“Ms. Alis.”

She blinked at the haunting image staring at her in the window.

A man, just twenty-five, with black hair tied into a ponytail. It was a fitting style for his old but elegant looking Gothic attire.

“Sorry I startled you. I came to assist with the door.”

She cracked the window with a trembling hand.

“It’s fine, really. I was deep in thought and not paying attention.”

“Shall I get the door for you?”

He reaches out, showing the car door.

“I can get it. Thank you, though.”

He moves back for her to exit.

Now calmer, she stepped out of the car and shuts the door.

“And you are?”

He takes a stance and gives a deep, old-worldly bow.

“Sorry, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Viktor. Viktor Frankenstein. I am the caretaker here, with my assistant, Igor.”

He tilted his head, arching an eyebrow at her.

“You are Alis Essex, I presume?”

She squinted back at him slightly, both curious and defensive.

“Yes, that’s right. But how would you know that?”

“Ah. Yes, well. It’s so secluded here. We try to stay up to date on the latest happenings around town. The carrier mentioned you inquired about the place while delivering the newspaper here. It’s an easy deduction when no one ever comes here outside their required routes.”

That made sense. Her visit to the estate seemed to bother the locals. Everyone she talked to either suggested she leave it alone or misled her, leaving her lost for hours. A stigma and reputation definitely surrounded this place.

She tucked the envelope away into her purse and pulled it over her shoulder.

“Well, yes. My name is Alis. According to the deed left by my recent grandmother, I’ve inherited this place. I came personally to see if I should sell the property or keep it.”

His eyes darkened at the mention of the deed.

“You have… the deed.”

There was a shift in his tone. Something almost sinister. Somewhere between excitement and fear.

“Oh my, now that is certainly interesting. Can I see… this deed?”

She clutched her purse a little tighter, still unsure of the peculiar man.

“Ma-maybe later. I’d like to see the estate, if you wouldn’t care to give a lady a tour?”

His demeanor changed in an instant, becoming more elegant and noble. The shift unsettled her, reminding her of the infamous Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde case.

“But of course, this way, madam.”

He gave a slight bow, motioning the way with his hands.

They walked the grounds in silence for a minute before coming to the front entrance. It was a true to name gothic mansion. Three stories tall and at least three sections she could see, forming half a square. Light purple trimming adorned the black outer walls of the building, with the main entrance positioned at the center of the space formed by the square shape of the building. Four massive black marble pillars framed the portico entrance. It wasn’t rundown at all. More like someone had just built it. The estate was beautiful, unique, and elegant.

They ascended the black marble steps towards the front door. When they reached the main entrance, Viktor reached for the door but stopped short, turning to Alis.

“Ms. Alis, I must ask. Do you believe in the unexplained phenomenon most refer to as the paranormal?”

She wanted to brush off the ludicrous and irrelevant question, but something caused her to stop. Something innate, akin to intuition. Instinct.

“I stopped believing in fairy tails when I became an adult, Mr. Frankenstein.”

He gave her a polite nod.

“Please, call me Viktor.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Alis clears her throat.

“Okay then, Viktor. No, I don’t. I believe everything has a scientific and logical explanation. It’s okay if we lack knowledge about the how or why of something happening presently. Eventually, science will explain. It always has, and it always will.”

He reached into his pocket to retrieve a matching key to Alis’s own.

“As a man of science myself, I agree one-hundred percent. The unexplained is simply something beyond our current means of understanding. As the adage goes, once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be true.”

Viktor turns back and inserts the key, unlocking the door.

“Brace yourself, Alis. Falling into this rabbit hole means no return. This wonderland is dark and full of terrors. Are you sure about this?”

Alis just stared at him a moment, bewildered. She couldn’t decide if he was serious or just being theatrical. Regardless, this eccentric man wouldn’t drive her away. Especially considering all the effort she put into coming here.

“I don’t know what you’re getting at Viktor, but yes. I am sure I’d like to check the estates condition. If you don’t mind, can we proceed?”

She was getting impatient and motioned toward the door.

A dark, knowing grin that sent shivers down her spine crossed his face.

“As you wish, Ms. Alis.”

With extreme force and flair, he threw open the large double doors of the entrance and stepped inside.

As he entered the main lobby, he reached his arms out in front of himself, palms up.

“Igor, my things.”

A smaller man near the entrance reached toward the ceiling, fingers splayed as if gripping something.

“Yes, master.”

Sickly green flames erupted around the man’s hands. A black top hat and matching cane dropped neatly into Viktors’ hands as he entered.

Alis rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

“What? What was that?”

The awe in her voice pulled a smug grin from somewhere deep within him.

“Well, it’s a little complicated. Basically, in a nutshell. All things are filled with flowing energy. We call it Aeth. It’s an amazing energy capable of miraculous things, making the impossible possible.”

“An energy? Like a natural energy? You’re joking, right? If true, why isn’t this common knowledge taught in schools?”

“Oh, but it is common knowledge, my dear. Most people simply refer to it by its ancient name, Magick, and call it myth.”

This was an amusing revelation to her. That couldn’t possibly be true. Can the world be unaware of magic? It’d be an impossible feat to cover up such knowledge.

“Viktor, I’m not gullible. There’s no way Magick could exist. There is no way to hide it. Too big a world, too many variables.”

She flashed a teasing smile at him.

“This is just a parlor trick. Where are the wires and flashy lights? In fact, if it’s real, do something more amazing. I must see the undeniable proof myself.”

Still skeptical, she gave the lobby a quick scan as he explained.

“Channeling the energy takes a toll on the wielder’s body, or I’d be happy to. Igor and I are new to manipulating Aeth ourselves. We’ve been doing this song and dance as a part of our study of Aeth. I’m afraid we’re both at our limit for the day.”

Almost imperceptibly, she slouched in defeat. Noticing the disappointment clearly on her face, he continued.

“That said, I don’t mind giving you a better demonstration tomorrow. I’ll take you to my research lab first if you’d like to see the research I’ve been conducting on it. We can proceed to the remaining estate after.”

Her eyes lit up at seeing research on it. She still didn’t think she believed it was magick, but that he will show her his research meant it was something new and exciting.

“Sorry, my inner nerd showing, isn’t it? “

He grinned and signaled for them to follow, leading them deeper into the manor.

“We’ve learned that to channel Aeth, you need to focus your will into it. Aeth holds all knowledge, past, present, and future. Aeth, like energy, is indestructible but can undergo transformations. Aeth flows through all things. Like the god molecule, it binds the very fabric of reality together. When you focus your intent on the Aeth, your resolve flows through it into your surroundings. Aeth control is a battle of wills, yours versus the Aeth stream. Win the tug of war and you can manifest your will and shape the Aeth into anything you wish.”

He lead them down a maze of hallways as they chatted. The place seemed bigger inside than outside. They passed many doors. She questioned whether this was an estate or a hotel for the privileged. Eventually, they reached a large circular lounge area connecting two hallways. Opposite the hall entrances, large windows ran the length of the wall in a curve around the circular room. She had never seen exotic flora like the ones decorating the lounge area. Curiosity got the best of her as she reached out to touch one.

“Don’t! Touch. That.”

Viktor approached her like a stern parent. Understanding her curiosity, he was a little annoyed at her lack of impulse control.

“This beautiful specimen is ‘erodus carnivorous’ I named it myself.”

He wasn’t wrong. It was a beautiful flower resembling a rose. Thorns lined the stem, but the petals were a dark purple, like lavender. The center of the flower oozed a dark crimson liquid that dripped off the petals.

Viktor leaned in close to her.

“In my search for answers to the grand question, I’ve studied every form of life on this planet.”

“What question?”

She asked, partly curious, still captivated by the plant’s unique beauty.

“Life, darling. What is life? A series of biological chemical reactions and nothing more? What makes humans superior to other animals on Earth?”

He grabbed her hand as she reached for the blood of the plant, turning her around with force. He gazed at her dilated pupils for a moment, then snapped his fingers centimeters from her eyes.

As if awakening from a daze, she shakes her head.

“What… What was that?”

“Erodus Carnivorous, love. A plant I carefully cultivated through selective cross breeding and genetic engineering. By crossing various poisons with various forms of life, I created this beautiful but deadly little chaos gremlin. She’s a plant, yet holds sentience. I know not why, nor how. An intriguing conundrum I’ve been working to understand.”

He gives the plant a hard look.

“I only know that she’s caused the deaths of thirteen assistants, five pet dogs, three cats, and at least one fish. Come now, before she bewitches you again.”

As they turn to leave, a ghostly whisper catches her attention.

“Come, my sweet. Taste the nectar of life everlasting.”

She turns back to the plant but speaks to Viktor.

“Who said that? Who else is here?”

Quizzically, he arches a brow.

“Are you okay? We’re alone, no one spoke.”

He points at Igor, who’s been lurking int he shadows behind them.

She eyeballs the odd plant from afar.

It couldn’t have… could it? She thought it over for a moment.

Suddenly, the world around her spun into a tunnel vision. The plant grew larger at the end of the tunnel. Sharp teeth appeared at the center, dripping blood red saliva. A compulsion to walk toward the plant again hit her like a truck. Her legs moved forward, slow and steady.

Good. Good. A soft, motherly voice whispered. Give in to sleep. Rest. Teehee!