Rhea's eyes snapped open.
The room was silent, but it didn't feel like it belonged to the present.
Shadows crawled along the walls.
The golden mark on her wrist throbbed, each pulse sending ripples through her mind.
"Adrian…" she whispered shakily.
He was kneeling beside her, eyes scanning every corner.
"Stay close to me," he said softly.
"Stage Two has begun. This is when the mansion reaches inside your mind. Do not let it overwhelm you."
Before she could respond, a cold wind circled the room.
Rhea's vision blurred, and suddenly she was no longer in the bedroom.
She was standing in a long hallway—dark, silent, and lined with portraits.
But these portraits moved.
Women stared back at her, eyes wide, mouths frozen in silent screams.
Each one was a bride.
She staggered.
"Adrian… Where am I?"
"You're inside it," he said gravely.
"Inside the mansion's memory. Stage Two lets it show you the past. The previous brides… everything they endured. Everything they lost."
Rhea's chest tightened.
A soft voice whispered, echoing from every direction:
"Help… me…"
The shadows in the hallway shifted, forming figures—women in tattered dresses, eyes hollow with despair.
Rhea stumbled, her hand on the glowing mark.
"Why… why are they here?"
Adrian's voice was close and firm.
"They're trapped in the mansion's curse. Lilith cursed not only me… but every woman who came after her. Stage Two lets you see what they felt—so you understand the stakes."
Rhea swallowed hard.
The portraits shifted again, and one caught her eye—a woman who looked terrified yet defiant.
"That's… the second bride?" she whispered.
"Yes," Adrian said softly.
"She tried to fight, but she was too weak. The mansion… consumes those it can't protect. The first bride became part of it. The others…" He shook his head.
"Vanished from the world… but never from the mansion."
Rhea felt a shiver run down her spine.
"They're all… still here?"
"Yes. Watching. Waiting. Warning."
Suddenly, one of the shadow-brides reached toward Rhea.
Her hand brushed Rhea's cheek—cold as ice.
Rhea gasped, stumbling back.
"I… I can feel them! Their fear… their pain!"
Adrian grabbed her arm.
"Focus, Rhea. You need to stay grounded. You cannot let the mansion pull you in. The stronger your will, the stronger you resist Stage Two."
Rhea nodded, gripping his hand tightly.
"I… I think I understand now. Lilith… she wasn't just jealous. She wanted power. The mansion's power. And she enslaved all the brides to keep it for herself."
Adrian's expression darkened.
"Yes. And Stage Two shows you that history so you realize what happens if we fail."
The hallway shifted again.
Rhea's legs trembled.
A whisper floated through the air, unmistakable:
"You could be next…"
Rhea's heart slammed in her chest.
"No… I won't let her win," she said, her voice firmer than she felt.
Adrian's hand closed over hers, warmth grounding her.
"You won't. That mark on your wrist—it's the mansion acknowledging your strength. Stage Two is the test. If you survive it… Stage Three will be your choice."
Rhea's eyes narrowed.
"Choice?"
Adrian's gaze softened, though his jaw remained tense.
"Yes. The mansion doesn't fully claim its chosen until Stage Three. You have power too. If you endure Stage Two, you gain a chance to confront Lilith… and the mansion itself."
Rhea exhaled, determination blooming through her fear.
"I won't fail."
Adrian's eyes softened with pride and something deeper.
"You never have."
Suddenly, a shadow loomed closer—a swirl of black mist, cold, sharp, and whispering threats.
Rhea tightened her grip on Adrian.
"I'm ready."
The mansion seemed to shift, walls bending and twisting as if alive.
Stage Two had begun in earnest—and there was no turning back.
Lilith's laughter echoed faintly, almost behind every corner:
"We'll see, little bride… if you're strong enough to survive me."