not to breathe as they came closer and opened each stall slowly. You felt tears starting to form in your eyes, realizing that had sealed your doom.


    No, no, no! Please no!


    As they opened the last stall before yours, they turned around and left the bathroom. You stood still for several minutes in shock.


    D-did they not see this stall? Is this an ambush?


    You slowly got out of your position and quietly approached the stall''s door. You stood still for several seconds, waiting and listening for any more footsteps. You unlocked the door and quietly walked towards the bathroom door. As your hand reached for the handle, you felt a hand on your shoulder.


    The world around you started to twist and fracture. The dark bathroom turned into a blur of blacks as the laughter surrounded you. You collapsed onto the ground as your vision started to slowly fade.


    The last thing you heard before you blacked out was:


    "It''s time to repay your debt."


    (originally posted on: https://www.quotev.com/story/14607383/The-Game)

 Chapter 2

    You woke up with a sudden start and your eyes flashed open. You sucked up a deep breath as you jolted upwards. Your shoulders heaved as the memories of what transpired looped in your head. Underneath your fingers, you felt a soft velvet upholstery.


    "W-what?" You squinted your eyes and looked around.


    Although it was dark, you could clearly tell that you were no longer in your workplace''s restroom but rather an old parlor room. The furniture was expensive and antique, dating back to at around the early 1900s or late 1800s. Even in the dark, you could see how rich the colors of the furniture was. You ran your finger against the velvet once more, feeling an intricate damask pattern.


    "Glad to see that you''ve finally woken up, (Y/N)," a voice said from behind you.


    You whipped your head around to see an extremely tall man turning on the tassel light next to his chair. He wore a red and gold coat with a black top hat that casted half of his face in shadows. Pinned to his hat and white shirt were black broaches with a golden moon and eye in them. He held an unearthly and eldritch beauty to him with his ghostly white hair that framed his pale face, sharp features, and red eyes with gold rings in them. His lips were pulled into a slight smile as he reclined further into his seat.


    "Where am I?" You asked, unable to keep the dread creeping into your voice.


    "An estate of mine that''s on the border between realms," he answered calmly, took off his hat, and brushed back a lock of hair that revealed a pointed ear.


    "W-what the--"


    "What am I?" The stranger cut you off and crossed one of his legs over the other. "I believe that you humans call my kind the good-folk, the fair-folk, the fae, or most commonly: fairies."


    Before you could ask, he spoke again: "And you''re wondering why you''re here, am I right?"


    You numbly nodded your head, your mind racing with countless questions as you tried to process what was going on.


    "Well to put it simply: I am here to collect your debt."


    "D-debt?"


    "You wished for your life to improve, grades to rise, a higher pay, better living quarters, and the internship of your dreams," he waved his hand. "I overheard you and granted that wish, so now it''s time to collect that debt."


    "Wait!" You stammered. "But I didn''t make any sort of deal with you or anything! This is hardly fair!"


    "Sorry dear, but you should have been more careful with your wishing. However, I am far more fair and generous compared to other members of my kind. I didn''t suddenly make your life much worse than it was, steal your firstborn, or strike you with a terrible ailment the next week. "


    "How can I repay you then? Money? A yearly sacrifice? A--"


    "You''ll have to come with me back to the fae realm."


    "What? Why for?"


    "What do you think it might be for?" The fairy''s eyes glittered with amusement. "Think about all of the old stories that humans have told for centuries about us; long before you imagined us as tiny, glittery, winged people that frolicked in flowers and played silly little pranks."


    "A- a servant?"


    "Good guess, but that''s not it."


    Your stomach dropped at what he meant. Swallowing back the lump in your throat, you barely managed to stammer out: "The reason you''re doing this-- why you want to take me away...is to get a bride, right?"


    "Correct."


    Your heart dropped and you leaned away from the fairy. The thought of being taken away to a land far from your home, married to that monster and left at its mercy with no hope of escape made your stomach turn and churn. Sweat rolled down your forehead and you gripped your knees as you breathed heavily and tears started to form in your eyes.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    There''s got to be a way out of here! Think, damn it, think!


    "If we''re done here, then I''ll prepare a coach and start wedding--"


    "Wait." You spoke up.


    "What is it?"


    "Your kind likes to play games and bets, right?"


    "Yes they do-- however, I am an exception to the rule," he said. "But for you, I am willing to hear where you''re going with this."


    You licked your lips and took a deep breath. Your heart drummed against your chest as blood pounded in your ears and gripped your knees. His dual-colored eyes twinkled with amusement as he tapped his long fingers against the arm of his chair.


    "If I can escape this mansion of yours, you''ll have to let me go," you chewed the inside of your mouth. "If I lose or I give up..."


    "You''ll have to come with me," he finished with a small smile.


    You nodded your head, trying to keep yourself from vomiting the bile in the back of your throat. The fairy noticed your consternation and grinned wider, his teeth glinted like white daggers in the dim light.


    "And why should I agree to this little game of yours when I can just spirit you away right now?" He leaned in.


    "You pride yourself on being more generous and just compared to other fairies, so wouldn''t it be fair to give me a chance to earn my freedom?"


    "I suppose so," he mused and drummed his index finger harder against the chair''s arm. After several seconds, he sighed and gently straightened up the front of his coat.


    "I accept to play your game. But before we do that, I want to establish a few rules."


    "What are they?" You felt your stomach clamping with fear.


    "First off, under no circumstance are you to get help from any of the other residents in the mansion, nor are you to help them so that they may try to return the favor to you. You are to complete this game by yourself, understood?"


    "I-I think so..."


    "It''s a yes or a no, my dear. What is it that you don''t understand?"


    "The other residents. What do you mean by that?"


    "They are...what remains of those that thought they could cheat their way out of their deals with me," he answered. "They''ve been here for so long, that for most of them the only thing that remains is their desire to swindle you for their own gain: which can mean disastrous results for you. Does this make sense?"


    "Yes."


    "Good. Then on to rule two: the game doesn''t start until you exit through those double doors there that leads into the main hall." He pointed to the golden doors a few yards away from you.


    "Understood."


    "Now onto the third and final rule: the only way you can exit and win this game is by going out of the mansion''s front doors. So do not cheat by breaking a window and crawling out of it. The only thing you''re going to accomplish is breaking a perfectly good window and annoying me."


    "I understand."


    "Excellent. Now that we have that established, you can feel free to relax for as long as you''d like in here or ask me any questions in the meantime," the right corner of his mouth twitched into a smile.


    "W-what''s your name?" You licked your teeth.


    "Since my true name is impossible to pronounce with the human tongue, you may call me whatever you''d like," he said. "However, do not call me what you would be insulting or belittling, or as your generation would call ''smartass'' names."


    "How about Corvin?"


    "That''s an acceptable name." He nodded his head. "Anything else you''d like to ask?"


    "How bad are the other fairies?" You asked.


    "Much, much worse than I am." He responded and leaned in, half of his face was covered in heavy shadows. "The old stories you''ve heard about us using half and metaphorical truths to manipulate, making crops wither overnight, stealing away children and replacing them with ours are very true. But those are just barely scratching the surface of what kind of mischief we do regularly. Any other questions you have for me, my dear?"


    "Is this what you actually look like?" You scratched your hand, "Or is this just a form you''re taking?"


    "The general shape of this form is what I truly look like, just with a few...more human-like attributes than I actually have." The fairy responded with a light laugh.


    "I have one more question."


    "What is it?"


    "If I win, will I be back to where I started?"


    "You mean going back to the life you had before I blessed you?" Corvin said. "No. Especially during my observations I''ve noticed how hard you worked in your personal ambitions once everything improved. If that''s all of the questions you wanted answered, then now would be a good time to finally start our game."


    Hesitantly, you got out of your chair and slowly walked towards the double doors. You looked over your shoulder to see Corvin grinning at you.


    "Go on. You''re just delaying the inevitable by standing there, unless you want to surrender already," his eyes shining with amusement.


    With a shaking sigh, you opened the double doors and took your first step outside. With a phantom strike of an unseen grandfather clock, the game has officially begun.

 Chapter 3

    Your reflection glinted in the polished white marble floor as crystal chandeliers hung above you like glittering blades from the impossibly tall ceiling. The walls were pristine porcelain-white with the occasional oil portrait or marble statue of Corvin breaking up the long stretches of white. You shivered looking at the artworks, you could feel their empty, soulless gazes piercing right through your soul, almost as if they would suddenly spring to life and chase after you.


    They''re just decorations, it''s not like they''re going to actually come to life.


    After walking for what felt like hours through a white blur of statues and portraits, it didn''t take long for you to realize that you were lost. You sighed as you shook your head and clenched your teeth.


    Oh come on! Are you serious? I really got lost this early?! You stamped your foot in frustration and put a hand to your forehead.


    Way to go, idiot.


    As you chastised yourself, you suddenly remembered the trick that you learnt from your mom during a first-grade field trip to a corn maze: always go left and put your hand on the left-hand side of the wall. If you do this for long enough, you''ll eventually you''ll wind up at the exit.


    You weren''t sure if it would apply to a mansion that you''ve haven''t been in before, but you supposed it wouldn''t hurt to give it a try. You gingerly put your hand on the wall and shivered at the cold touch of the wallpaper. With a small step, you began to walk.


    Every now and then, you looked over your shoulder to see if anyone or anything was following behind you. You jumped at every slight sound, making you walk a little bit faster. Occasionally, you ran into a dead end only to turn around and go further down into the main corridor. The threat of marrying that fairy loomed over you like the Grim Reaper, making your stomach turn.


    Just keep going. At this rate, you''re sure to find it by now. Keep moving in a single direction and don''t make any turns until you reached the end of the hallway. You''ll win this game and never have to deal with that fairy ever again or become its...


    Cold sweat dropped down your cheek, you didn''t dare to even bother with finishing that thought.


    After groping the left side wall for several minutes, you came across a massive lobby that had a large peacock-blue carpet with gold trim taking up most of the floor. But what actually caught your eye were the golden front doors that looked as if they were twinkling from the crystal chandelier above. Relief overcame you and you sprinted towards it without a second thought. You pulled on the doorknob with all of your might, but it didn''t budge. Confused, you jiggled the knob and pulled at it a little bit harder.


    "What?" You stammered and took a step back.


    "Did you really think it would be that easy?" Corvin sighed behind you.


    "B-but I found the front door!" You protested.


    "Yes, but you didn''t get the key to unlock the front door," he retorted, walking his slim fingers on your shoulder like a spider.


    "Are you going to give me a hint as to where I might get it?" You asked.


    "Of course not! That would make it easy for you!" He chuckled. "And that''s not going to be interesting for either of us, now would it?"


    You gritted your teeth and narrowed your eyes, "If by ''us'' you mean yourself, then you''d be right."


    "But isn''t life a bit more interesting for you humans if there was some sort of adversary or challenge to face? Isn''t that the purpose of every story you tell?"


    "Well this isn''t a fucking fairytale," you smacked his hand away from you and spun around to face him.


    "You sure?" He breathed. "I''m sure there''s a lot of them that have some parallels to your current situation."


    "If you''re here to make fun of me, then shut up. You stupid, disgusting piece of--"


    Corvin suddenly leaned in towards you, his smile turned into a cold expression as his sclera turned black. "Need I remind you what you''re dealing with? So if I were you, I''d be a little more careful with how you address any member of the fair-folk."


    Fighting the urge to make a sarcastic retort, you settled to glaring back at him. Even if you were terrified, you wouldn''t give in to him. Corvin leaned back, his sclera reverting back to white and he tapped his cane against the floor. He turned his head westwards with his eyes narrowed in concentration.


    "Anyways, I wouldn''t stay here for much longer. You don''t know what else is going to wander in here." He said and walked away from you, receding into the shadows of the hallway.


    You stood there in silence for a few moments before you began to move. You didn''t want to stay and find out what else would come in here. As you were about to head right, you heard something walked towards you from that direction. You ran into the left hallway and entered a random room. You quietly closed the door shut and listened.


    Your heart pounded against your chest like a rabid animal. The drumming of it was the only thing you heard before the distant sound of a raspy, rattling groan followed by what sounded like shuffling feet that broke the silence. Your throat closed up as the groaning and shuffling became slightly louder. Closer.


    Don''t let it find me! Just keep calm and don''t make any noise. If it comes close, swing the door in its face and make a break for it!


    You waited for hours as it inched closer to where you were. Your body stiffened with dread and your heart felt like it was about to explode. The groaning and shuffling became more grating to your ears and felt like someone was slowly twisting a knife into your head.


    Wait for it...


    The being stopped for what you assumed was mere feet away from the door. Your fingers tightened around the doorknob. The thing, whatever it was, let out one last groan before it started to retreat. You pressed your ear against the door and waited until you could no longer hear it.


    Is it gone?


    After waiting for several minutes, you finally opened the door slowly. You glanced around to make sure that nothing was there before sticking your head out. When you were sure that nothing was following you, you carefully got out and took a look around at your surroundings: nothing but an impossibly long hallway that seemed to continue for miles.


    Throwing a quick glance behind you, you began to make your way down further into the halls; praying that you wouldn''t have to face that creature again.


    ---


    After wandering in this grand and flawless labyrinth for several minutes, you noticed a door that was different from the others. Instead of it being as sterile and white as the surrounding environment, it was in a state of disrepair. The wood was splintered, the paint was cracked and peeling in places with the doorknob covered in dark stains as a result of the passage of time.


    Taking a deep breath, you ironed yourself for whatever was behind the door; praying that maybe the key was in there so that the nightmare could finally be over for once. With a soft push, the door creaked open and the smell of dust and mildew hit you like a sudden slap to the face. You coughed and put a hand to your neck as the stench wafted away. When the last of it was gone, you pushed the door open a little bit more before entering.


    The room was completely dark, save for the orangey-yellow glow coming from the lit fireplace on the right side wall, casting long and writhing shadows. The dark brown walls were decorated with disturbing watercolor paintings of creatures with abnormal features: some had limbs far too long for their bodies, others the mangled heads of animals for faces, or eyes that glowed like hellfire. The once luxurious furniture was covered in a thick layer of dust, making the fabric appear it was taking on a deathly-gray hue. The frayed rug had clusters of dark mold growing, distorting the original patterns of it. On the far right was a cards table with a white lace tablecloth and a pale wood chest sitting right in the middle of it as if waiting to be opened.


    You approached the chest and gave it a closer look. The wood had small scratches on its surface, as if someone had hacked it with a knife. You flipped up the latch and the cover flew open, releasing a cloud of a sweet-smelling powder. You waved your hand in front of your face as the powder dispersed before you took a look inside. Glinting within the silk cushioning, was a white gold medallion in the shape of a fork and knife. Confused, you flipped the emblem on the other side to see that there was a small square peg in the center of it.


    "So how is it going so far?"


    You whipped around to see Corvin''s face mere inches from yours, his gold and red eyes glittering like gems with amusement as he leaned on his cane.


    "Why are you here?" You demanded, not bothering to hide your annoyance and put the emblem inside your jacket''s pocket before he could notice it.


    "Just to see how you''re progressing, besides this is my home. Well, one of many." He laughed to himself.


    "Just how many do you have?"


    "I lost count after the thirteenth or so."


    "And how do you afford that many?!"


    "Being a count helps."


    "Fairies have governments?"


    "Well, even we recognize the importance of them." He answered coolly and adjusted his coat.


    You were about to make a bitter comment about comparing fairies to politicians, when the air felt static. As if all of the oxygen in the room was sucked out. Corvin noticed the expression on your face and his smile dropped.


    "Something wrong?" He asked, his voice sounded to be of genuine concern. "You look a little unwell."


    "No. I''m fine." You shook your head and tried to steady yourself.


    That''s when you heard the same pained groaning and shuffling from before.


    "Oh, so it''s here," he grimaced.


    I-is that the thing from the main--


    "In case you were wondering: yes, that was the thing from the main entryway," Corvin responded, his voice was laced with the slightest bit of disgust. "If you want to resign already, you can."


    "I''ll take my chances," you spat out.


    "Alright then," he shook his head. "But don''t say that I didn''t warn you."


    Before you could ask what he was talking about, Corvin stepped into the darkness and began to fade away. The thing banged against the door. Wood splinters flew in the air from the force. You crouched down low to the ground and carefully hid behind an end table. Your terror grew stronger as the door splintered more under the creature''s force. You flinched as the door gave way and the monster stumbled into the room.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The thing-- whatever it was-- let out another groan as it limped towards where you were a moment ago. In the low light of the fireplace, you could see it was human-shaped and hunched over. Long, tangled hair covered most of its gaunt, warped face. Thin, deathly-pale skin was stretched over the jutting bones underneath. The dirty and faded remnants of a cotton tunic barely covered its mangled body. Its long, cracked nails nearly dragged across the ground as it sniffed the air every now and then.


    You pressed yourself closer to the wall, daring to not draw a breath. The monster let out a heavy wheeze and headed towards the left side of the room. Quietly, you took another small step towards the fireplace. Never taking your eyes off of the creature as it slowly walked around the room. As you were about to reach the end of the wall, the floorboard underneath your foot squeaked.


    The monster stopped and slowly turned its head towards you. Its jaw was barely connected by a string of sinew, making it hanging down to its chest. The gaping mouth was lined with crooked and yellowed needles for teeth. In place of eyes were empty sockets with dark brown sludge leaking from them.


    It let out a raspy cry and staggered towards you. You screamed and stepped away in time to avoid the ghoul crashing into you. Scrambling away, you nearly tripped over a fallen chair. The monster let out another screech and lunged at you with its talons. You stepped aside and slammed the chair over its head. The ghoul froze up briefly and you scurried away from it.


    The creature let out an ear-splitting screech and made a leap for you. You stepped to the side in time to avoid its reach and kicked it in the back. Without wasting a moment, you smashed a chair leg over its head. The wood splintered from the impact and the ghoul flinched. It swiped the weapon out of your hand and made another grab at you. Its claws narrowly scrapped by the tip of your nose as you backed away.


    Panic pounded against your bones as you looked around for another weapon. By the light of the fireplace, you caught the gleam of a fire poker. You ran towards it, only to trip over the broken seat. You fell to the floor and let out a sharp cry of pain and shock. You turned on your back in time to see the monster creeping towards you, thick strands of saliva dripped from its jaws as it came closer.


    You jolted your foot away from its talons as you reached for the poker. The monster''s twitching movements became more frenzied, like a shark that smelled blood. Sweat rolled down your face as it inched closer. Your stomach twisted as you finally saw the dark brown splotches that coated its teeth.


    Just a little more! Come on!


    The ghoul grabbed hold of your leg and began to pull you towards it mouth. You screamed in terror and kicked it in the nose. A sharp CRACK! filled the room as the monster''s head flew back. Immediately you kicked it again-- this time even harder. The creature let out a feral screech and held its broken nose. As you were starting to stand up, the monster grabbed your ankle again with a much harder grip than before. It felt like your bones were about to snap under its hand.


    "No, no, no!" You yelled and tried to shake the monster off of you. It let out a low, husky laugh that made your stomach drop. You watched wide-eyed as it slowly raised its hand in the air; the dagger-sharp claws aiming directly for your eye.


    As the thing''s talons began to descend, your fingers wrapped around the poker and you swung it into the monster''s face. It screamed in pain as its flesh sizzled from the red-hot metal. As it squealed and grabbed its burnt cheek, you stabbed your attacker right between the eyes. The creature screamed and feebly tried to pull the weapon from its head. You grunted and pushed the poker in deeper and deeper, cringing at feeling the metal scrapping against bone and brain. Still you pushed until the poker had fully pierced through the other side of the ghoul''s skull. The monster fell limp, its eyes facing the ground.


    You gagged slightly at the dark gore that coated the metal. Readjusting your grip, you grunted as you struggled to pull the weapon out of the skull. When it was dislodged, you fell backwards a bit as the poker flung out of your hands from the force. You watched the creature fall to the side. Dead.


    Panting as cold sweat dripped down your face, you watched as the corpse begin to crumple in on itself into dust before the the particles dissolved into nothing.


    "It- it''s over now," you gasped and wrapped your arms over you. "It''s finally over."


    "That was impressive," Corvin admired. "Although judging by how weak it was, it must have been a more recent addition. Regardless, you held up much better than I''d thought."


    You reached for the poker and pointed it at his chest, "You are--"


    "Don''t even bother with threatening me with that thing," the fairy shook his head. "It isn''t even made from iron. Do you really think that I''d be so foolish to have the one thing that could harm fairies in my home?"


    "B-but why is it--"


    "It''s made from brass, my dear."


    You clenched your eyes and took a deep sigh. "Let me guess: there''s much, much worse things in this house besides that thing, right?"


    "Yes. But your chances of running them are very low."


    "I have a feeling that there is more to this, isn''t there?"


    "There indeed is, as they do tend to stick to only certain places in the mansion. So long as you avoid those areas, then you shall be perfectly fine."


    "And how would I know if they''re near?"


    "You''ll know it when you do."


    "I see," you nodded your head and turned on your heel. Thanks for your very specific and useful information, jackass.


    "Oh (Y/N), there''s one more thing that I''d like to talk to you about before you leave," Corvin said.


    "What?" You turned around.


    "What are your favorite flowers?"


    "Huh?"


    "I''m asking so I know what kind of flowers you want for your bouquet, so what kind do you want me to get?"


    "Doesn''t matter." You spat out. Because I''m getting out of here.


    "You sure?" He blinked, "Aren''t weddings supposed to be the bride''s big day?"


    You ignored him and stepped out of the room.


    "I guess I''ll come back to that later," he said as you trudged away without sparing a second glance at him.


    ---


    "Think, think, where would it be?" You paced back and forth in the front lobby. "Where would that fairy put it?"


    If I didn''t want a key to be found by anyone, where would I put it? Maybe on my person? If you had it on you, then it would be nearly impossible to find it since then the location of it would change as you go to room to room. But that would be too obvious!


    You put a hand to your chin, the frustration bubbling in your mind growing stronger with each passing moment. You glanced at the locked front doors, it seemed that these golden doors were mocking your imprisonment. You threw your head up in the air and let out a wail before flopping down onto a nearby couch.


    "Having trouble?" A croaky voice asked.


    You looked up to see a raven with ghost-white plumage looking down at you from the banister. Its eyes were wide with curiosity as it tilted its head a bit to the right.


    "W-what?" You blinked.


    "Something seems to be bothering you. Care to tell a little old bird like me?" The bird stuck its head towards you to get a better look at your face.


    "Well I''m stuck in this hell house of horrors for starters," you sighed.


    "This house doesn''t seem so bad," the raven remarked.


    "That''s because you didn''t nearly get killed by some monster-ghoul-thing that was once human!" You groaned.


    "Goodness! What happened?" It asked.


    "I was in this really old and musty room an- and then this thing bust down the door and I had to kill it!" You exclaimed.


    "Oh my, that must''ve been quite frightening." The corvid ruffled his feathers. "But why were you in that situation to begin with, if I may ask."


    "It''s because I have to play this game and win!"


    "Why can''t you quit?"


    "If I forfeit I have to get married to the fairy that put me here!"


    "That doesn''t seem that bad," the raven shuffled a bit. "Especially since it sounds like that fairy you''re going to marry sounds so handsome."


    "Wait a minute...Corvin!?"


    "Who else?" He chuckled as transformed back into a human, and leapt down in front of you. "Did you think this was going to be like a fairytale where some friendly talking animal would come to the downtrodden maiden''s aid? Remember, one of the rules of this game was--"


    "That no one is supposed to help me and to do this by myself," you rolled your eyes.


    "Just making sure that you remembered," he sat besides you and fluttered his hand on your shoulder.


    You flinched at his touch and ducked away from him. The fairy''s lighthearted smile turned into a small frown and he began to lean in closer to you. His eyes seemed to glow under the heavy shadow casted by his hat, reminding you of a hungry wolf.


    "How many forms can you take, anyways?" You eyed him.


    "Quite a number," he responded.


    "That''s very specific," you scoffed.


    "Your sarcasm wounds me deeply," he said.


    "And you''re annoying like a crow that won''t shut up." You shot back.


    He put a hand over his heart, his face wrought with faux hurt. "How could you say that to me, my dear?"


    "Because it''s true, anyways standup."


    "Hm? What for?" He tilted his head.


    "Just do it."


    Corvin stood up and you begin to pat down the sides of his coat and his legs, putting extra attention to the pockets. You felt nothing and sighed as the fairy looked at you with a smirk.


    "Did you think that I would have it on my person?" The left side of his smile twitched further up.


    "Not really, I just wanted to see if my hunch was right or not." You shook your head.


    "I see," he nodded. "So where else do you think it may be, if not that?"


    "I''m not telling you that!" You snapped. "Because then you''d try to find another hiding place for it!"


    "Clever girl," he smiled wider, revealing his brilliant white teeth. "For a moment, I thought you''d be as foolish like the other humans I''ve encountered in my centuries of existing."


    You didn''t speak, knowing that he was probably trying to make you overconfident and use it against you. So you simply nodded your head slightly in acknowledgement.


    "Well then," he sat back down next to you. "Have you finally given any thought about what kind of flowers you want for the--"


    "No. Now shut up about it," you growled.


    "How about the size of the wedding? Personally, I was thinking maybe at least half of the members of the court. Although I''m willing to do a smaller one."


    You closed your eyes, fighting the urge to make a derogatory comment and shoved your hands in your jacket''s pockets. Your hand felt something cool and you pulled it out. Shining in the chandelier''s light was the emblem from the chest.


    "That''s for the dining room." Corvin said.


    "Huh?"


    "It unlocks the dining room''s door," he clarified.


    You gave a slight nod of your head and put the medallion back in your jacket. Maybe there''s a clue in there.


    "And where''s that?"


    "It''s on this floor, down one of the halls in the right hallway," he answered and stretched out his arms. "Anyways, I need to be somewhere right now. I''ll see you again to see how you''re holding up."


    You watched as he went upstairs and ascended into the darkness above. You pulled yourself from the couch and began to walk towards the right hallway, your hand clutching the medallion.


    ---


    Your feet were beginning to ache a bit after all of the walking that you''ve done. You watched carefully at each door that you passed by to see if it had an imprint that matched the shape of the dining room''s emblem. The portraits and statues looked even more sinister than before, you could have sworn their smiles were smaller beforehand.


    You looked away from the artwork and pulled your jacket closer to you. Remember, it''s just some really creepy and egotistical artwork, not some horror game!


    You caught a glimpse of a macabre painting of the fairy holding a skull in his hands, as if he was admiring it like it was a fine jewel. However the painted eyes were facing you, as if it knew that you were looking at it.


    Then again, given what has happened, I probably shouldn''t put it past it that these stupid things are enchanted and would start chasing me down at any moment.


    You flinched when a shadow darted from the corner of your eye. You turned around to see that the figure was gone, you clenched your fist and shook your head.


    Calm it down, it''s probably him trying to mess with you. Just focus on finding the dining room, finding the key, and getting out of here.


    As you were about to turn a corner, you caught sight of a pair of oak doors with brass handles on them. Above one of the handles was a plate with the silhouette of the emblem imprinted in it. You stopped and turned towards the door. Taking out the medallion, you gently pushed it into the imprint. With a quick twist of your hand, the door was unlocked with a soft click.


    Your shaking hand slowly wrapped around the crystal doorknob. The unpleasantly cold touch of it made a chill run down your back; and with a slow breath, you opened the door.

 Chapter 4

    The door creaked open to reveal an elaborate dining hall. The walls were a deep blood-red with matching tapestries that complemented the dark mahogany floorboards. Glittering from the ceiling were magnificent chandeliers with thousands of crystals that looked like silver tears. But what caught your attention was the large banquet that was laid out. All manners of expensive cuisines covered nearly every inch of the table: from pheasant, truffles, honey glazed hams, and so many others. Your mouth watered at the savory smells wafting off of the table and in your nostrils. The overpowering smell fogged your senses and you almost forgot about the game until you heard a faint clinking on your right.


    Your head snapped in the direction of the sound to see Corvin seated at the head of the table, in his hand was a gilded goblet with red stones laid into it. Behind him, a large fireplace was lit and casted a warm orange glow.


    "Care to join me?" Corvin lifted the goblet to his lips.


    "What the hell is this?" You demanded and put your hands on your hips.


    "What does it look like to you?" He responded playfully and took a drink. "I figured that you should enjoy a reward for killing that thing. Feel free to help yourself to whatever you want."


    The feast was becoming more tempting as you finally noticed how much your stomach panged. You licked your lips at the food, imagining the exquisite taste of it. As you were about to tear off the leg of a freshly baked goose, you remembered about the myths regarding eating food from fairies and how it would lead to dire consequences. You shook your head and stepped away from the table.


    "I''m fine," you said.


    "You sure?" He looked genuinely surprised. "I promise that nothing will happen if you eat anything."


    "Positive."


    "Are you sure you don''t want any?" He took another drink from his goblet, the aroma of the banquet becoming stronger. The savory smells of spices and meats made your head feel heavy and your stomach growled even louder.


    "I''m fine."


    "Alright then," he sighed and finished the last of his wine. "I have a question for--"


    "I told you I don''t care about those stupid flowers!" You stomped your foot.


    "You didn''t let me finish," he said. "And besides, it''s a smaller thing that I can worry about for the wedding."


    "What is it?" You narrowed your eyes.


    "What flavor should we go for the cake?" He tapped a slim finger to his lip. "Personally, I''m partial to lemon, but I''m willing to go with what you want or we can do both."


    You stood in shock at the fairy as an anger was starting to boil underneath your skin.


    "(Y/N), did you hear me?" He asked.


    "Yes, I did." You said through gritted teeth. "And I am not in the mood to answer that question."


    "Alright then, I''ll give you a bit of time to think about it." Corvin stood up and exited the dining room through a black door next to the fireplace.


    You looked back to the grand dinner. Maybe there''s something in here I can use or at least a clue to where the front door key would be.


    You walked the length of the table, looking for any key or anything to help you escape. But all you saw was enough glistening golden-brown flesh, brightly colored jellies, caviar, and other luxury foods to feed a medieval village. You sighed and shook your head, you should have known that was pointless.


    Damn it, maybe this was just a giant distraction this entire time! You clenched your eyes and put your fist to your forehead. But then where would he put that stupid front key?


    That''s when you noticed something white hidden within the dark corner of the dining room.


    You whipped your head around to see a sculpture of Corvin wearing the robes of a Roman senator. You cautiously approached the statue, in its marble hands was a large gilded chalice the size of your head. Inscribed on the bronze platform of the statue was the term: In vino veritas.


    In vino veritas... why does that term seem familiar?


    You clenched your eyes, trying to remember what little you retained from your seventh-grade Latin class. Let me think... if I''m right, veritas means ''truth''. So it has something to do with truth. Vino sounds kind of like ''vine'' so maybe something to do with vines-- or maybe grapes! Okay so what do grapes have to do with this?


    You tapped your foot and glanced over at the empty goblet left on the table.


    Wine is made from grapes, so it would...wait. It means ''the truth is in the wine!'' So there''s got to be something in the wine to help me get out of this place.


    You turned to the statue and looked down at the chalice. Your face was reflected within the dark red pools as you stared into the depths. You were about to reach into the wine--


    What if there was a nasty surprise waiting for me in the bottom of it?


    The thought of suddenly pulling your hand back missing either your fingers or for your skin to bubble and burn made you squeeze your shoulder blades in disgust. Given what you know, you wouldn''t put it past Corvin or any fairy for that matter, to place a trap like that. You retracted your hand back and clutched it to your chest like you were stung by a scorpion.


    Turning towards the table, you grabbed a golden fork and slowly dipped it into the chalice. You heard the clinking of metal on metal as the fork caught onto something. With a shaking hand, you pulled it up to reveal a medallion in the shape of a bottle.


    You put the medallion in your hand and the statue slid to the left to reveal a heavy dark brown door. In the middle of the door was a bottle-shaped dent. You put the emblem into the slot and twisted it. The door groaned open and a cloud of dust puffed into the air before it settled once more. Coughing lightly, you peered into the door to see nothing but dust and stone.


    As you were about to enter it the long, serrated knife next to the goose shined in the chandelier light. You took the knife and put it into your satchel. Returning to the corridor''s entry, you took a deep breath and entered into the narrow passageway. The corridor was barely illuminated by the white flames that came from the torches on either side. The only sound were the echoes of your footsteps against the stone pathway. The corridor''s cold air smelled strongly of wine and dust, the stench of it made your eyes sting. Biting back the tears, you covered your nose and mouth with your button-up shirt.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Yet as you walked through the stone corridor, the feeling of someone or something watching you grew stronger. You could almost imagine ghostly fingers pressing themselves into your shoulder as a low laughter filled your ears. Your skin broke out into bumps as the air became colder the further you walked down, the feeling of claustrophobia started to settle in as you kept looking at the darkness at the end of the tunnel. Your hand tightened its grip on the knife, the feeling of it brought a slight comfort to you. The hallway became narrower, making it impossible for you to turn back around. You shook your head, cursing your circumstances. The ever-growing darkness and the damp air made you feel like you were walking down some great monster''s gullet. Your stomach folded over at the thought of being eaten alive by the house and you shook your head.


    Damn it there''s no point in trying to scare myself, I already have enough to deal with!


    You abruptly stopped as the corridor lead to a vast chamber with multiple passage ways. The cellar was partially submerged in a dark pool of stagnant water that was dyed a dark shade of red from the wine. On the walls, were massive wine barrels stocked on top of each other like coffins in a crypt. Wooden crates floated in the water like bloated corpses in an ocean of blood. The torches on the provided little light, making it difficult to see more than ten feet in front of you. Taking a shaking breath, you put your foot into the waters. An unpleasant shiver ran down your back at the cold stabbing into your leg, but continued until you were standing in it. Thankfully, the water was only knee-deep so it wouldn''t be too difficult to wade through; nor damage your work jeans and shoes too badly if you got out fast enough.


    You put your hand on the wall and began to trudge through the waters. The walls were cold and damp, making you grimace at the touch of it. Besides the sloshing of the water, the only sound was the dripping of it from the ceiling. You turned left into a passageway and put a hand to where you stored the knife. As you were about to climb over a pile of debris that was blocking your passage, you picked up on the barely audible sound of heavy breathing somewhere within the cellars.


    With a quick snap of your head, you turned in the direction of the sound to see nothing.


    Just keep moving.


    You shuffled past crates, barrels, broken bits of shelves, and wine bottles as the walls became moister and harder to hold onto. You were about to enter a passageway, when the heavy breathing returned: this time it was a little bit closer.


    You crouched down behind a barrel as the unseen creature started to move. Because of the lack of light, you couldn''t make out the shape of the thing nor its distance from you. The thing let out a bestial screech before it went silent once more.


    The fear in your stomach grew tighter, crushing your insides like a vice. The hand holding the knife was starting to shake in fear. You didn''t want to let go of it in case of an ambush, so you put it into your jacket''s pocket as you tried to calm your nerves.


    Move carefully and quietly and keep pressing forward.


    The deeper you went, the darker and harder to navigate the cellars became. Soon enough, it became nearly impossible to see three feet in front of you and you had to squint your eyes a bit to make out any shape to avoid running into a stray crate or barrel. At this point, you were starting to lose feeling in your legs from the long exposure to the cold water. You heard a screech coming from your right.


    Terrified, you hide behind a fallen over shelf as the unseen predator drew closer. You could only make out the splashing sounds as it came. You bit your lip and peered over the ledge a bit in hopes of seeing it. But with heavy shadows and dark waters, it was impossible to make out where it was or what it looked like.


    Floating next to your side, was a small plank of wood. You grabbed it and threw it. The monster sloshed towards the sound of the wood and you began to creep away from it, hiding behind whatever could provide shelter from the thing.


    On your left, you saw an ivory and ebony medallion hanging from a stone hand that was attached to the gilded wall that shined brilliantly despite the darkness. You carefully approached it and pulled it out of the hook it was attached to. You put the object into your satchel and as you were about to head back, you stopped. The air went still before the sound of splashing came towards you.


    It found you.


    Instinct took over and you began to run. You yelped as the thing was now only twenty feet away from you. The only thing you could see was the splashing it made in the nearly-black waters. You stopped for a moment and grabbed a nearby bottle. You threw it as far away from you as possible. The monster turned its direction to the bottle and when it was far away, you began to run faster.


    The monster let out an ear-piercing scream that sounded guttural and mechanical as it swam towards you.


    Although your legs felt like they were about to give out, you continued to run as fast as you could. The sound of your blood rushing and the sloshing water was nearly deafening as the thing swam closer towards you. Any item you could grab, you threw it at where you think the monster''s head was. But all that it did was slow it down a for a moment before it resumed its chase. Its inhuman screams echoed off of the walls like a horrible choir.


    A shelf fell in front of you and you jumped over it. The wood cracked in half as the predator smashed its way through it. You yelled as one of the pieces of debris flew over your shoulder. Your calves felt like blocks of ice as you stumbled through the wreckage. Gritting your teeth, you ignored the sharp, freezing pain shooting through your legs.


    Come on! Get to the corridor!


    As if by some miracle, the sight of the entry corridor came into vision. It was another fifty or so feet away from you.


    Yes, there it is!


    You threw a barrel at the monster''s unseen head to buy yourself a little more time and ran faster. Each step felt like knives digging into your feet. The predator was almost ten feet away from you.


    The entryway was now within fifteen feet.


    Almost there...


    The entry was now within arm''s length.


    Now!


    With a burst of strength, you leapt onto the stone floor-- nearly falling flat on your face as you did so. You yanked out your legs from the icy waters, narrowly avoiding the monster''s grasp. Using the wall, you shakily stood up and walked a few more feet away from the cellars, thankful that you were alive. You turned around and took a breath of relief. Suddenly a black, mottled skeletal hand broke through the water''s surface and grabbed the floor.


    You yelled in terror and made a run for the door. Your numb legs felt like tiny pins were stabbing into them as the creature let out an even louder cry that made your ears ring. The corridor seemed longer as the torches behind you went out one by one. The monster''s claws scratched against the floor as it scrambled towards you. Its heavy breathing was drawing near and you could almost feel its hot, rank breath on the back of your legs.


    Just as it seemed like there was no end, the open door came into view. Keeping your eyes on your exit, you sprinted towards it as fast as you could. Your lungs felt like it was set on fire as your numb legs threatened to collapse from exhaustion.


    Keep moving! You''re gonna make it!


    The monster snarled and made a swipe for your leg, but you were too far from its reach. Sweat was pouring down your face and clung to your back.


    Just a little more...


    You nearly fell over yourself as you entered the dining room and pushed the heavy door. The creature shrieked in fury and frantically scrambled towards the door. With what little strength remained, you closed the door in time. The statue slid back into place and you stepped away as the monster banged against the door. It thing let out a scream of frustration before it slinked away from the door and back towards the wine cellars. You put a hand over your chest and fell into a nearby chaise.


    "That was way too close," you shuddered and rested your head against the chair''s arm. As you were catching your breath, you opened up your satchel''s pocket to see the medallion you collected from the wine cellars. In your hand was a medallion in the shape of the comedy and tragedy masks from theater.


    I''m assuming for a theater of some kind. Just how big is this house if it has its own theater? You thought and put the medallion back into your satchel as you walked over to the fireplace to warm up your legs.

 Chapter 5

    When sensation finally returned to your legs and you dried your jeans and socks to the best that you could, you began to make your trek to the theater. As you wandered through the corridors, your body ached terribly with each step feeling like a needle was being driven into the soles of your feet.


    Maybe I should have stayed back in the dining room a little bit longer and rested up. You sighed and bit back your discomfort as you trudged onwards.


    You stopped when you noticed you saw something flash from the corner of your eye. Whipping your head, you noticed a statue of Corvin holding a short sword a few feet behind you. Its lips were stretched in a malicious smirk, looking as if it was about to come to life at any moment.


    A chill ran down your back and you walked a little bit faster, not wanting to be near it any longer. You made your way out of the left side of the mansion and began to walk towards the right side of it. The discomfort in your feet was starting to become nearly unbearable. You shook your head and sat down on a nearby chaise lounge, sucking in a deep breath and dropped your shoulders.


    Just relax here for a minute or two, before one of those things appear again. You froze up for a moment before shaking your head. You closed your eyes and put your head in your hand as you waited for the throbbing pain in your feet to subside.


    If he hid the key in the theater, that''s a pretty ballsy move on his part to put it somewhere so upfront. You pressed your lips in a tight line. When the pain was gone, you stood up and continued on your way to the theater. After walking down a few more corridors and taking a couple of turns, you finally reached the theater''s doors.


    The doors were a glossy black with the comedy and tragedy masks hanging above it as giant light bulbs flashed yellow light on and off, in front of the doors was a bright red mat. On either side of the doors were 19th-century styled posters of famous performances such as Midsummer''s Night Dream, Giselle, and the most fitting of all to your situation, Faust.


    You rolled your eyes and shook your head in disbelief. I will say that he has a good sense of irony.


    As you came closer to the doors, a powerful dread shot through your stomach and paralyzed you. It felt as your innards was stabbed with thousands of frozen knives, twisting themselves deeper. You clutched your stomach and coughed violently.


    You shook your head and squeezed your bicep hard. Get it together! This is just him playing tricks!


    Taking a deep breath, you tried to push aside crippling fear welling up as you approached the door. Your hand trembled as you put the emblem into the indentation on the door. With a soft click, the doors slowly swung open to reveal the dimly lit theater.


    The theater was massive and grand: rows upon rows of red seats facing the stage ahead and easily housing at least two hundred audience members. Sitting in the seats were shadowy figures that flickered and spoke to each other in hushed whispers. Up ahead the dark crimson velvet curtains were drawn closed, concealing the performance behind it.


    Each step you took, made your dread worse. You knew there was something awful lurking behind those curtains: waiting impatiently to rip you apart before you could scream, leaving you a bloodied and broken mess of organs and bones. However, you had no other choice but to press forward. This was the only way out of the nightmare.


    Your hand reached for the knife in your bag. At least you weren''t going in completely defenseless. Your grip tightened as you approached the stage, now it was only a few feet away from you.


    I think I may have seen this in a movie once. You laughed softly to yourself and shook your head, bracing yourself for whatever was behind the heavy drapes.


    With knife in hand, you inched closer to the curtain''s rope. Your heart was rapidly pounding like a rabid animal and cold sweat trickled down your neck as your fingers came closer and closer to the golden cord.


    Your fingers wrapped around the cord and with a quick tug, the curtains drew away to reveal an abandoned puppet show. There was a total of five puppets, all of them were as tall as you. One of them was a servant girl with straggly hair dressed in rags. Another was a dashing nobleman with neat brown hair dressed in a green suit. The next puppet was an old woman with a gnarled face in a gaudy dress of yellow and green. Next to the old woman was a puppet girl with garishly applied makeup and equally tacky dress in purple and orange. Finally, was the puppet in the middle which caught your eye the most: as it resembled Corvin with neatly brushed white hair and spotless red suit.


    The lights suddenly turned on, blinding you for a moment. In the harsh yellowish-white lighting, you could see that their skins were a horrific texture of both wood and flesh. Although you wanted to turn and run, a combination of both terror and morbid curiosity made you stay in your place as the play began.


    A sharp chord of an unseen violin made you jump as a phantom orchestra started to play, getting the attention of the shadowy audience. The Corvin puppet stood up from its chair and lazily walked towards the front of the stage. He cleared his throat and tapped his cane three times.


    "Once upon a time, there was a girl who was sent to live with her only living relatives after her parents died. Unfortunately for her, they were her lazy and greedy aunt and equally vile daughter. The poor girl was forced from dawn ''til dusk to work to the bone as her relatives berated and beat her. Each day, she prayed that the handsome marquis would fall in love and marry her like in the fairytales that her deceased mother and father would tell her at bedtime," the puppet said and stepped to the side as the lights turned to the old woman and her niece.


    "You little rat!" The old woman puppet screamed at the unkempt maid and hit over the head with a broomstick. "You can''t do anything right!"


    "Why even bother keeping her at this point?" The cousin cackled as she put a lacy fan over her mouth, only showing her cruel and heavily shadowed eyes.


    "Because then we''d have to get a new maid," Her mother responded with an exasperated sigh and hit her niece one last time, making the maid whimper in pain.


    "I say we should get a new one; preferably one that has more class than this little pig!" The other gaudily-costumed puppet sneered and kicked her cousin in the side. She squealed in laughter as the girl let out a whelp.


    "You''re right," her mother sighed. "I can''t let a beautiful girl like you be embarrassed with potential suitors seeing you next to this goblin. But until we have the funds, we have to stick with what we have at the moment."


    "When will that be?" She asked.


    "Hopefully soon," the old woman said and turned to the crumpled girl. "And as for you, get back to cleaning up the floors and do it perfectly: if you know what''s good for you!"


    With snickers, the two puppets moved towards the left, leaving the puppet girl all by herself to weep quietly. The fairy puppet approached the girl and cleared his throat. She snapped her head up towards him, her bulbous eyes were shining with curiosity.


    "It looks as if you may need some help," he said with his head tilted down.


    "Who are you?" She asked, her voice trembling with fear and hope.


    "Think of me as a...wish granter of sorts," the white-haired puppet responded. "Anything you want, I can give. Nothing is too big nor too small for me to grant."


    "Then please kind sir, I beg of you to give me the life of my dreams!" The abused maid pleaded on her hands and knees towards the male puppet.


    "Alright then, but there is a price to pay," the fairy said.


    "I''ll give anything! Just name it and it''ll be yours!" The girl exclaimed.


    "On the anniversary of your marriage, you are to throw a party for me," he said. "It must happen once, but it must be done within seven years."


    "Of course! That isn''t so hard!" She nodded her head violently, almost to the point where it looked as if it was about to pop off.


    "Good. Tomorrow, I will deal with your aunt and you will find yourself to be engaged to that dashing marquis you pine for. But remember our deal." The fairy stuck out his hand.


    "I accept," the peasant girl and shook the fairy''s outstretched hand.


    The curtains closed, before the scene changed to that of a cathedral''s interior with stain glass windows and white pews. At the altar was the marquis and the puppet girl now in an elaborate silk wedding gown. The puppets said their vows and leaned their faces towards each other to simulate kissing as the unseen orchestra played a distorted tune that included a pipe organ that was loud enough to make you put your hands over your ears before becoming silent once more.


    "As the years went by, the girl forgot about her promise to me." The fairy puppet continued and loudly struck his cane against the floor, the stage light turning to him. "I waited patiently, hoping that maybe one day she would remember. I even gave her a couple of friendly reminders now and then-- especially as the seven year deadline was inching closer and closer like the Grim Reaper''s scythe. But alas, she never acknowledged it nor bothered to plan the party. My hand was forced, when the thirteen years passed and it came time to collect her debt. I then.... Well, let''s just say some things are better left to your imagination, dear (Y/N)."


    Suddenly the puppets all jerked their heads towards you. Their glassy, crazed eyes were focused on you. Their teeth bared as a black froth drippled from them like rabid animals. The puppets cackled and outstretched their hands towards you, except for the one modeled after Corvin who simply watched with malicious glee as sat down on his chair.


    The nearest one, the aunt, jumped for you. You screamed and twisted away in time to avoid its hands. Behind you, the crowd was cheering at the performance. As the old woman was about to grab for you, you pulled out the knife and stabbed her in the head. Black sap gushed out as she screeched in pain.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Ha! That''s what you get, you old goat!" The fairy puppet clapped.


    The heavily made-up puppet crashed into you. You screamed as she clawed at your back and yelled in your ear.


    "I''ll turn your blood into rouge!" The cousin puppet cackled and wildly reached for your face.


    "Aw, don''t give up now!" The Corvin puppet snickered.


    You arched your back and turned around, pinning the puppet to the ground. You grabbed her hair and smashed her head into the ground, splinters of her face flew upwards as you pounded her face into the ground again. The marquis puppet approached you and you turned in time to avoid his outstretched hands. You swung your knife at his face-- slashing his cheek. Black sap jetted out and he squealed, clutching a hand to where he''d been struck.


    "How dare you disfigure my husband''s face!" The bride puppet screamed and lunged at you.


    You grabbed a hold of her veil and stabbed her hand. She wailed and held her hand to her chest. She roared and made another grab for you. You grabbed a hold of her veil and stabbed the knife into her face. An animalistic scream came from her as she stumbled backwards.


    You looked to see the rope that held the stage light on the other side of the theater. You shrieked as the marquis puppet swiped for your face and you kicked him in the stomach. The puppet flew into his bride and they both tumbled off the stage. The audience''s cheering became louder, their jeering boomed off of the walls.


    "My, talk about a performance!" The white-haired puppet grinned as he stood up, revealing a large knife in his hand that glinted menacingly in the the light. "The audience loves you, (Y/N)!"


    You swerved away in time to avoid his blade. Sweat trailed down your face and you swiped your legs against his knees, making him stumble backwards. The puppet laughed and stood up as he brushed the front of his coat.


    "Talk about a spitfire!" He giggled, the knife still shining in his hand. "But let''s see how you hold up against the supporting cast!"


    With that, the fallen puppets began to rise and started to limp behind their leader. Their glassy eyes were shinning with bloodlust and gnashed their teeth in excitement, reminding you of a shark that smelled blood.


    You ran towards the rope and began to cut at it with your knife. Your hands trembled as the blade sawed through the thick rope. The puppets were coming closer, savoring every bit of your terror. Their rictus grins growing tighter and wider, making tears in their cheeks as black sap bled from them.


    Come on! Come the fuck on! Hurry!


    As they were about to finally lunge at you, the rope was finally severed. You flinched and jumped back as the light crashed down on them. You put your arms in front of you as shards of glass exploded into the air. The puppets let out one last gasp before they collapsed.


    You took a shaking sigh and held the knife tighter in your hand as you put a hand over your racing heart. That was way too close.


    You tossed one last look at the crushed throng of puppets before looking back at the theater''s exit. As you were about to step off the stage, a hand rised from the light. The mangled body of the Corvin puppet crawled out. He calmly twisted his head back in place and approached you, his red and gold eyes glowing with fury.


    "You little bitch," it growled. "Look what you did to me!"


    You scrambled away from it and towards the catwalk. Behind you the puppet let out a screech as it lurched at you. You ducked your legs away in time to avoid him. The puppet slashed his knife in the air, nearly nicking your shins.


    "You aren''t going anywhere, my dear! The audience wants to give an encore to the star of the show!" The puppet cackled as you scrambled up the catwalk stairs.


    You were barely two steps in before a pained scream ripped out of your throat as the knife sliced against your calf. You fell to your knees, nearly knocking your head against the steps. Blood trickled down as you hand put your hand over it to stop the bleeding. Your fingers were smeared red as you limped away from the puppet.


    "Go ahead and run, my dear!" It giggled and pointed the knife at you, "You''re just going to be delaying your inevitable death!"


    You wheezed in pain as you scrambled as quickly up the catwalk. Your wound throbbed in pain and you let out a small hiss. Before you could react, the knife whizzed over your shoulder-- narrowly missing your cheek. The puppet kicked you in the back of your leg. You turned around only to be met with a swift punch to the face. You gasped in pain as another blow cracked through your cheek.


    Despite the pain, you swung your knife-- blocking his attack in time. He leaned in, his teeth looking like white daggers in the dim light. You kicked the puppet in the leg, knocking his balance off before limping away. From below, the audience were loudly complaining that they couldn''t see the performance.


    "Come back deary, the audience loves you!" He called out and madly cackled, dragging the blade against the rails as it sent silver sparks across the metal.


    You clenched your teeth as you limped, each movement made a little more blood gush out, making you whimper slightly. Come on, keep moving!


    "Oh (Y/N), where are you?" It said in a singsong voice. "Don''t you know: the performance isn''t over until the female lead screams!"


    Your head was starting to feel light from the blood loss. Your ears were ringing and you could barely feel your fingertips. Black dots started to cloud parts of your vision as you lurched away from the sadist''s voice. Keep going! Don''t look behind!


    "Lovely little (Y/N), where could you possibly be hiding?" The puppet hummed. "Just come on out so I can rip out your innards as you choke on your blood!"


    In the darkness you saw an uncovered vent, next to it was the rope that supported the catwalk. Biting back the pain, you limped over to the rope. You undid the knot that held up the catwalk and held it, with the knife pointed at it. Now you had to wait for the puppet to come.


    "(Y/N), (Y/N), (Y/N)!" It called out. "Where are you, deary?"


    You let out a sharp yell to lure him out. You heard the puppet''s footsteps approaching you and the sound of his knife grazing the catwalk''s railing.


    Through your pounding head and ringing ears, you could barely make out the white-haired murderer approaching you. The blade of his blood-smeared knife glinted in the dark like a beast''s fang.


    "You really think I''m going to fall for your little trap, you stupid bitch?" The puppet chuckled.


    "Yeah, I do." You said and let go of the rope.


    The puppet charged for you with his knife in the air. You jumped into the vent in time as the catwalk crashed down, taking the puppet down with it. Quickly, you scrambled away from it and got to your knees. You winced and groped the wall for balance as your vision cleared.


    You took a look around at your surroundings to see that you were in a light blue parlor. The damask furniture matched the wallpapers and an oak bookcase was pressed against the wall next to a end table. Hanging on the walls were paintings of picturesque landscapes and gardens; and a light, barely there floral perfume filled the air.


    "W-what?" You gasped softly in disbelief.


    The door quietly opened and Corvin entered, "(Y/N)?"


    "You have a fucked up idea of entertainment," you pointed a shaking finger at him.


    "You can say that about all of the fair-folk," he answered calmly. "It''s all a matter of perspective, really. Didn''t I also tell you that there are some very specific parts of the house where the really dangerous denizens are in?"


    "Like that?" You pointed to the vent.


    "Yes, although I''m surprised you''ve found the key for the theater." He nodded his head. "Didn''t you listen to my warning?"


    "You weren''t very specific when you said ''you''ll know it when you do''."


    "Fair enough. I should have been more specific about my warning. I really apologize for that, I have no one but myself to blame for it."


    You closed your eyes and let out a shallow breath, your body shaking both from the fading adrenaline and trying to constrain your rage. You closed your eyes as you clenched the knife in your hand. I''m still alive, that''s all I need right now...


    Corvin pressed his lips as he looked at the bruise that you sustained on your face. "Do you mind telling me what happened there?"


    You fell silent. The knife in your hand clattered to the ground, you stared at him in shock with your mouth partially opened. Unable to respond to his question.


    "(Y/N), what happened?"


    "I-it- the puppet that looks like you..."


    "What did it do?" His voice became slightly tight and he came closer to you. A strange look filled his dual-colored eyes.


    "It did this and nearly tried to..."


    "Take a deep breath and try to relax. Please give yourself enough time to collect your thoughts and tell me what happened."


    "It tried to kill me..."


    Corvin''s eyes turned cold as he growled, "It did what?"


    His sclera turned black, behind them was a look of barely restrained fury. Your blood turned to ice and you grabbed your wrist to stop yourself from trembling.


    "Anyways, it looks like those are some rather nasty injuries you got," the fairy shook his head and his sclera turned back to white, trying to keep his anger under control. "My, those puppets were far more vicious than I remember, especially that one. I''ll...discipline it when I get the chance."


    You said nothing and just looked at him.


    Corvin closed his eyes, "Can you sit over on that couch next to you?"


    Not wanting to anger him any further, you hesitantly sat down on the couch. Every muscle in your body was tensed with dread and your palms turned sweaty. Your eyes were trained on the fairy as he pulled up your pant sleeve to look at the wound on your calf.


    "I am going to..." he stopped himself when he remembered that you were still here and deeply exhaled. "Anyways, stay still and relax a little."


    "W-why should I?" You asked.


    "Just please trust me on this," he put a hand over yours.


    You gave him a hard look, but said nothing; unsure of what he would do next. He nodded his head and stood up.


    Corvin walked over to the ivory and brass globe in the corner and pulled off the top to reveal a large tin of salve. You watched as he gently rubbed the medicine into your wounds, paying extra attention to the cut on your leg. Within the seconds, the injuries started to fade away as if they never happened.


    You put your hand over where your wounds once were, and looked up at Corvin. Why did he do this? Wouldn''t it be better for him to just leave me injured?


    "Now that you know when you''re in certain areas of the mansion and you suddenly have the kind of dread that paralyzes you, you''ll know to avoid that area." Corvin said. "Again, I deeply apologize for what happened. If you''ll excuse me, I have someone to straighten out."


    "Hey! Wait a minute!" You stood up and collapsed back into the couch from the sudden rush of blood. You winced in pain and put a hand to your forehead, clenching your eyes.


    "Just rest for a little while, I''ll make sure nothing comes in here as you do so," he said without sparing a second glance at you and left.


    You sighed and put a hand over your forehead. A pounding sensation beat against your head and you slowly sank down onto the sofa. When the sensation subsided, you stood up, grabbed your fallen knife, and opened the parlor door.


    The moment you stepped outside, the urge to go left overcame you. You followed the impulse and quickly walked down the corridor. After five or so minutes, you found yourself in front of the theater once more with Corvin staring down at the doors. You watched as he entered and approached the stage, where the mangled puppet that resembled him was sitting and smoking a cigar as it mumbled under its breath. You turned away and fastened your pace. Not bothering to turn your head towards it, even when you heard a blood-curdling scream coming from the theater.

 Chapter 8

    Corvin''s taunting words rang in your head: there''s so much left of this mansion to explore and you''ve only scratched the surface.


    "Only scratched the surface?" You scoffed, "You''ve got to be kidding me."


    To your half-surprise and relief, you didn''t hear a sardonic comment in response .You collapsed on a nearby chair. A grimace was on your face as you let out a deep huff and put your head in your hands. Squeezing your eyes, you tried to think of where else he would have hidden the key.


    So if he hid it in a painting before, a place that would be in blatant sight, he might try to hide it in something obvious again. Right? No, he wouldn''t be stupid enough to try something like that a second time! Come on! You clenched a handful of your hair and growled from the back of your throat. Think! Where would that bastard put it!? Maybe he hid it somewhere that I already have been for? But then why would he say that I have so much left to explore? Damn it, why does he have to be so conniving!?


    You shook your head and let out an exasperated snort from your nose. The world would be a much better place without fairies.


    A faint groan came from the end of the hallway. There''s no point in siting around and wasting time that could be used finding that key. And I can''t afford another fight again after just barely escaping one.


    You stood up and lightly jogged away from the direction of the sound. Each step felt as if a nail was being driven into your sole; you slightly whimpered but continued onwards. The discomfort became unbearable and you stopped to catch your breath. You leaned against the wall and looked up to see oak double doors a few yards away from you. Hanging above the door was a sign that read: LIBRARY.


    "First a theater, then an art gallery, and now a library?" You muttered. "Just how much space is in this house?"


    Seeing no other option, you entered the library. The doors creaked open as they gave way to your push. You stared in awe at the size of it. The library took up two storeys with a spiral staircase that connected the levels together. The white walls were tall with towering orange-brown bookshelves that loomed over you like wooden giants. Hanging from the ceiling was a gigantic gilded chandelier containing hundreds of white candles that swayed slightly like small phantoms. In small clusters, were leather and velvet chairs huddled next to each other with circular tables. Wrapping around the right side of the library was a porch with spandrels carved into an intricate pattern of swirls and florals where even more seating areas and bookcases were.


    On your left was a large, heavy desk with mountains of papers and books on it. Behind the desk was a dark wood cabinet with tinted glass that was polished so brilliantly you could see your own reflection in it. Something glinted among the collection of books; you squinted your eyes and approached the cabinet a little more to get a better look at it.


    "May I help you with something?"


    Snapping your head in the direction of the voice, you were met with a person a head taller than you. He wore a heavy dark blue cloak that concealed most of his body. The hood was pulled up which left the upper half of his face covered in shadows. In the light, you could see a faint pattern of Corvin''s emblem woven into the fabric with fine silver threads.


    "Uh...." you blinked at the person, completely at a loss of words. "Do you...work here?"


    "I guess you can say that," he grimaced at the last word. He walked over to the desk and put the stack of books in his hand down before taking a seat.


    "What brings you here, Miss (Y/N)?" The librarian asked.


    "What? How do you know my--"


    "It''s because of Master Corvin," the cloaked person responded.


    "I see," you trailed off.


    "Now that we have that out of the way, do you mind telling me why you are here?" The librarian asked and pulled back the hood with a narrow and ghostly-pale hand: revealing chin-length black hair, a smooth androgynous face with plump, pouting lips, and upturned black eyes behind a pair of circular-lensed glasses.


    "I''m not entirely sure," you answered. "I just kind of stumbled upon here."


    "Interesting," he mumbled and gripped his chin between his forefinger and thumb. "Anyways, I have a proposal for you. An offer you can''t refuse if you will."


    "What?"


    "If you can find the token of when I was once human, I maybe able to help you with finishing the game. I might even tell you where exactly the front door key is."


    When he said this, you caught a glimpse of a pewter key in the shape of a peony flower that hung within the cabinet. You narrowed your eyes. This offer seemed far too good to be true. You felt like there was something more to this apart from that, but you couldn''t tell what exactly. The reason was in the back of your mind, a faint inkling that was almost on the tip of your tongue.


    "I''m not so sure," you said, crossing your arms and shifting your weight onto your left leg.


    "Why is that?"


    "I don''t know entirely."


    The librarian clenched his jaw. "Is it because of him?"


    Your silence was your answer.


    A low and annoyed sigh came from him and he crossed his legs. A heavy tension filled the atmosphere, making it feel as if countless pins were being pricked into your skin as you and the librarian stared at each other for what felt like hours.


    "How are you so sure that he didn''t say that to manipulate it to be easier to take advantage of you and to win the game?" The librarian finally broke the silence, his voice held the slightest crack of annoyance. "Or that he isn''t going to suddenly be dishonest and lie right to your face?"


    "He''s a man of his word and he holds himself to his standards," you answered.


    "Do you really believe that?"


    You froze up. Corvin had been rather upfront with everything that he had told you, he didn''t twist the truth nor lied to you at any point. However, he was still sneaky and you couldn''t trust him, he was unpredictable and had plenty of tricks.


    "I''m not sure," you croaked out.


    "So why not accept my offer?" The librarian asked.


    You glanced over your shoulder to see Corvin looking at you from a distance. His face was unreadable, but you could feel the devilish glee coming off of him in oppressive waves.


    "C-can I get back to you in a moment?" You asked. "I just need to think through this for a bit."


    "Fine," the librarian brusquely said. "Take all the time you need."


    As you sat down by Corvin, his eyes peered at yours from above the pages. An impish light danced in the crimson and gold irises. You could see the large grin on his face behind the book as he held back his snickering.


    "What are you looking at?" You spat.


    "Just seeing how you are doing so far and to get some light reading in," he demurely answered and flipped over to the next page. "How is it going so far, my dear?"


    "You know, I still haven''t forgotten that little stunt you pulled off," you growled.


    "Which one?" He said.


    "You know exactly which one."


    "Oh, you mean back at the art gallery?" Corvin chirped. "Yes, I can see why you would still be upset. But that will soon be all in the past when we exchange our vows and we''ll remember it as a funny story to tell for many years to come."


    Fighting back the urge to slap him, you turned away from the fairy and closed your eyes. Why does this offer seem so wrong? I could have sworn that I know the reason why! Alright, maybe I need to to review the rules. Okay, so I know that in order to win I have to exit through the front doors and that''s the only way. The second rule is that the game doesn''t start until I exited those doors all the way back in the parlor. The next rule is that...


    It was then a cold realization hit you as you remembered that: you are to not help any of the residents nor accept any offers of theirs.


    "I-it was a trick...." you whispered.


    You glanced over to see Corvin looking back at you. His blood and hellfire eyes had the look of a wolf staring down an injured deer. You could have sworn that his teeth looked much sharper now as he bit back his laughter.


    "Let me guess: you''re going to make a smartass comment now?" You growled.


    "You know me so well, it''s almost like we''re married already!" He chuckled. "But unfortunately, we aren''t. At least not yet. Speaking of marriage: should it be an indoor or outdoor one? Both of them have their strengths and weaknesses and I need some input from my bride-to-be."


    "Does it really matter?" You snarled.


    "Of course it does! Every detail of the wedding is important! From the wedding dress and the venue to--"


    You stood up and exhaled a sharp breath. You stormed away from Corvin and made your way back to the librarian.


    "Guess you''re conflicted as well," the fairy called out and went back to reading.


    The librarian had his back towards you as he sorted out the items in the cabinet behind the desk. You rapped your knuckles against the desk three times, making him jolt slightly as he turned his head to you.


    "Oh you''re back already," he said and sat back down as he smoothed out the front of his cloak. "So, have you made up your mind?"


    "Yes I have," you gulped.


    "And your answer is...." the librarian leaned in. The lightest predatory smirk was on his lips; it would have been barely noticeable under most circumstances, but the sinister look in his dark eyes gave it away.


    A moment passed and you took a deep breath. Your throat felt dry as you licked your lips nervously and looked directly into those hollow eyes.


    "I''m going to refuse your offer," you finally said.


    The librarian was still for a few moments before he slunk back into his seat and exhaled, "What a shame. I was really hoping that we could have helped each other out."


    You nodded your head slightly. "Yeah, it really is..."


    A powerful strain filled the room as you stood there in silence, unsure of what to say next. Your legs tensed as you readied yourself for a possible fight. You took a step back as the librarian adjusted his glasses and cracked his neck, the disappointment was still plastered on his face.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Now if you''ll excuse me, I have to get back to sorting these out," the librarian gestured to the pile of books behind him.


    Nodding your head once more, you sat down a few chairs away from Corvin. His leg was crossed over the other and he leaned in towards you, a ghost of a smirk was dancing on his lips as he tapped his fingers on the chair''s arm.


    "So what are you going to do now, my dear?" He purred.


    You didn''t respond to him; your eyes trained on the librarian''s desk. Your legs tensed up with anticipation, ready to spring in action at any moment. You looked over the librarian''s shoulder at the key glinting in the cabinet. Somehow you knew that it was important to your escape. It had to be the key to the front door. Why else would the librarian put you in such a trap if it wasn''t it?


    When the librarian left his desk and disappeared from your view, you inched towards the case and took the key. You quickly slid it into your jacket''s pocket. You walked briskly away from the desk and were about go over to the exit when you caught a glimpse of the librarian. You pressed yourself against a bookshelf as he let out a shrill and blood-curdling scream of frustration that reverberated off of the walls, shaking some books off of their shelves.


    "That--! I am going to make her regret this!" He growled.


    As quietly as you could, you ran away from your hiding spot as you heard the librarian heading towards your direction. Fear coursed through your veins as you looked around for another place to hide.


    You crouched down to the ground, hiding between a table and chair. Ten feet away from you was Corvin standing patiently with one hand behind his back and the other opening a book, looking directly at you. Your rapid heart felt like it was going to explode. You steeled yourself to run if he were to alert the librarian to your position. The librarian came storming towards his master, his shoulders tensing with fury.


    "Have you seen her?" The librarian asked.


    "I did, as a matter of fact." Corvin answered matter-of-factly as he began to read and slowly turned over to the next page.


    "Would you tell me where she went?" The librarian sputtered, excitement rising in his voice.


    "No." Corvin coolly responded and sat down on a nearby chair without sparing a glance at the librarian. "You''re going to have to find her yourself."


    "What?" The librarian stiffened.


    "I just said that you have to find her yourself," the white-haired fairy said. "You shouldn''t have too much of an issue finding her. She''s just a regular human-- a clever one, but a normal human woman nonetheless."


    Refraining from cursing out his master, the librarian bowed his head slightly, "I understand." His cracking voice was laced with barely-restrained frustration.


    "I suggest you get a move on," Corvin crossed one leg over the other, tossed the book he was reading with a dramatic flick of his wrist, and picked up another one. "She might be already close to the exit."


    You--! You bit your inner lip. You dared not to draw a breath as the librarian passed by. You kept yourself as still as possible. A droplet of sweat streaked down your neck as he glided out of view. Carefully, you crept over to another aisle. You heard the librarian''s storming footsteps coming close. Quickly, you hid behind a mountain of books in front of a bookcase. Your pounding heart drummed against your ribs as he drew near. You cursed yourself for losing your knife in the gallery. If only you had a weapon with you.


    You watched in terror as the librarian passed by you. His hands were taut with fury, his dark nails were sharp and thin as they shined wickedly in the light. Your heart stopped as he stood still, looking around for you. You were frozen to the spot as he neared your hiding spot. You were like a bleeding rabbit cornered by a hunting dog.


    He stopped and turned around. Slowly, he approached to where you were hiding. His talons gleamed like butcher knives. As he was another step away from where you were, a muffled thud came from the other side of the library. He snapped his head in the direction of the noise and stormed his way towards it.


    Quickly and quietly, you stepped out of your hiding spot and began to dart out of the aisle. Your hand was clasped over your racing heart as you looked for the exit. The library seemed to have shifted its layout. It felt as if you were running in a circle. Fear raced through your veins like a snake''s venom.


    You abruptly stopped when you caught a glimpse of the librarian''s cloak peeking from behind a bookshelf. His steps were low and slow as he patrolled the aisle; he turned his head from side to side, scanning for any sign of you.


    "You know (Y/N), if you put away what you''ve stolen, I will let you go." He said, his voice tinged with bloodlust. "All you have to do is put the key back in the cabinet and pretend that this never happened."


    You clenched your teeth together and shook your head. You gripped your satchel tighter to you and carefully took a step away from the bookshelf, straining your ears for any more noises and clenched the key in your hand. Slowly, you took another step behind you. The blood rushing in your ears sounded like gunfire. Your fear tripled when you heard the ruffling of his cloak dragging against the floors like nails against metal.


    Just keep calm and steady.


    You took another step. Then another, and another, and another. You didn''t dare to look away as you inched your way closer to the exit. You took one more small step when the floorboard beneath you groaned slightly.


    "There you are!" He screamed behind you.


    You screamed as needlelike talons narrowly grazed your cheek. You rolled to the side and onto the ground. Before you could react, he lunged at you. You cried and moved your head to the side. You kicked the librarian in the stomach as hard as you could before scrambling away from him.


    You were barely ten steps away when he swiped at your back. You cried out in horror and ran faster. Sweat was pouring off of you. The rushing of the blood in your ears was roaring. The librarian swiped his arm out in front of him, making an empty and heavy bookcase topple in front of you. You rolled underneath it-- narrowly avoiding being crushed. He made another swipe and a table came flying at you. You ducked your head as it crashed into the wall, exploding into shrapnel of wood.


    "You little wench!" He roared.


    In the distance, you could see the library''s exit. Renewed energy bursted through legs and you sprinted faster. Your eyes were locked on your only hope.


    You swerved as his claws nicked the thin skin on your neck. You gasped as you felt small droplets of blood beginning to fall down your neck. He made another slash for you, barely scratching the tip of your nose. You jumped back and fell down over a fallen box. Sharp pain cracked up your back, making you gasp.


    "It''s all over for you now." He grunted, his eyes glittering with anger as he raised his hand in the air, aiming for your face. He gave you a wicked grin that revealed needlelike teeth as he plunged his claws.


    You thrusted the box in front of you. The tip of his talons barely missed your eye by half an inch. Grunting, you threw the box to the side, throwing the librarian off-balance and began to run. The exit was now mere feet away from you. The door was wide open, promising safety like a lighthouse would for lost sailors.


    Nearly there!


    You sprinted even faster. Each step felt like your feet and lungs were set ablaze. The librarian was mere paces away from you. His talons nearly grazing the back of your jacket as he swiped furiously at you.


    With the last bit of strength, you jumped towards the exit. You skidded against the marble floor, nearly hitting the wall before you turned around to see that the librarian was pressing against an invisible force that separated you from him. He pounded his fists against it, his screams were muffled. He gave you one final hateful glare before retreating into the library.


    "Oh he''ll be fine," Corvin reassured. "He just needs a few hours to sulk and be moody but he''ll be back to his usual self."


    "Wearing a pair of glasses with a fake moustache?" You deadpanned as you stood up and dusted off the front of your shirt and jacket.


    The fairy laughed. "That would be hilarious! But his ego isn''t that easily bruised. Although I will have to talk to him about not destroying the furniture, especially if I bought it just last month."


    "You don''t seemed to be all that bothered," you commented.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I might be extremely close to finding the key," you answered. "Hell, maybe I already found it."


    Although the fairy was still smiling, panic flashed in his eyes briefly. His fingers rapped against his cane''s handle and he walked behind you. He gave your shoulder a light squeeze as he leaned into your ear.


    "What makes you say that?" He huskily whispered.


    "Don''t you think I just saw the alarm in your eyes?" You responded.


    Corvin closed his eyes, a wide grin split on his lips, and he chuckled. "Oh my sweet, precious (Y/N). Don''t you think that I can''t see right through your bluff?"


    Horror replaced your confidence, earning a booming and sinister cackle from him that reverberated against the halls and made a freezing dread crawl down your stomach.


    "You poor thing!" He laughed. "Don''t you remember that it''s a bad idea to lie to the fair-folk? We can and will find out if you are lying to us."


    You were too shocked to respond, your open mouth was left quivering as you stared at him. Every joint in your body was locked in place.


    He suddenly leaned in forwards: his sclera was abyss-black, making the red and gold pupils look like smoldering embers of hellfire. "I''m rather amused in all honesty, and I''m not going to punish you for that little stunt of yours."


    "W-what?"


    "You''re wondering how I would know that you don''t have the key?" He tapped his finger to his lower lip before slowly licking them. "All of the artwork in this estate with my lovely visage acts as my eyes and hands. I can see things through their perspective and not a single one saw you be anywhere near the key''s location."


    "Then why do you do these check-ins?" You clenched your hands into fists.


    "Why wouldn''t I?" He chuckled. "It''s fun teasing you and it''s better to see how you are doing in-person and strengthens our relationship much better. It makes this game more fun and I enjoy our conversations so much. I can only imagine the ones that we would have once we finally are married."


    Your lips curled in a snarl as you shook your head. "Why don''t you marry the sound of your own voice since you love it so much?"


    Corvin snickered and put a hand to his lips. "The sound of my own voice is second to my love for you, my dear."


    "You certainly have a messed up way of showing this supposed love for me." You scoffed.


    "That''s because I like to show my affection through my own ways," he responded.


    "Like making someone go through a death trap of a house?"


    "Only if they suggest it."


    "Charming."


    "Don''t act as if you didn''t know that this wasn''t what most likely going to happen," he said and adjusted his coat.


    "All the more reason for you to not do that," you growled.


    "Is this a sign of defeat, my dear?" Corvin put his hands behind his back with a smirk and a predatory amusement light dancing in his eyes.


    "Fuck no!" You hissed and pushed him away from you.


    He let out a hard laugh, a tear started to drip down from the corner of his eye. He wiped it away and pulled out a pocket mirror, making sure that his kohl wasn''t smudged before tucking it back into his coat.


    "I hope that you still have that fire when we are married and the many, many years after that." He said with a raspy sigh. "That''s easily my favorite thing about you and it would be a tragedy if it was extinguished."


    "You''re insufferable," you shook your head.


    "Delightfully insufferable?" He smirked.


    "No. Just insufferable." You spat and trudged your way towards the lobby.


    ---


    You looked down at the pewter key shining in your hands with your lips pulled into a slight frown. The cool metal was staring to warm up in the palm of your hand. You wrapped your fingers around it and looked at the front doors.


    "This better be it," you sighed and pushed the key into the front door lock. The key didn''t even fit through the hole, instead it clinked against the plate uselessly.


    "Dead end," you laughed bitterly and shook your head. "It was another waste of time. Of course it was."


    Mirthless, you plopped down on a couch and closed your eyes. Your head was pounding with stress and exhaustion. How many more dead ends am I going to have to hit before I can finally get that stupid front door key and leave?


    With impeccable timing, you heard Corvin''s slow, evenly-paced footsteps clacking against the marble floor behind you.


    "I told you that you didn''t have it," he remarked. "Although, I didn''t think you''d actually find that."


    "What?" You looked at the fairy with your eyebrows furrowed into confusion.


    "That''s the garden key in your hands," he said and sat down next to you with his hands folded in his lap.


    "Why does the garden need a key?" You asked.


    "Why wouldn''t it?" He retorted. "But in all seriousness, the garden is located at the back of the building. The quickest way there is through the music room by putting the key into one of the windows. Or if you''re feeling bold, you can hop through a painting of it back in the art gallery."


    "You''re kidding, right?" You groaned.


    "No I am not." He responded.


    "Great..." you mumbled.


    "I''ll wait for you there, so please don''t take too long." He gave you a wink and blew you a kiss before leaving.


    You rubbed your forehead, your lips pursed together in a deep frown. You tapped your fingers against your temple, cursing Corvin and the fair-folk in general.


    He''s seriously making me backtrack... this really is all a game to him. You slumped further, your fingers nearly dragging against the floor. Why would he tell you about the garden? Was it where the key was, or was it another one of his traps? What would he do if you didn''t come?


    The countless possibilities made your already throbbing head hurt even more. Frustration bubbled in your stomach and you let out a loud groan. After a few minutes of contemplation, you decided to head over to the garden. On your way, you made a quick detour to the dining room to retrieve another knife and a fire poker as a weapon.


    You gave the fire poker a few quick practice swings to get a feel for it. You nodded your head and put it in your satchel, with the knife tucked into your back pocket as a backup before making your way to the music room.


    Hopefully this would be the last time you would ever have to do this.

 Chapter 6

    Even though you were far away from the theater, the agonized screams still pierced through your mind. You had no idea for how long you''ve been walking; it seemed like the flow of time was frozen in place in this mansion. Forever stuck in a single moment no matter how much time really passed outside.


    Which makes sense, since he did say that this is on the border between the fairy realm and the human realm... You thought and cracked your stiff neck. Carefully, you put a finger to where the bruise had once been and grimaced. From now on, I have to be even more careful when going through this place. Although I still don''t know why he would go out of his way to heal me. Something about that isn''t right.


    When you were about to turn another corner, you noticed a painting of Corvin dressed in a dark red silk cloak. The hood was pulled up and he held a white rose out towards the viewer with an eerily placid smile and a sinister look in his eyes. But what interested you was that the rose looked as if it was jutting out of the canvas, almost as if you could reach towards it and pluck it out. Without thinking, you put your hand gently towards the rose and yelped as you felt petals under your fingers.


    "W-what?" You gasped and touched the flower again.


    The silky petals bent ever so slightly underneath your touch. Hesitantly, you pulled out the flower. To your shock, the rose was in your hands with the exact weight and texture of one. You looked back to the painting to see that where the rose once was is now a black silhouette of it.


    You turned the rose once more over in your hand before putting it back into the painting. The rose sank back into the canvas and transformed into a facade of what it was.


    Could this mean that he hid the key inside of a painting?


    Your hand wrapped around the strap of your satchel as you looked at the portrait. Admittedly, that is pretty smart of him if it is. No one would expect you to put it in such obviously plain sight.


    You cracked your neck and walked away from the artwork. Excitement raced through your veins and you walked a little bit faster. You came to the end of the hallway to see that there weren''t any paintings featuring a key of any kind.


    Of course, it wouldn''t be that easy...


    You shook your head and let out a deep sigh, running a hand through your messy (H/C) hair. You closed your eyes and leaned against a door. The door gave way to your weight and you let out a sharp squeak. Before you could fall on your face, you regained your balance. You shook your head, dusting off your pants and looked at the room you stumbled into.


    It was a magnificent music room with most of its light goldish walls taken up by tall, arched windows that let in streams of moonlight. The floors were white marble with thin veins of gold that were so polished that you could see your reflection in it. At even intervals, dark blue chaises and ottomans were placed up against the walls. Next to one of the windows was an ivory harp and a cello. You walked up to a window and looked up at the moon that hung in the ink-black sky like a silver eye.


    Your heart clenched and put a hand over it. Don''t give up, you''re close to freedom.


    In the middle of the room was a well-polished grand piano. It was black and glossy like a raven''s feather with ivory keys shining like pearls in the low light. The piano bench seated in front of it was made of ebony with midnight blue velvet upholstery.


    Do I have to play Moonlight Sonata? You scoffed and turned away from the piano. As you were about to leave the room, a melody played behind you.


    You whipped around to see Corvin seated at the piano. You were about to demand to know what he was doing but stopped when you saw his expression. His face was placid and focused; a far cry from his usually mischievous demeanor. His long and slender fingers gracefully plucked at the keys. The music was low and haunting, like the soft cries of a ghostly bride. You wanted to sit down next to him and listen for eternity. Your limbs felt heavy and you slowly walked towards him. As you were about to sit next to him, you froze up and remembered that this was a trap fairies used to lure humans.


    You took a step back and put your hands over your ears and clenched your eyes shut. Your heart felt like a vice was crushing it as every bone in your body locked in place. Fear raced through you like a spider''s venom as the melody continued to play, beckoning you to your doom.


    Think of something else, come on! Do not listen to it!


    The music seemed to become louder, tempting you to put your hands down and close your eyes for eternity. You bit your lip, a sharp pain bursted and your mouth was tinged with the metallic taste of blood.


    The melody was becoming stronger; almost as if it was begging-- no, demanding-- you to put your hands down from your ears and listen. Your (S/C) hands were violently shaking.


    Think of the key! Focus on the finding the key!


    As the last of your fraying willpower was nearly gone, the music finally stopped. You heard a quiet laugh from Corvin and you opened your eyes slightly.


    "My, am I really that bad?" He said and got up from the bench.


    "No-- the opposite. I would never expect you to be good at it," you begrudgingly admitted, a sharp heat flashed on your face.


    "There are quite a lot of things you don''t know about me," he leaned into your ear with his hand on your shoulder, his voice husky. "Besides, when you have lived as long as I have you tend to pick up various hobbies to stave away the boredom. Maybe I''ll dedicate a song to us and perform it at the wedding. What do you think of that?"


    Please don''t.


    "Speechless, aren''t you?" His voice became lower. His soft, cool breath hit your cheek, making your skin crawl. Thankfully, he slowly stepped away from you before you could shove him off of you.


    "You have quite a lot of artwork, don''t you?" You said. "Especially of yourself."


    "It''s to serve as a reminder of who''s home it is," he answered as he straightened out the lapels of his jacket.


    "Can I ask something?"


    "Of course."


    "You mentioned that you have a lot of hobbies, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Is one of them painting?"


    "I occasionally do some, mostly of landscapes and interior environments." He admitted. "Although I''m not too bad at portraiture, would you like one of you for our first anniversary?"


    "No," you bluntly stated.


    "My dear has anyone told you''re as beautiful as you are scathing?"


    "Yes."


    "And yet you are still so cruel!" He playfully gasped.


    "Anyways, do fairy artists have the ability to put an item into the canvas?" You said impatiently.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I mean can they put an object into the frame and make it appear as if it is part of the painting. Hide it in plain view so to speak?"


    His eyes widened for a moment and he fell silent before quietly answering, "Yes."


    "What other things can fairies do regarding artworks?" You continued, "Not just paintings and sculptures, but also music, literature, and so on?"


    "Just like in the stories you have about us, we can create music that can put people into a trance and spirit them away," he responded.


    "Like what you tried to do earlier?" You folded your arms over your chest.


    "I was only doing that to showcase my talent." He huffed slightly.


    "And what about literature?" You asked.


    "That highly depends on each individual fairy''s preference. Truth be told, I''m surprised none of you have spread stories about that-- pun not intended." He said. "But anyways, some like to place nasty traps in which if some unfortunate person opened a book, they''re trapped in there forever or until the fairy decides to set them free. Others like to make it so that the book comes to life and attacks the reader, and a few prefer to make it that if you read the words aloud, the story would happen in real life."


    "Interesting," you commented.


    "I suppose it is," he agreed. "But I have something that I want to ask of you?"


    "What is it?"


    "What is your favorite color? I think it may be (F/C), but I want to be absolutely certain."


    "Let me guess: it''s going to be the color of my wedding dress?"


    "If you want it to be," he said. "But what I had in mind was the accent colors of the decorations: like the color of the aisleway, the tablecloths, or even the color of the bridesmaids dresses."


    "Do you really want to know?"


    "Yes. I want to make sure every last single detail of our big day is perfect. Even for the smallest things."


    "It is (F/C)," you sighed, a cold pang of embarrassment shot through your heart.


    "Oh good, for a moment I wasn''t so sure." He let out a breath of relief.


    You said nothing as Corvin hummed a light lullaby and came up to one of the windows, looking up towards the moon with a slight smile dancing on his lips. His white hair and skin looked even more ghostly in the silver light, making the crimson and gold of his eyes stand out even more.


    "What a pleasant night," he mused. "The sky''s clear so you can see the stars and it''s a full moon too! I only hope our wedding night is as beautiful as this one."


    A flash of anger ran up your arms and you clenched your fists tightly. Calm down, he''s only doing this to get me riled up and to lose focus.


    "I see," you said, trying to keep the venom leaking out.


    "Something the matter? Your jaw looks a little tense," the right corner of his lips twitched further upwards.


    Yeah-- you.


    Corvin sighed at your lack of response and came back behind you. He put his face a little bit closer to yours, his breath tickling your (S/C) cheek. With a closer look, you saw a ruby earring in his ear that glittered against his pale skin.


    Like a droplet of crystalized blood against white marble. You thought and flicked his hand away from you.


    "Well, I can''t say this was necessarily pleasant, but I now have to take my leave," you grumbled and stormed out of the music room.


    "You sure you don''t want to talk about what''s upsetting you?" Corvin called out.


    ---


    While you jogged down the hallways, the feeling of hope was swelling inside of you. Your body was clenched with excitement and relief with only one thing ringing through your mind: just find that painting and get out of here!


    Your eyes darted from side to side, looking for any paintings with a key in it. You slowed down and looked behind you. A realization hit you: why would he give you the answer so easily?


    You froze up, shock shot through your back before you shook your head, snorting out of your nose as you cursed yourself for overlooking that one detail. An overwhelming wave of frustration and dread overcame you. It''s going to be like that stupid wine cellar or that theater...The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    A low, rumbling groan came from the back of your throat and you sighed. You sat down on a nearby chair with one leg crossed over the other. If only I had a piece of iron with me, I could just go home without playing this game.


    You heard the flapping of wings and you looked up to see a white raven flying over you.


    "Corvin?" You called out.


    The raven didn''t respond as it continued down the corridor, eventually becoming swallowed up by the shadows and leaving behind only a single white plume.


    That''s weird. Normally, he would have made some sort of condescending comment by now. You furrowed your brows. Wonder where he''s heading off too.


    You began to go into the direction that the corvid was heading towards. While you walked, you reached for the pocket where your knife was, readying yourself for whatever lurks within the corridor. The only sounds was the echoing of your footsteps and your breathing. The silence was deafening, making each sound worse. As you slowly crept further down the hallway, something bronze glinted in the chandelier light.


    Whipping your head, you saw a plaque that read: GALLERY hanging from the wall next to a pair of double doors with doorhandles in the shape of a paintbrush.


    "Gallery?" You put your hands on your hips. "As in an art gallery?"


    Does that mean it''s in there? It might be a trap though.


    Your limbs tensed up and your hand reached for the knife. You put your ear to the door and listened for anything on the other side of it. You couldn''t make out any sound that would suggest any attackers. However, you wanted to make sure; you didn''t want to repeat what happened back at the theater.


    You cringed and put a hand to where you had been slashed on the leg. With a trembling hand, you anxiously slid the knife under the door, using the reflection to see any potential dangers. Painfully slowly, you knelt down besides the door and looked down at the reflection.


    The angle was disorientating at first, but after a few seconds you got used to it. You carefully slid the knife around to get as clear a view as you could of the room. There was nothing that seemed out of place or dangerous. All you could see was hunter''s green wall paper with an intricate floral pattern and five ivory pedestals placed at even intervals on one side of the room. On the other side of the room was a small, round rosewood table with a vase of flowers and a brass candelabra with five lit candles in it.


    You waited for a few more moments to ensure that it was safe before reaching for the handle. The metal was icy-cold to the touch and almost painful. You winced slightly before pulling it open. A warm air greeted you as the door groaned and you stepped inside. Immediately, you pulled out your knife and held it in front of you.


    Biting the inside of your lip, you took another step inside of the room. Your body tensed, ready for an attack. You made your way to the table, between the vase and candelabra was a pair of gold thin-rimmed glasses with round, owlish lenses.


    You turned around and saw that on the right side of the room was a golden plaque that read: OFFERINGS FOR ALL OF THEM.


    You froze. Your mouth was partially opened in puzzlement and you looked on your left to the pedestals. Behind them, were five paintings. The paintings were that of a pair of cracked and gray lips, a severed and rotting ear, a bloodshot eye, a veiny and discolored hand, and a cracked nose covered in small scars. All of them were overly-detailed with each grotesque feature carefully rendered, making you feel sick looking at them.


    You looked back at the plaque and at the paintings. ''Offerings for all of them?'' What does that even mean?


    Carefully approaching the paintings, you took in every minute detail of them despite wanting to avert your eyes from them, trying to look for any hints. You put a hand to your temple and closed your eyes in concentration.


    Five paintings...


    Five offerings...


    Wait-- these paintings represented each of the five senses! So I just need to put something on the pedestal that corresponds to that sense!


    Without wasting another second, you put the candelabra in front of the painting of the hand and a vase of flower in front of the nose painting. You grabbed the glasses and carefully put it on the eye''s pedestal. You winced, realizing that you had to make your way to the music room and put an instrument in front of the ear.


    With an exasperated groan, you made your way back to the music room. You prayed that Corvin still wasn''t there just to rub your imprisonment in your face. As you walked, you noticed that the Corvin in the painting you saw earlier was grinning even wider.


    Shivering, you averted your eyes away from it and began to jog. You could feel its eyes burning on the back of your head like a snake readying to strike.


    After what felt like hours, you finally were back at the music room. Immediately, you looked around for an instrument small enough to be placed on the pedestal. You caught the glint of something on your left. Sitting on a table was a long, silvery-white flute that shined in the moonlight like a sword. Your fingers wrapped around the cold metal and you carefully put the instrument into your satchel.


    "Why are you back here?"


    You turned around to see Corvin a few feet behind you with his hands behind his back and a devious smirk. As he approached closer, you could smell the intoxicating aroma of absinthe, wolfsbane, poppies, and smoke coming from him. It was almost strong enough to make you close your eyes and drop your guard.


    "What do you want?" You spat out.


    "I asked first," he chuckled, the smirk on his face becoming bigger. His eyes twinkled with a dangerous look in them and he saw the flute peeking from your satchel.


    In an instant, he was within arm''s length of you and he pulled the flute out of your bag. "My, what were you planning on doing with this?"


    "Hey--!" You exclaimed and reached for the flute.


    "Were you trying to teach yourself the flute?" He held the instrument higher over his head, his smirk was now a full-on grin.


    "Just give it back!" You yelled.


    "This is my flute," he corrected. "So I can do with it as I please, not you."


    You turned on your heel and looked around for another small instrument. As you were about to reach out for violin, the instrument flew towards Corvin. The fairy''s mischief-filled eyes were trained on you like a fox waiting to strike. Turning back around, you reached for a lyre only for that to go towards him a well. Annoyance welled in your chest and you marched over to a clarinet, and the instrument flew towards the fairy.


    Every part of your body was boiling with frustration and you scowled at Corvin. He returned your look with a sly smile. After standing in silence for a few moments, he took a step towards you with a gleam in his eyes.


    "You know, I''ll give an instrument of your choosing to you: under one condition."


    "Which is...?" You said, smothering back a groan of dismay.


    "You''ll have to listen to me play a song with the instrument of your choice and without covering your ears."


    "How am I so sure that you aren''t going to try and put me under some kind of spell?"


    "I could have done that with the piano earlier, but I didn''t. And besides, I''ve been honest with you this entire time, haven''t I?"


    "Yes but--"


    "But what?"


    "Who''s to say that you wouldn''t start being dishonest with me now?"


    "You would have a good point, had it not been for the fact that I hold myself to my standards very strictly, and I don''t plan on deviating from that any time soon," he countered.


    You clenched your eyes and held your hands tightly in your lap, praying that you didn''t fall into a trap.


    "Fine," you hissed. "I''ll listen."


    "Excellent," he clasped his hands in front of him. "Now which instrument do you want to listen to?"


    "Don''t care. So long as I can carry it." You grumbled.


    "You sure?" He said and delicately put a hand on the violin. "Don''t you have at least an inclination to one of them?"


    "None," you answered. "Can we just hurry this up?!"


    Corvin shook his head. "My, talk about impatience."


    He hummed and looked at the instruments floating in the air. Taking his time inspecting them, running his hand on their surface. You knew that he was enjoying taking his time and that you could do nothing about it.


    "I haven''t played the flute in a while," he mused and reached out for it. Noticing you relaxing, he quickly retracted his hand.


    "Actually, maybe I want to play the violin," he said. "Although I have been playing it quite a lot recently and I want to change it up a bit. So maybe the lyre instead. However, I don''t think I''m at an adequate enough level to play it for such a special audience member. Or I can go with the clarinet, although I''m not particularly a big fan of it. Decisions, decisions. decisions..."


    Gritting your teeth, you folded your arms underneath your chest. Corvin noticed the glare and softly laughed, he walked behind you.


    "Maybe I can play an--"


    "Stop stalling and pick something already!" You yelled.


    "You know what? I''ll go with the flute," he said and plucked the small instrument from the air. "Now please take a seat."


    You obeyed, and ironed yourself for what would come next. You squeezed your hands between your thighs and chewed on the inside of your mouth.


    "Now what song to play?" Corvin mused.


    You were about to say ''I don''t care'', but stopped yourself, not wanting to give him another excuse to waste your time.


    "Mary Had a Little Lamb," you said quickly.


    "Seriously?" The fairy raised an eyebrow. "Why not something that''s a bit more sophisticated than some silly nursery rhyme?"


    "What? You aren''t going to play a simple song for me!?" You exclaimed.


    "My dear, I will do anything you want me to do, except for that." He answered.


    "Oh for the love of-- play Moonlight Sonata!" You shouted.


    "Moonlight Sonata it is," Corvin said and with a dramatic pose, he put the flute''s embouchure hole to his lips.


    The aria was soft and delicate as his slight fingers pressed down on the keys, a tear was starting to form in your eye from how beautiful the performance was. You felt all of the annoyance and impatience slowly sap out of you, replaced by a surreal calmness. You focused solely on the fairy, the world around you was hazy except for him. You were about to fall asleep when he finished.


    "Thank you," he bowed at the waist and extended the flute towards you.


    You snatched the flute from his hand and exited the music room for the last time.


    ---


    Looking around the room, you saw that there wasn''t any food items to present to the mouth. Your heart dropped, realizing that you needed to go back to either the dining room or find the kitchen. You looked at a cookie tin that sat on a dusty shelf. Hope fluttered in your heart and you opened it only to see that it was empty, except for a few small crumbs at the bottom of it.


    "Damn it," you grumbled and opened the tea can next to it, only for that to also be empty. Shaking your head, you put the container back on the shelf and moved onto a taffy box.


    Please, let this be the rules of three. You prayed and slowly opened it: only to find a couple of wrappers in it.


    You threw back your head and growled. You threw the box at the wall and let out a string of curses. Your shoulders tensed in disappointment and dread as your stomach was twisting and boiling. Letting out a groan through your teeth, you left the room hopefully for what would be the final time.


    ---


    After taking a few wrong turns, you finally reached the dining room once more. You reached the doorknob and braced yourself for Corvin and his taunting remarks. Sucking up a deep breath, you opened the door slowly.


    To your shock and relief, he wasn''t there. You closed your eyes and exhaled through your nose.


    Oh thank you God. You grabbed a porcelain plate and ripped off the baked goose''s leg and put a bread roll on it.


    "I knew you''d eventually eat," Corvin said behind you. "Come, sit down."


    You rolled your eyes and pushed past him, not wanting to put up with him for any longer. You grabbed the door handle and pulled on it, it was locked. Gritting your teeth, you pulled on it harder but it remained firmly locked.


    "What? Hey, open the doors!" You demanded.


    "Only after you eat," he answered and poured himself some wine.


    "No," you seethed.


    "Then they''ll remain locked," he answered coolly.


    Unless you give up.


    You stood in place and glared at him, not wanting to look at the cornucopia. Putting your hands in your pockets, you leaned against the wall next to the door. The minutes started to feel like days, the delectable smells of the dinner became stronger, making your mouth water. You could almost taste the buttery skin and the soft flesh of the goose, feeling the juices bursting into your mouth as you took a bite. You clenched your jaw set and crossed your arms over your chest. Corvin turned his head towards you, a smile was dancing on his face.


    "If your plan is to wait until I finally open the doors, then it''s not going to work. You''re just wasting time. Time that could have been used for you to look for the front door key." He laughed and took a drink from his goblet.


    Clamping your jaw, you sat down in the nearest chair. Your hands reached for the fork and knife, trembling as you cut a piece of goose. You glanced at the side to see Corvin watching you as he took another sip.


    "Go on then," he said.


    You looked down at the plate, the glistening skin of the goose looked as if it was pulsating in the light. The smell was becoming stronger. Your heart slowly thumped as you raised the morsel closer to your mouth. Your hands were shaking more as it was now barely brushing against your lips. Clenching your eyes shut, you put it in your mouth.


    Your tastebuds tingled at the savory juices and the tenderness of the meat before you greedily swallowed. Without thinking, you took another bite out of the goose without bothering to chewing it. Your hunger had over came you, and you piled your plate with every food within an arm''s reach. Immediately, you scarfed down your food. You were almost done with eating when you remembered why you were here to begin with. Panic stabbed through your heart and you snapped your head at Corvin; his mischievous grin was curled up even further than before.


    "Didn''t I tell you that nothing will happen if you eat it?" He sipped from his goblet. "Unlike some of the more loutish of my kind, I don''t like spiking or cursing my guests'' food. Unless they''re a political enemy, in which case, it''s fair game."


    "Now that I''ve ate, are you going to finally open those doors?" You grunted.


    "Of course," he said and snapped his fingers.


    Quickly, you stuffed a bread roll and the plate into your satchel.


    "Are you saving that for later?" Corvin tilted his head, his eyes twinkling.


    You rolled your eyes and left the dining room.


    ---


    "Here it goes," you sighed and put the plate of food on the mouth painting''s pedestal. A soft click came from the door and you walked towards it.


    As you were about to reach for the doorknob, you heard the sounds of mouth smacking and heavy sniffing with flute music playing behind you. Whipping your head around, you saw that the plate of food had been eaten down the very last morsel and that the flowers in the vase were limp. The paintings were now completely black, the surface rippling ever so slightly like water.


    Your breath hitched and you cautiously looked back at the door. With a shaky hand, you slowly pushed the doors open.

 Chapter 7

    The white doors gave way with a deep, grating groan that sounded like a dying person. Light from outside flooded a small part of the art gallery, revealing walls painted a deathly gray. It was a vast room cloaked in a deep, impregnable gloom. The only thing you could make out was marble floor and the long black runner carpet on it. Taking in a deep breath, you took a quiet step forward. The lights above you turned on suddenly, making you gasp. You relaxed slightly and put a hand over your racing heart before turning your attention back to your surroundings.


    There was of course, the statues and paintings featuring Corvin that you were accustomed to by now: there were also artworks that featured different but just as unnerving subject matters. Some were still-lifes of vases with skulls and insects crawling over dying and withering flowers. Others were landscapes that featured gray woods cloaked in heavy fog with ghostly figures peering from behind the dead trees with their yellow glowing eyes. A few were watercolors of dimly-lit abandoned dungeons covered in cobwebs with various torture instruments caked in old dried blood. There were some statues of black and white marble in the shape of crows, owls, foxes, snakes, spiders, and other animals associated with trickery and magic.


    Chewing on your bottom lip, you held your satchel closer to you. Your heart drummed in your chest like a frightened bird, a cold sweat clung to your back. You took another hesitant step into the gallery, and the doors behind you slammed closed.


    "No, no, no!" You yelled and jiggled the knob, but it remained firmly locked. You squeezed your eyes and let out a scream of frustration from your throat.


    Damn it, of course it had to do that!


    You took a moment to calm your frayed nerves down, turning around and braced yourself for whatever horrors that may be lurking. No way but forward. Either find the key or a way out of this gallery before something else happens.


    As you hurriedly walked, you noticed a large and detailed painting featuring a handsome man lying down on a stone and wearing only a white loincloth being impaled through the stomach by a trio of black-cloaked angels wielding spears. His body was contorted into a rather sensual pose and his face was a cross between ecstasy and agony. The man''s dark eyes were rolled back with his mouth partially open as blood trickled down from the side and the stark lighting highlighted his bare, muscled chest.


    What a charming painting. You grimaced and turned away from the artwork.


    The further you walked, the stronger your dread grew tenfold and the disquieting silence made it worse, making each echoing footstep sound deafening. It felt as if your feet were made of blocks of ice; each step was agonizingly slow as you half-expected something to attack you. Your skin had broken out into small bumps, even the slightest brush of your clothes was unbearably uncomfortable. The gallery seemed to stretch on for miles, the artwork became more sinister the further you walked. Almost as if they were alive. You looked over your shoulder to see an alabaster statue of Corvin with its head turned towards you and wearing a devilish expression with an impossibly wide grin.


    I-I could have sworn it wasn''t looking this way! You shivered, your heart felt like it was going to burst from terror. The palm of your hands was drenched with sweat, making it difficult to hold onto your knife. Keep moving. Don''t look over your shoulder. Just continue on.


    You wiped the sweat from your palms with the side of your jeans. Your heart thrummed in your chest, each beat was unbearably loud in your ears. The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped, causing tiny bumps on your arms despite your heavy jacket. A cold drop of sweat rolled down your chin. Your breath came out in short, labored pants. The sound of chuckling came from behind you.


    Reeling around, you held your knife in front of you and darted your eyes across the gallery. The air was thick and cold; each breath you took felt like breathing in small, icy needles. You readied yourself for an attack but continued walking, holding your knife tighter.


    A few paintings from where you stood, you saw a portrait that had a key in his hand at the forefront. You smiled broadly and ran towards the canvas. Your relief was short-lived as you came closer and noticed that the painting only had the silhouette of a key.


    You stomped your foot in frustration and clenched your forehead with your hand. That little--! Of course he would hide it again!


    As you grumbled, the sound of scraping stone came from behind you.


    What was that!?


    Quickly turning around, you watched in horror as one of the statues began to move. First a little twitch in its fingers before it cracked its neck. The statue stretched out its fingers, testing out its heavy marble body before approaching you with a stiff gait and smile.


    "Hello (Y/N)," Corvin''s voice came out of the animated statue as it slightly bowed its head.


    You were too frozen with shock to respond. Your open mouth was quivering, trying to find what words to say to the being. You clenched the knife in your hand tighter. The pounding of your heart was nearly deafening as it took another step towards you.


    "Can you hear me?" The marble being tilted its head to one side.


    "Y-yes. What the hell is this!?" You shouted.


    "Any artwork bearing his resemblance are representatives of the mansion''s master; they do his bidding when he cannot be present for whatever reason." The statue explained.


    "Why isn''t he here when he was perfectly fine appearing out of nowhere to annoy me before!?" You demanded.


    "That we cannot tell you," the statue shook its head.


    Because he''s trying to find a new place for the key. You squeezed your eyes, trying to stifle back the scream in your throat.


    "I see," you grumbled.


    "He has summoned us-- well, rather animated us-- to see how you are and to ask you of your preferences."


    "Preferences?" You raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes, for the wedding ceremony." A painting said as the figure in it leaned back on the sofa within its frame.


    "Of course," you put a hand over your eyes, not bothering to suppress your groan anymore. You slowly put your hand down to see that the statue was waiting patiently for your answer with a pen and note in its hands.


    "Can you put that away?" You snarled, "I am not in the mood to answer any questions for this stupid wedding!"


    The statue nodded its head and put the pen and note aside on a nearby table as a Corvin wearing a heavy cloak with a spiderweb damask from the painting next to you leapt out from the frame. It looked at its arms before clenching its hands a few times, turning one of its arms a few times over before doing the same thing to the other one. It gingerly put a hand on your shoulder and gave you a stiff smile.


    "Please take a seat," he said and patted his hand on a chaise.


    You did as the painting told you and the room suddenly became chillier. You shivered as small bumps rose on your skin and wrapped your arms over yourself in a feeble effort to warm yourself. The statue attempted to take off the coat, only to realize that it was attached to its body.


    "Pardon that," it sheepishly said and looked away from you.


    The living painting shook its head and walked over to where you were. You flinched as it sat down on your left, the painted Corvin draped its dark silk cape over your shoulders.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Is that any better?" It asked.


    You nodded your head a bit and dropped your head. Exhaustion made every part of your body ached: from the soles of your feet to your throbbing finger tips. All of your limbs and joints felt heavy, as if they were made of solid metal.


    "Tired?" The painted fairy asked and put your head on its lap.


    "Yeah," you murmured. You were too weary to protest and let him run his lithe, pale fingers through your (H/C) hair. You closed your eyes and let out a small sigh.


    "From the game?" The living artwork continued.


    "Mhmm," you mumbled and buried your face further into the painting''s lap. You opened your eyes slightly to see it giving you a tranquil and soothing smile.


    "Poor thing," it said as it pulled a stray lock away from your face. "You deserve a bit of rest after all of that you''ve been through."


    You raised your head slightly to get a better look at it, only for the painting to gently push your head back down. You threw your arm over its lap and turned on your side.


    "Why not just marry him?" It asked and brushed a lock of hair out of your face.


    "Why should I?" You countered, your voice muffled by exhaustion and its lap.


    "A better question is why wouldn''t you?" The painting responded. "You wouldn''t have to worry about anything ever again. You won''t have to answer to anyone and you don''t have to worry about such silly things like bills nor deadlines. But most importantly, if you want something, he''ll provide it. He''d be a slave to you and your whims."


    You numbly nodded your head and pulled the cloak closer to you. Your exhaustion had almost completely numbed your mind and body. You wanted nothing more but to fall asleep in the fairy''s lap. Thoughts of never having to worry about paying your bills on time, budgeting, or putting up with annoying co-workers ever again played in your head. The thought of spending each day in luxury in a grand mansion with everything you could possibly want at your fingertips swam through your mind. The more you thought about it the stronger it became. You wanted it. You could almost feel it within reach, just barely grazing your fingers.


    "That sounds absolutely..."


    You stopped when the statue and painting was leaning in closer, its eyes almost seemed to glow with victory. You realized what Corvin was doing. This is was his way of trapping and making you lose. To wear you out and exhaust you until you couldn''t take it any more and give up.


    "...Awful." You spat out as shoved the painting away from you and stood up with your chest out. Your determined, (E/C) eyes glared into the cold, blank ones of the painted fairy.


    Every painting and statue went still. Their blank eyes were trained on you. A stifling, heavy tension filled the air. The lights began to flicker and a chorus of deafening screams filled the gallery.


    The nearest Corvin lunged out towards you. You screamed and jumped away from them. On the walls, the other painted Corvins leapt out from their confines or begun to drag themselves towards you with half their bodies out of the frames. All of the artworks'' eyes were completely black and their faces twisted with an unholy anger.


    You shrieked as one of the marble Corvins grabbed for your ankle. Swiftly bringing your foot up you stomped on the statue''s face. Pins of pain shot up your leg and you gasped before stomping into it once more. The nose broke off and the statue let go of you. You scrambled away from it as an ocean of portraits crawled after you. Not even ten steps in and one of the paintings made a grab for your wrist. You tripped over pedestal as they swiped at your legs. You gasped and struggled to stand up.


    This distraction allowed for a painting to charge into you. Before you could react, it grabbed your wrist tightly almost to the point of breaking the bones underneath. Its lips were twisted in a giant grin, revealing knife-like teeth.


    "No!" You cried out and tried to pull your arm away, only for it to tighten its grip and making you yell in pain.


    Your eyes were wide with horror as the painting slowly sank back into its canvas, pulling you towards it. The other artworks watched with anticipation and victory as your hand got closer towards the canvas. With a shaking hand, you grabbed the knife and stabbed the painting in time as your fingers nearly grazed the canvas.


    A sharp cry of pain came from the portrait before it let go of you. The surrounding art screamed in frustration and continued their chase. As a statue grabbed at you from the side, you quickly dodged its grasp and it collided into another-- shattering into rubble.


    Your legs felt like they were being stung by wasps as you ran. Each breath you took was painful, like you were inhaling nails. Your bleary eyes strained for the exit.


    Where is it!?


    You screamed as a statue grabbed for your wrist. You stumbled backwards, nearly falling into the arms of another behind you. The artwork was starting to close in on you. Their mouths were pulled into gaping black smiles and they let out a collective, chilling laugh. You threw the knife in the air, diverting their attention as you sprinted through the small gap. You felt their fingers pulling at your jacket and pants.


    By now, your head felt like it was filled with stones. The throbbing pain in your legs worsened with each step. Just as you were about to collapse, the doors came into view and you let out a small cry of joy. Biting back the discomfort, you ran faster towards the escape.


    You slammed the door open. The army of artwork let out a collective shrill, earsplitting scream like a plague of locusts as you shut the door closed on them with a grunt. Quickly, you barricaded the door with a table and chair and took a step back. Splinters of wood shot towards you as the artworks barged against the door.


    "(Y/N), let us in!" They screamed in a distorted voice. "Let us in right now!"


    You shrieked as a large splinter narrowly missed your shoulder. Peering from the jagged hole was countless pairs of soulless black eyes. Before you could run over to the exit, the barricade gave way and the first wave of Corvins came in. Their eyes were wild as they exposed grinning maws full of sharpened teeth.


    "It''s over now," the one at front cackled.


    You grabbed the candle from the pedestal in time for the nearest painting to leap at you. You struck the painting in the face with the lit candle. Its body erupted into flames and screamed in agony as it stumbled backwards, setting the other paintings on fire. Horrified screams ripped from them as they tried to scramble away from the raging inferno. The flames began to spread, licking away at its surroundings as a thick cloud of smoke filled the air. You coughed and crawled low to the ground as the artwork was distracted from the chaos.


    Your vision was getting hazy and was spotted by large, black dots. The smoke leeched away whatever little strength you had left in your weakened body. The fire was coming closer to you. Barely four feet away from your foot. It inched closer with each second.


    C-come on. You coughed as you struggled to stand up. You leaned against the exit''s door, each movement felt impossibly heavy and slow. You could barely see the outline of your hand. Hot sweat rolled down your face and made your shirt heavy and cling to your back. Your shaking hand reached for the doorknob.


    Little more....


    As the fire was about to lick the hem of your pants, you finally opened the door. You collapsed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind with your numb foot. Massive beads of sweat dripped down the side of your face as you stared at the the door in shock.


    I can''t believe it. You looked down at your quivering hands and let out a choked cry of relief. I''m still alive.


    You heard someone click their tongue in annoyance and you turned your head. Behind you, Corvin shook his head as he approached you with a look of disappointment on his face.


    "What a shame," he said and opened the door: revealing that the fire was now gone. The only things left behind were destroyed remnants of canvases and furniture smoldering with plumes of black smoke.


    "Some of them were commissions by my favorite artists," he lamented.


    "Maybe you should have thought of that before you sent them to attack me," you snapped, your voice trembling from exhaustion.


    "Fair enough," he said, "I can always get the artists to redo it."


    Corvin approached a burnt piece of canvas and gingerly picked it up. "Really is such a shame. I liked that portrait a lot. He really emphasized my best features: such as my eyes and cheekbones."


    You shakily stood up and brushed the front of your shirt, giving the fairy a withering glare. To which he responded with a barely noticeable but arrogant smirk. Before he could make another comment, you shoved your hands into his coat pockets and began to feel around for the key before moving onto his pants'' pockets.


    "Oh?" He tilted his head in curiosity with his half-lidded eyes twinkling.


    "Take off your hat. Now." You demanded.


    To your surprise, Corvin obliged and lowered his head towards you: revealing a full head of alabaster hair that shined radiantly in the light. Without the shadow of his hat, you saw that his eyelashes were long and black, and that his lash lines were rimmed with black kohl. You slowly ran your fingers through the silky, smooth locks. Carefully, you felt for the key through the thick strands of hair only to find nothing. You patted down his shoulders before moving down to his chest, patting that down as well only to feel nothing but the toned pectorals underneath his shirt.


    "Damn it," you huffed and adjusted your jacket.


    "My, if you wanted physical affection, you could have just said so," he snickered.


    You rolled your eyes, not having the energy to argue with Corvin any further and stormed away from him.


    "I wonder where you''ll head to next," he pondered and put a finger to his chin. "There''s so much left of this mansion to explore and you''ve only scratched the surface."