It was already past midnight. It was quiet everywhere in the house, but I couldn't sleep. A whisper echoed beyond the walls, making the place feel like it was breathing. As three o'clock approached, my door slowly opened. The light fell like a thin line into the darkness. Jack Moreau stood in the doorway. He's wearing a black shirt, his collar undone.
There was something in his eyes; Something dark but careful. "You didn't sleep," he said. There was something in his voice as if he already understood me. "I'm in a place I don't know, with a man I don't know, how can I sleep?" I said. He took a step, then another. Slow but steady. My heart was beating faster with every step. Finally he stopped in front of me. There were only a few breaths left between us. "There are some rules here, Lina," he said in a low voice. "It's not your rules, it's mine." He looked into my eyes. "I determine when to speak, when to remain silent, where to go." His words echoed on the walls. I stepped back. "Are you threatening me?" He remained silent for a while, then approached. He held my arms with both hands; It was neither hurtful nor kind. Just tough. "This is not a threat," he said. "Real." My eyes locked on him. It was cold, but at the same time something was burning inside. The tension of a man trying to control himself. "I bought your life, Lina," he said in a low voice. "But not your soul. You will give it to me." I lost my breath. For a moment, only the sound of rain could be heard. "I had a life and you took it from me, know that I will never forgive you or my father, Mr. Moreau."
Jack's gaze wandered over my face for a moment, then he pulled back. Without losing contact, leaving only his gaze. "Be in the breakfast room tomorrow morning. Don't be late and don't raise your voice at me again," he said. He walked towards the door. As he was leaving, he turned once more. "Finally, never lock your door again." My knees were shaking when the door closed.
I didn't know if it was from fear or anger. But there was only one thing I was sure of: It seemed impossible to escape from that man. I stood there in the dark for a while. At that moment, I realized that I was truly alone for the first time since I came here, but even this loneliness did not belong to me. The walls, corridors, and even the silence of this house were under his control. Jack Moreau I sat down slowly on the bed. My hands still felt the weight of his touch; Instead of suppressing me, he held me down by dominating me.
It was as if he wanted to say "don't run away" without needing words. I looked at the ceiling. Shadows were moving. Or so I thought. Everything in this mansion seemed alive, even the objects seemed to be watching silently. When the wind slightly moved the curtain on the window, a chill spread through me. "Rules..." I whispered to myself. Such a simple word, but when it came out of his mouth it took on a deadly meaning. I couldn't sleep. As the first light of the morning began to filter into the room, my eyelids became heavy, but my mind was still awake. I told myself over and over: There must be a way out of here. A soft knock was heard on the door.
Before I had a chance to compose myself, a woman walked in. She was wearing a gray dress, almost black, and her face was expressionless. "Mr. Moreau is waiting for you in the breakfast room, Miss Lina," he said in an emotionless voice. I got up from the edge of the bed. I looked in the mirror; I had bruises under my eyes and my hair was messy. But the worst part... that anger in my eyes was still there. When I went down to the living room, every step of the wide stairs echoed. It was as if the ground didn't want to hear my voice.
I opened the door to the breakfast room. He was there. He was looking at a file with the sleeves of his black shirt rolled up to his elbows. When he noticed me, he looked up. "You're late." "It's not even eight o'clock yet," I said involuntarily. A spark lit up in his eyes. "At home, time is my own, Lina." I remained silent. I sat at the table, there were fruits elegantly arranged on the plate in front of me, but I had zero appetite. After taking a sip of his coffee, he looked at me. "I scared you last night, I know," he said with unexpected calmness. But the warmth in his voice concealed the storm hidden inside him. His words were like knives. At that moment, not a single word came out of the lump in my throat. "So I'm like an object, right?" Jack inclined his head slightly. "No. You are the price of a promise. But if you want... you can change that." "How?" His gaze was filled with darkness, but a strange sincerity shone through them. "If you give me your soul, you will gain your freedom." I couldn't breathe for a moment.
The meanings of the words echoed in my mind. Who was this man? Was he a businessman, or... something much darker than that? He pushed his chair back and came to me. He put his hand on the table, leaned down and whispered: "Stay with me and don't run away from me, Lina." I closed my eyes, my heart was beating like crazy. A voice inside me says run away, another says stay. There was also curiosity in my fear; The desire to open the dark curtain behind this man. Jack straightened. "Take a tour around today. Learn the boundaries of this house. But… don't go into the north corridor." "What's there?" I asked reluctantly. He smiled. A cold and sharp smile. "Answers to those who break the rules." Then he turned and left. When I looked from behind, I realized: The walls of this house were really breathing. And I was slowly getting trapped in the rhythm of that breath.