# The Mansion of Fire
## Episode 2 – Two Brothers, Two Games
*Narrated by Yasmin & Leyla*
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### Yasmin
I woke up to the sound of waves and whispers.
The ocean stretched endlessly from the balcony, glowing blue and dangerous. I wrapped myself in a silk robe and stepped outside. The morning air was warm and salty, but my heart felt tight.
Last night's meeting with the twins still echoed in my chest. Especially the way Alejandro had looked at me—like I was something valuable. Or breakable.
Down in the garden, I spotted movement.
Alejandro was shirtless, training with a wooden staff, sweat glistening on his back. Every move was controlled, precise… violent.
I should have looked away.
I didn't.
---
### Leyla
While Yasmin was probably staring at shirtless muscles, I had other plans.
I snuck down to the library. That's where the real secrets live. Books, records, maybe even that infamous will.
The mansion's library was massive—floor-to-ceiling shelves, spiral staircases, and a grand piano gathering dust. But I wasn't alone.
Rafael stood near the back, reading something in Spanish. His posture was rigid, eyes laser-sharp. When he saw me, he didn't look surprised.
"Curious girls get burned," he said.
"And silent boys get boring," I replied.
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Try not to get lost."
---
### Yasmin
At breakfast, the four of us sat at a long marble table like strangers.
Alejandro kept brushing his fingers against mine under the table. My pulse raced.
Rafael barely looked at Leyla. But when he did, it was always sharp, as if trying to solve a puzzle.
Camila served us papaya, croissants, and fresh mango juice like we were royalty—or prisoners.
"We'll show you the estate today," Alejandro said. "It's time you knew what you're part of."
"What *are* we part of?" I asked.
Rafael didn't answer.
Alejandro only smiled.
---
### Leyla
Later that day, I wandered off on my own. I needed to breathe.
That's when I found it.
A locked greenhouse behind the west wing. Covered in vines. Abandoned—or hidden. I tried the handle. No luck.
A voice behind me: "That door hasn't been opened in years."
I turned to find Rafael.
"Why?"
He stared at it like it held a ghost. "Because some things grow best in the dark."
---
### Yasmin
That night, I couldn't sleep.
I stood by the balcony, the moonlight painting everything silver. Below, I saw Alejandro again. This time fully dressed, pacing.
He looked up.
And didn't look away.
Later, he knocked on my door. I opened it without thinking.
"I wanted to say…" he hesitated, "you don't have to be afraid of me."
"I'm not afraid," I whispered.
He reached out and touched a strand of my hair. "You should be."
Then he was gone.
---
### Leyla
I returned to the greenhouse with a flashlight.
This time, I noticed a loose stone in the wall. I dug with my hands until my nails hurt.
There, buried beneath dirt and old roots, was a rusted iron key.
Heavy. Cold.
It felt like a warning.
Or an invitation.
---
### Yasmin
Camila found me in the hallway before dawn.
"You're waking early," she said.
"I couldn't sleep."
She smiled like a knife. "Sleep is for the innocent."
Before I could respond, she walked away, heels clicking down the marble.
---
### Leyla
In the library, I looked through family records.
There was something off about the De la Rosa tree. Entire branches were… missing. Like names had been deliberately removed.
Then I found a half-torn photo tucked inside a book. Two little girls. One had Yasmin's eyes. The other… looked like me.
But the back said: *Isabela & Ana.*
Not Yasmin. Not Leyla.
Who were they?
---
### Yasmin
That evening, Alejandro took me to the stables again.
"I'm not like Rafael," he said.
I nodded. "I know."
He placed his hand on my wrist. "And I didn't bring you here because of a will."
"Then why?"
He didn't answer immediately.
"Because this place changes people. I didn't want it to change you without a chance to understand what's coming."
"What *is* coming?"
He looked toward the mansion.
"Truth. And fire."
---
### What comes next...
*Some keys open doors.
Others open secrets buried in blood.*
**In Episode 3: A Fire Between Us**
Alejandro confesses a dangerous truth.
Leyla opens the greenhouse—and what she finds changes everything.