The following day, as Nyx passed through a doorway, she unexpectedly crossed paths with Thomas. Once again, Nyx chose to show kindness and allowed him to pass. Thomas again appeared taken aback by this act and departed without uttering a single word. Nyx pondered whether her efforts were worthwhile, but decided to exercise patience and wait.

Later, during dinner, a hushed conversation ensued between Dr. Jenkins, Mr. Charles, and Penelope, causing the latter two to visibly panic. "What? Are you certain!?" Penelope whispered urgently, her voice filled with concern. Dr. Jenkins nodded gravely, his expression reflecting deep worry.

Observing their reactions, Nyx couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with the locked room. Perhaps Ann had done something to the room. Nyx glanced at Ann, who avoided making direct eye contact with Dr. Jenkins. What could Ann have done? Nyx's mind swirled with questions.

Lost in her thoughts, Nyx retired to bed, contemplating the potential actions of Ann. Sleep eventually overcame her as she drifted off, unaware of the secrets that enveloped the household.

Nyx had a peculiar dream. She envisioned Thomas riding atop a magnificent creature that possessed a golden horse body, a lion's head, and dragon wings. Thomas affectionately named it the Golden Lion, and in his hands, he held a delectable apple pie. They soared through the air above a mystical purple river, encompassed by towering blue mountains and a sky painted in vibrant shades of green. Nyx's dream abruptly ended as she awoke, only to see the glowing yellow apparition of Seraphina floating before her. However, this time, Nyx felt no fear in her presence.

"Seraphina?" Nyx began eagerly. "Please, tell me, is Thomas truly your son?"

Seraphina smiled and slowly nodded her head twice before vanishing into thin air.

"Wait!" Nyx called out, peering into the now empty darkness of the room. She longed to ask more questions, to seek further information. Nyx interpreted Seraphina's nods as an affirmative response. It seemed increasingly clear that Thomas was indeed Seraphina's real son, and her Aunt Penelope was concealing this truth from her.

Nyx contemplated whether she should tell her Aunt about it, but another question lingered in her mind: Did Thomas know about his true parentage? Nyx made up her mind to speak to Thomas.

The next day, Nyx sought out Thomas in the garden. "Thomas," she called out, and he regarded her with suspicion. "What do you want?" he asked curtly.

Nyx gathered her courage, trying to sound earnest. "Do you know... who your real mother is?" she inquired, hoping not to be dismissed as a joke.

"What kind of joke is this?" Thomas scoffed, turning to walk away.

"Thomas, please wait." Nyx hurriedly positioned herself in front of him. "Is Aunt Penelope your real mother?"

"Move out of my way, girl," Thomas demanded, attempting to brush past her.

Determined, Nyx stepped in front of him once again. "Thomas, I implore you, please listen. I'm not joking. Just answer me. Is Aunt Penelope your real mother?"

Thomas's anger flared, and for a moment, it seemed as though he might strike Nyx. Steeling herself, she braced for whatever was to come. However, after a pause, Thomas took a deep breath and regained his composure.

"Yes, she is my real mother. Are you trying to say otherwise?" he replied, his tone laced with skepticism.

Nyx was astonished by Thomas's unexpected calmness. "Do you know Seraphina Frost?" she pressed on.

"The old maid? Why?" Thomas questioned, a hint of skepticism in his voice. "Are you saying that she is my real mother?" He let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Yes," Nyx exclaimed, her voice filled with conviction. "The ghost of Seraphina came to me and told me so."

"A ghost?" Thomas rolled his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief and walked away. "I knew this was a joke. Get out of my way."

Regretting the mention of ghosts, Nyx frantically searched for something that would make Thomas listen to her. Then, she remembered the peculiar dream.

"Today, I had a dream about you riding a creature called the Golden Lion," Nyx called out to Thomas.

Thomas froze in his tracks, his gaze fixated on Nyx. "What?!" he exclaimed, taken aback.

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"I said," Nyx continued. "In my dream, you were riding a creature, with the body of a horse, the head of a lion, and dragon wings."

"How do you... How do you know?" Thomas stammered, his expression filled with terror. "That's my private imagination. I never shared it or wrote it down."

Nyx realized that the strange dream had been implanted in her mind by Seraphina, representing Thomas's own imaginings.

"Thomas," Nyx tried to convince him, "It's because your real mother, Seraphina, put your imagination into my mind."

"No, no, this must be some kind of trick," Thomas protested, his voice trembling.

"Oh, really?" Nyx retorted. "Your favorite food is apple pie, and your imagined world includes a green sky, blue mountains, and a purple river."

Thomas grew increasingly frightened. "W-What else do you know about me?" he demanded.

Nyx observed Thomas's fear and couldn't help but find it slightly amusing. She pondered for a moment, recalling another piece of information about him.

"You were born on the 17th of February 1873," Nyx revealed.

"Get out of my way, witch!" Thomas exclaimed, running away in terror.

As Nyx watched Thomas flee, faint laughter escaped her lips. However, she couldn't help but wonder about the consequences of her revelations. As she turned her head, she noticed that Ann had been silently observing the entire exchange.

Nyx decided to muster up the courage to tell her aunt about the ghost.

"Nyx!" Penelope exclaimed angrily. "What in hell's name are you talking about?"

"Auntie, please," Nyx pleaded, trying to avoid angering her further. "You have to believe me. I saw the ghost of Seraphina, and she told me that Thomas is her son."

"Are you suggesting that I am lying, Nyx?" Penelope's face turned stern, sending shivers down Nyx's spine. It was the first time she had seen her aunt so mad.

Nyx couldn't bring herself to call her aunt a liar, so she remained silent, unable to utter a single word.

Penelope eventually calmed down. "Nyx, I think you're hallucinating. Please refrain from such fantasies, okay?"

Nyx disliked being accused of hallucinating. She was certain that what she saw was real. "No," Nyx insisted. "I wasn't hallucinating. I saw the ghost, and that ghost was the old maid, Seraphina..."

"NYX, PLEASE STOP TALKING!" Penelope's scream silenced Nyx immediately.

Nyx stood still freezing not saying anything.

After a pause, Penelope composed herself. "Nyx, let's forget about what we've said, okay? Let's do something together, you and I."

Nyx couldn't shake the feeling of hiding the truth, but she didn't want to upset her aunt either. "Fine," Nyx replied calmly.

"How about we decorate the garden together?" Penelope suggested.

Nyx and Penelope spent their days decorating the garden with the maids. Despite the apparent peace, Nyx couldn't shake the unease in her heart.

One day, Nyx noticed that Ann appeared exhausted and in poor health. It had been days since Nyx had spoken to her. Concerned, Nyx approached Ann and asked about her well-being. Ann dismissed Nyx's worry, claiming that she was fine. However, the other maids whispered among themselves, expressing concern that Ann seemed to be eating very little or perhaps not eating at all. Ann insisted that she was eating, albeit in small portions. Nyx couldn't help but feel a growing sense of fear about the unsettling occurrences within the mansion.

Penelope occasionally took Nyx for walks and chats around the mansion and garden. These moments provided a temporary respite, but Nyx couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

With only 12 days remaining before Nyx had to leave the mansion, Nyx expressed her desire to visit the nearby river with her aunt, Penelope. Penelope agreed to accompany her on the walk.

Two days later, the two of them ventured to the river alone on a warm day, reveling in the serene surroundings. They sat by the riverside, embracing the beauty of their surroundings, sitting on the soft grass and listening to the rustling of the wind through the trees. The mansion could be seen but at a distance away.

As Nyx started to calm down, an unexpected event shattered the tranquility. Suddenly, a man grabbed Nyx from behind, his grip tightening around her neck. Nyx struggled to break free, but the man brandished a knife, leaving her paralyzed with fear.

"NOO!" Penelope started screaming as she stood up

"Lower your voice!" the man hissed, his voice filled with menace. "Or I'll slit her throat."

Penelope pleaded, "Please, leave her alone. I'll do anything."

"Give me money, and I'll release her," the man replied, his tone oozing with wickedness.

"I-I'll fetch it right away," Penelope stammered, desperately trying to buy time.

"You mean to tell me you don't have any money on you?" the man laughed maniacally. "No, you're probably planning to inform the police. As punishment, I'll end this girl's life."

Nyx's eyes widened in sheer despair as her hope dwindled rapidly [https://img.wattpad.com/e78775c51bce0a62fa1d542c7835bd0bb0455aae/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3166386c5a7341445a6a616842673d3d2d313336303736313935352e313737316261663739613835623030323432333434333632343031342e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Nyx's eyes widened in sheer despair as her hope dwindled rapidly.

"What's wrong with you?" Penelope exclaimed. "I said I'll go get it! Why are you being so specific with your demands?"

"Shut up! I'm going to kill this girl," the man snarled with twisted delight.

Nyx couldn't believe that her life was about to come to a tragic end.

BOOOOM!

A deafening explosion shook the air, and the man dropped his knife, collapsing onto the ground. Nyx quickly scrambled away from him before he hit the floor. Looking around, she saw Ann, holding a musket rifle—the very same rifle that hung on one of the walls of the mansion. Smoke billowed from the barrel, and the rifle was pointed directly at the man.

Nyx felt immense gratitude that Ann had come to her rescue with the rifle, but the question was: how had Ann known they were being stalked by the man? The mansion was too far away for her to see or hear them, let alone retrieve the rifle in time to save them. Nyx wondered if Ann had been hiding in the trees, spying on them all along.