The rest of the carriage ride was awkward. Melissa tried to smile at Collin, hoping to ease the tension, but he pointedly looked away. She turned her attention to the questions she wanted to ask Eleonore Wilde. Should she be upfront about time travel? Or should she play along with the religious angle and ask how to stop the "demons" coming from the "gateway to hell" that Eleonore believed was in the woods near the theater? Her thoughts were interrupted as they crested a hill and a massive, creepy mansion came into view. Theresa had called it decrepit, but Melissa thought it was spectacular, straight out of a horror movie. Endless rows of red rose bushes lined the drive, and huge, dead trees. The gathering storm clouds and circling crows amplified the spooky atmosphere.

Collin glanced at Melissa, a flicker of fear in his eyes. "Let us obtain the information we require, and then I shall see you safely returned home. I shall engage Miss Wilde in conversation, and should she exhibit any peculiar behaviour, you are at liberty to pursue your own inquiries. You may tell her whatever you deem fit. I do not anticipate her claims being given any weight whatsoever by any rational individual."

Melissa nodded, and they walked toward the large, black wooden front door. As Collin reached for the knocker, he noticed a head of garlic hanging above it. He stopped, looking at Melissa puzzled.

She shrugged. "Maybe it's to repel vampires?"

Collin's puzzlement deepened. "What prompts you to make such a conjecture?"

"Isn't it common knowledge that vampires hate garlic?"

"I am inclined to disagree. Furthermore, I was under the impression that such entities were unknown in your world. How, then, are you acquainted with such matters?" A spark of curiosity lit Collin's eyes.

"We don't have real vampires," Melissa explained. "It's all from fantasy stories. So, it was just a guess. I have no idea as to why it is there otherwise." She shrugged again.

"Have you encountered any literary works in your time about these creatures?" Collin was quite taken aback.

"Countless," Melissa replied casually. "I've read so many vampire stories I could talk about ways to defeat them for days."

"You must tell the full extent of your knowledge to me before your departure!" A genuine smile, full of amused curiosity, briefly appeared on Collin's lips before he regained his composure and used the door knocker.

Collin barely had time to release the knocker before the door swung inward. A tall, gaunt woman with hollow eyes glared at them, her face set in a deep frown.

"Madam," Collin began smoothly, a polite smile on his face, "I trust you will pardon this intrusion. My name is Collin Harrington, and this is Miss Bennet. We have been caught in this most unfortunate weather and hoped to seek shelter."

Eleonore remained silent, her gaze fixed on them with undisguised hostility. After a long, tense pause, she began to growl, uttering unintelligible sounds. Collin and Melissa exchanged a look of bewilderment. Eleonore seemed far more weird than they had anticipated.

When her strange noises stopped, Collin tried again. "We beg your pardon, Madam, if we have startled you. We assure you we have no intention of causing any distress."

Eleonore simply stood there, continuing to stare at them. A wave of panic began to take over Melissa. It seemed they would get nothing from this encounter. She decided to try a direct approach. "I am Miss Bennet," she said. "What should we call you?"

Eleonore's expression shifted from anger to suspicion as she finally spoke coherent words."Eleonore Wilde," she stated, her voice flat.

Collin and Melissa both breathed a sigh of relief. She was still present, at least somewhat. They began to ask further questions, but Eleonore remained stubbornly silent. After a barrage of unanswered questions, she suddenly yelled, "Get out!"

As she attempted to slam the door shut, Melissa stopped it with her foot. "We're sorry if we're interrupting something," she said. "If you let us in, you won't even know we're here. Besides, those clouds look like it's about to pour."

Seeing this, Eleonore stepped outside, snatched something from the ground, and screamed, "Get out!" once more. She then charged at Melissa. Collin, reacting quickly, placed his hands in front of Eleonore to stop her. In response, she stabbed his hand with the object she had picked up. Collin cried out in pain. Melissa, turning to Eleonore in frustration, exclaimed, "You—! Why did you do that?"

Melissa stared at Collin’s hand. It was a large, rusted nail. As he pulled it out, blood gushed, and Melissa, fighting back nausea, exclaimed, “Forget it, let’s go. She’s completely mad.”

Eleonore retreated inside, leaving only a narrow crack in the door. "You Darcy and your Elisabeth Bennet!" she shouted. "Get off my property!"

Melissa's eyes widened. "What did you say?" she demanded, turning back to the sliver of open door. "Mr. Darcy and Elisabeth Bennet? How do you know Pride and Prejudice? Jane Austen didn't write it here, not in this timeline. Unless…" Melissa pointed a finger at the door. "You're a time traveler, too, aren't you?"

A visible tremor of fear crossed Eleonore’s face before she slammed the door shut.

Melissa’s discovery was quickly overshadowed by the severity of Collin’s wound. She tore off her scarf and wrapped it tightly around his hand to stop the bleeding. Moments later, heavy rain began to fall. Collin, despite his pain, knew they had to get home. They made it halfway before the rain turned into a full-blown storm, complete with hail. They were forced to seek shelter at a nearby pub. Soaked and shivering, they made straight for the fireplace.

"I’m so sorry, Collin," Melissa said, rubbing her numb hands together. "That wound looks awful."

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

"I am most grateful that you were not harmed, Melissa," Collin replied, managing a reassuring smile despite his obvious discomfort. "This minor injury is of little consequence. I have faced far greater perils. Truly, it is of no concern." He paused. "I am, however, curious as to why you believe Eleonore Wilde is also a traveler through time."

"She called you Mr. Darcy, and me Elisabeth Bennet," Melissa explained. "We've already established that Jane Austen didn't write Pride and Prejudice in this world, universe, or whatever this is. The only way Eleonore could know those characters is if she'd read the book—and that book doesn't exist here. So, the obvious conclusion is that she's a time traveler, just like me." Melissa shrugged. "Or she could have met someone who had the book, I guess. But even then, she'd have to know about time travel. And then there's her reaction when I asked her about it—pure, unadulterated fear. It makes me think I'm right. Which means she must know something. But how do we get her to talk?" Melissa gestured toward Collin’s injured hand. "She’s clearly dangerous.”

"If she truly has traveled through time," his voice filled with empathy, "it would explain the skepticism she has undoubtedly faced. Imagine, Melissa, the loneliness, the isolation, of having one's experiences dismissed as… delusions. One could scarcely blame her for questioning her own sanity."

"I feel sorry for her," Melissa said, "and I can only imagine what she’s been through. But trying to stab me, and then actually stabbing you—that's where I draw the line," she added, her voice hardening. "Just because someone's been treated badly doesn't give them a free pass to do whatever they want."

"We must use our combined wits to extract the information we need," Collin said, trying to steer the conversation back to their objective. "Given her knowledge of your world's literature, and her attempts to burn the woods near the theater—believing it to be a portal—she clearly possesses information of vital importance."

"Wait!" Melissa exclaimed, a smile dawning on her face. "Wasn't she in a mental institution? They might have records… maybe even a journal of her 'delusions'," she added, making air quotes around the last word.

"Brilliant!" Collin replied. "Our next step, then, is to ascertain which institution confined her. From there, we can attempt to discover the identity of her physician and, shall we say, acquire her medical records."

Melissa pumped her fist in the air. "Yes! Let's steal whatever we can find! I can't wait to get my hands on those records!"

Their conversation was interrupted by a strange man in a worn brown coat. "Mr. Collin!" he exclaimed, his face full of anger. "I thought you were avoiding me! Every time I call at your residence, your housekeeper informs me you are 'not at home.' Where have you been hiding?"

Collin looked taken aback. He cleared his throat. "Nay, I have not been skulking from you. Not at all. I have been entertaining a guest, Miss Bennet," he said, gesturing towards Melissa. "Who, I might add, has journeyed a considerable distance to favor me with her company."

The man ignored Collin’s explanation. "Don't lie to me," he pressed. "I heard you held a ball at your house, and all the elites were invited—both the… unsavory and the human. Yet, I received no invitation." He paused to light a cigar, took a puff, and then added, "Are you changing sides? You can't do that. I won't let you. Let's see how friendly they are when I tell them what we do to their kind."

Collin's face now flushed with anxiety and he tried to shush the man. He leaned closer and whispered urgently, "Pray, keep your voice down! I have… proposed to Miss Bennet. And, as is customary, a small dinner was arranged. That is all."

"Prove it, then," the man snarled. "Prove your loyalty. I have intelligence that Duke Ensworth is holding a ball in two days, and I'd wager my life his bloodsucker guests will have a private feeding afterwards. I want you to get us invited, find out where they plan to take their victims, so we can put a stop to it and save those poor souls."

Collin nodded, his voice low. "Very well. I shall take the necessary steps. They shall not escape the consequences of their actions."

The man smirked, tipped his hat, and walked away.

"Who was that?" Melissa asked.

Collin sighed. "Not the sort of fellow one wishes to encounter, especially when one is trying to ensure a lady's safe return to her own time. I fear this may complicate matters. I had hoped to see you on your way home without this… interruption."

"What's his name? What does he do?" Melissa persisted.

"That, Melissa, was Mr. James Miller," Collin explained, frustration evident in his voice. "He directs the affairs of the undead hunting society to which I belong. He is a man of singular focus, not easily deterred. You find Miss Wilde's temperament peculiar? She is a model of equanimity compared to Mr. Miller."

"What if we go to Duke Ensworth's ball?" Melissa suggested, her eyes lighting up. "We could get the information Miller wants and find out about Eleonore—like, which mental institution she was in?"

"We?" Collin shook his head. "Good heavens, no! I shall arrange for Mr. Miller and myself to attend, but you must remain behind. It is far too hazardous. Should we fall into the hands of these creatures, they would likely administer their own justice. We must concentrate on the information I require, and I shall endeavor to obtain it."

"No," Melissa said firmly. "I'm going. I can't just sit around and wait, leaving everything to chance. Time is running out, and it's not in our favor."

"If circumstances were different, Melissa, your presence would be a delight.," Collin said, trying to reason with her. "But this is a unique undertaking. I can arrange for us to attend another gathering where we can collect the information we need. However, in this instance, we are bound to follow Mr. Miller's directives. He is, I fear, quite reckless. I sometimes suspect he courts death. I confess, I rue the day I met him. He is utterly rash. I can expose myself to such danger, but I cannot allow you to do so."

"I understand your concerns," Melissa said, "but I'm coming with you. I don’t have the luxury to waste time. We know next to nothing about this Maze. This is a lead, and we have to follow it, no matter how dangerous. Besides," she added, "if you're caught, I'm as good as dead anyway. I'm relying on you completely, so I'm going to do everything I can to help." She set her foot down firmly.

Collin covered his face with his hands, a gesture of defeat. "You are quite determined, I perceive. I could never forgive myself if any harm were to befall you. I cannot permit you to place yourself in such jeopardy. I implore you, wait on this occasion. I give you my word, I shall afford you another opportunity to pursue this lead. Do not, I beg you, compel me to bring you with me."

Melissa gave him a small smile and gently brushed his unruly brown curls that fell on his eyes. "I appreciate your protectiveness," she said, "but I'm willing to take the risk, whatever comes with it. I'm going, and that's not negotiable."

Collin gave a faint smile and shook his head. "By Jove, this is a fool's errand." He paused. "We must proceed with the utmost care, lest it end in utter catastrophe."

"Of course," Melissa replied. "We have, what, two days? We'll concoct the most brilliant plan the world has ever seen. I know a million and one ways to deal with vampires—or have you forgotten?" She grinned mischievously and raised an eyebrow.

Collin took a deep breath. "That is most welcome news, and I am astonished we did not address it sooner." He paused, then added, "I confess, I found your despair unsettling, but this renewed optimism is, in some ways, even more concerning. Melissa, you are quite reckless."

She nodded. "You think Eleonore Wilde or Mr. Miller is crazy? Just wait till you get to know me." She laughed, and Collin joined in, not because it was particularly funny, but because they both knew the magnitude of the task ahead, and laughter was the only thing they had now.