The mansion was no longer quiet.
As soon as Rhea and Adrian stepped out of the secret chamber, the walls trembled softly—like the house itself was holding its breath.
A cold wind swept through the corridor, snuffing out the candles one by one.
Lilith knew.
"She's restless," Adrian muttered, gripping Rhea's hand.
"Whatever we awakened… she felt it."
Rhea held the ancient book tight against her chest.
"We have to move fast. The ritual to weaken her needs preparation."
They hurried toward the library—the only room stable enough to handle the mansion's shifting energy.
But halfway down the hall, a whisper curled through the air.
"Rheaaa…"
Rhea froze.
The voice wasn't loud.
It was soft and intimate, as if Lilith stood inches behind her.
Adrian stepped in front of her instantly.
"Don't listen. She's trying to break your focus."
But the whisper came again, layered with a thousand faint echoes.
"You think they will help you?
They all failed… just like you will."
The lights flickered.
Suddenly, portraits lining the hall began bleeding black ink from their frames.
The ink dripped to the floor, pooling and spreading like living shadows.
Adrian pulled Rhea close.
"She's corrupting the hall. Run—now!"
They sprinted, shadows shaking and twitching around their feet.
A slender, skeleton hand emerged from the shadows and grabbed Rhea's ankle just as they were approaching the library entrance.
The book almost fell out of her hands as she tripped and gasped.
"Rhea!" Adrian grabbed her arm and pulled hard, but the shadow hand gripped tighter.
A voice hissed up from beneath the floor:
"Come back to me…
You belong with us…
With the forgotten brides…"
Rhea's mark burned suddenly—golden and fierce.
"Let go!" she shouted.
A sharp pulse of light burst from her wrist, searing the shadow hand until it screamed and dissolved back into the floor.
Adrian stared at her, breathless.
"Your mark… it reacted on its own."
Rhea steadied herself.
"The mansion is lending me strength. It knows Lilith is out of control."
They pushed open the heavy library doors.
The moment they entered, the atmosphere changed.
The air calmed.
The temperature rose.
The shelves stood tall and unmoving, protected by thick ancient wards.
Rhea spread the book on the center table.
Its pages fluttered by themselves, stopping at a section marked with a glowing rune.
Adrian leaned over it.
"This is the ritual."
Rhea nodded, reading aloud softly:
"To weaken the spirit of wrath,
The chosen bride must call forth
the echoes of those who came before."
She swallowed.
"Meaning… I have to summon the past brides."
Adrian stiffened.
"Is that safe?"
Rhea closed her eyes.
"I don't know. But it's the only way."
Before Adrian could protest, the candles around the room flared to life—bright, white, and steady.
A sign.
The mansion was ready.
Rhea took a deep breath and placed her palm on the glowing rune.
Her mark ignited in an instant, casting golden flames around her fingertips.
The atmosphere shook.
Near the distant wall, a gentle glimmer emerged.
then one more... and one more...
Delicate forms of ladies in airy robes started to take shape.
Their faces were blurred, but their presence was warm and protective.
Adrian's eyes widened.
"Those are—"
"Yes." Rhea whispered.
"The previous brides."
One of the glowing figures stepped forward.
Her voice was soft like wind through old curtains.
"Rhea… We've waited for you.
You are the first with the strength to finish what we could not."
Another added:
"Lilith grows desperate.
She fears you."
Rhea felt a strange calm settle in her chest.
"Tell me how to defeat her," she said softly.
"What do I have to do?"
As they moved in a circle around her, the ghosts' voices blended into a single, melodic whisper:
"You have to see her birthplace and final resting place.
The Forgotten Garden."
Rhea blinked.
"That place is sealed."
"Only you can enter," they said.
"The garden responds to the chosen bride alone."
Adrian stepped closer to Rhea, his jaw tight.
"If she goes, I'm going with her."
The spirits shook their heads gently.
"She must walk the path alone.
But you… will anchor her."
Rhea turned to Adrian, heart pounding.
"I need you," she whispered.
"If I go alone without you anchoring my spirit… I could get lost."
Adrian took her hands, his eyes burning with fierce determination.
"I'm with you. Always."
The candles flickered violently.
A sound—sharp, cracking—split through the mansion.
The floorboards trembled.
Lilith's voice shrieked through the walls, furious:
"NO!
YOU WILL NOT UNDO ME!"
The lights burst.
The spirits faded.
The library doors slammed shut.
And Rhea knew—
Lilith was coming, stronger than ever.
The final path had been revealed.
And there was no turning back.