Ravenscroft Whispers: The Phantom Maze.

4. Into the abyss.

Fiona, suppressing her confusion and doubts about the mansion, reluctantly began her day. She changed into comfortable attire and made her way to the kitchen for breakfast. A simple glass of milk accompanied by a banana sufficed for her morning meal. With resolve, she decided to immerse herself in the day ahead. Carrying a book, she slipped earphones into her ears, the familiar tunes of Taylor Swift's "willow" creating a soothing ambiance. Romance novels were her solace, and she eagerly settled into a chair near her room's window to begin reading.

Hours passed unnoticed as she delved into her novel. Eventually, exhaustion weighed heavy on her eyelids, and her head began to throb. Fiona decided to steal a quick nap before tackling the monumental task of cleaning the sprawling mansion. The place was a grimy mess; nearly every nook and cranny was cloaked in dirt or some unknown substance. She set an alarm and flopped onto her bed, her favorite escape from the grim reality that surrounded her.

Exactly an hour later, her phone blared, rudely pulling her from her sleep. Groggily, she struggled to open her heavy eyelids, her vision still blurry as she groped for her phone. Finally, her fingers found it, and she quickly silenced the intrusive alarm. She sighed with reluctance, knowing that the day ahead held tasks she wasn't eager to face. After a slow and sleepy five minutes of contemplation, she resigned herself to the chores that awaited.

Her first daunting task was in the basement, where she needed to fetch the mop and cleaning supplies. The thought of descending into that dark abyss after the horrors of the previous night sent a shiver down her spine, but there was no escaping it. She cautiously made her way down the basement stairs, finding the atmosphere surprisingly calm compared to the night before. A faint, eerie light filtered through a grimy window, casting an unsettling yet oddly comforting glow.

Her gaze turned to the cupboard, the memory of the chilling apparition that had almost attacked her still fresh in her mind. Goosebumps prickled her skin as she recalled the horrifying sight, but she pushed the fear aside, focusing on her task. Atop the cupboard sat the mop and cleaning supplies. With determination, she dragged a nearby table and climbed onto it to reach for the needed items. As she reached out for the mop, her eyes inadvertently wandered to the back boundary wall of the mansion.

There, she spotted something chilling - Sebastian. He sat in an eerie and unnatural posture on that wall, staring at the mansion with a pale, emotionless face, as though he had emerged from the grave. Fiona snatched the mop and cleaning liquid quickly, anxious to return to the safety of the lobby and get a closer look at this enigmatic figure. She flung open a lobby window and peered at the wall. He remained there, his vacant gaze seemingly fixed on some abyss. However, the charming smile that had welcomed Fiona when they first met was conspicuously absent.

"Sebastian? What on earth is he doing there?" she murmured, her brow creasing in confusion and concern as she watched him. But before she could contemplate further, Sebastian's empty gaze, which had been locked onto nothingness, suddenly shifted to meet Fiona's brown eyes. It felt as though an invisible force emanated from his piercing green orbs, pushing her backward involuntarily.

A chill ran down her spine. What was this unsettling power behind his gaze? It was as though he were drawing her into something incomprehensible and profoundly terrifying.

She glanced around once more, but Sebastian had mysteriously vanished. Fiona's brow furrowed in puzzlement. She clutched the mop and cleaning supplies, making her way to the first room to commence her cleaning duties. However, her mind remained tangled in confusion over her recent encounter with Sebastian.

Upon opening the door, a grand, spacious room with green and white-themed wallpaper unfurled before her eyes. Dominating the room was a king-sized bed, and at the center of the front wall hung an eerie painting. It depicted a man, likely in his late thirties, slicing his own ear off. His other ear lay on the floor nearby, while his eyes appeared as black as night, as though he were possessed. Strangely, one of his hands was missing, and a child sat beside him, gnawing on the severed limb. The painting exuded a dreadful and unsettling aura that felt entirely out of place in a bedroom.