The night had passed slowly for them as they attempted to rest. Doubt began to plague Joshua like some gnawing beast. He knew now what soldiers and brave adventurers must feel when they are so far away from home. That comforting warm sensation of being with those that you loved was gone and replaced by an empty void. Even trying to remember some special moments with his family: the first kiss he had with his wife, the birth of their first son, even one of his wife’s home-cooked meals lingering on his tongue, all of it only made him miss home the more he thought of it. He could swear he could hear his wife’s laughter in the distance but knew that he must have been dreaming or imagining things.

However, when he awoke he could still hear her calling his name. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked around until he found the window. He looked throughout the town to find most of the lights were gone, and only stars shone brightly in the night. There was only one light in the city that continued to glow in the darkness. One light on one of the highest floors in Hawthorn house. Was that light always on? Was there always a silhouette of a person in that window looking down at the town? Who could say? Joshua was unnerved and went back to bed, now more homesick than he was moments ago.

Morning would come a few short hours later. They would all go downstairs and eat their breakfast. The Innkeeper and others who had come in to eat would quietly watch them eat. They knew in their hearts what was to come. It was as if they were watching prisoners eating their last meal before their execution. None of them would say a word though. What would be the point? All they could do for these poor fools were to pray to Aloheim to make their suffering short.

When the four decided to leave the Inn and head to Hawthorn house, the townsfolk watched them move with peering eyes and lingering stares. They felt unnerved by the stares. Illyana swallowed hard as she saw people staring at her, and turned their gazes away as soon as she laid eyes on them. Joshua wanted nothing more than to return home right then and there, but his brother continued to lead the group on, standing in front of even Ulysses, who himself organized this entire affair. Ulysses noticed this and saw how eager Jacob was to deal with this house. Once they had left the town proper and climbed up the road to Hawthorn house, Ulysses placed his hand on Jacob’s shoulder and stopped him.

Jacob blinked in surprise and stared at Ulysses for a moment.

“The Hell do you think you’re doing?

“Last time I checked I organized this job with you, and I was responsible for leading the group. Yet since I mentioned the job you’ve been charging into this thing practically blindfolded.”

Stammering, Jacob pulled his shoulder away from Ulysses and stepped back.

“I-I just want to get this job done as fast as possible and get paid.”

“You’re hiding something.”

“W-What?!”

“You want to get that gold for more than just repairing the farm.”

“H-How Dare You?!”

“Oh don’t give me that. You’re a Farmer. You know nothing about combat that doesn’t revolve around wolves hacking up your sheep or crows pecking at your corn.”

“Keep talking and you’ll see how much I know about caving your skull in!”

“You’re too eager to get yourself killed.”

“I think I’ll decide what I can and can’t do.”

Joshua separated the two and tried to settle the issue.

“Easy! Easy! Let's not bust each other's heads out over a little thing like this, okay? Jacob, He’s the veteran in this. He knows more about combat than you or I know, so we gotta listen to him. What’s gotten into you?”

Jacob sighed and shook his head before moving back, letting Ulysses lead without so much as saying a word or answering Joshua. Joshua sighed as Ulysses stepped forward until they climbed up the long pathway to the top of the hill. Now there they were, so close to the entrance of the house. Right in front of the very jaws of the beast. When they had a look at it, a really good look at it, the uneasiness of it all only grew worse.

Ulysses stepped in front of the group. His hand inched towards the handle of the door, yet he hesitated for the briefest of moments. In a burst of courage, he grabbed the handle of the door tightly and swung the unlocked door open. He froze, half expecting something to jump out and grab him or simply scream at him, yet nothing appeared. Inside it was just a darkened empty entrance hall. They waited for a moment or two, each not wanting to be the first inside. Ulysses stepped inside and one by one the others followed suit.

They were all shaken by some unknown dread. When Jacob was the last to enter, he unconsciously closed the door. A loud click was heard and the group turned. Joshua quickly went to the door and opened it. They weren’t locked inside it seemed. They breathed a sigh of relief, having been given a sense of security, and thus began to explore the entrance hall.

They would instantly be faced with a large flight of stairs that led up to the second floor. Sticking together as a group they went from room to room to find anything noteworthy. The first room was the living room. The room was dark with the curtains covering the tall windows. The group went around to open the curtains up and shine the long-absent light down upon the room.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

There was a couch that looked as if it could seat four people in the far back of the room where an open area stood in front, most likely used to play some games or perform for guests. There was a fireplace where two large chairs sat, with a small table fit for drinking or placing one’s ashtray down. The hard dark wooden floor was decorated with a large circle rug that placed a predominantly red carpet with multiple abstract colors to highlight the rug itself. While it was mostly red, the rug displayed a vibrant amount of colors and patterns that were abstract, and uncommon for the regular Sigardsehre folk. It simply had to have been acquired from the Sassaridian homelands, which are known for their abstract works.

Lastly, over the fireplace, there hung a portrait of what could be assumed to be the founders of the town below and the builder of Hawthorn house. It was a small family. The father wore fine clothes. Elegant and appropriate for the time. It was form over function, as the case usually is for nobles. He looked to be a stern man, for he looked to have a troubled brow. He was an older man, with light brownish neat hair, with a bushy beard to match, both peppered with gray strands. The mother was younger and appeared more spirited than the father. She had a natural smile that managed to be perfectly preserved on the canvas despite the long and grueling hours it must have taken to paint. She wore a regal dress that seemed to have been inspired by the abstract patterns and designs of the Sassaridians.

After hearing so much about how evil the house was, Ulysses began to feel disappointed. How could this mundane house be evil? There had to be more. They had to look throughout the entire house. If not to find the daughter of the baron, then at least to find out what had these people so scared. They had to explore more. They would continue from room to room.

The first floor had all the standard rooms one would expect from a house such as this: the living room, a kitchen, a dining room, a spacious pantry, and a well-stocked library. As they went about the house, Illyana would move from candle to candle and press two fingers on the wick. She blew on her fingers and instantly the candles were lit one by one. The illumination in the otherwise darkened hallways was greatly appreciated. Nothing about the house so far was all that alarming as of yet. They ventured upstairs to investigate further. They found all of the bedrooms, including the master bedrooms and rooms for any children.

It all seemed so… mundane. So normal. It was as if people still lived in this house, despite its age. Despite how lonely it has been for so long. Was there anything special about this house after all of the build-up? They looked through all of the rooms; the attic, the basement, the greenhouse, the kitchen, and even looked back in the living room in case they missed something. Some small thing that they had missed before but wasn’t obvious enough for them. Nothing. Nothing. It seemed that their chances were all but gone.

Then, suddenly, Illyana noticed something. A door at the end of the hallway. That hallway ended in just a wall before, and yet there was a door that had just appeared there. Furthermore, the wood was different. The rest of the doors were made of dark mahogany that still shined as if recently painted or waxed. This door stuck out like a sore thumb. The door was painted white and appeared aged as if it had been there for years. She stepped closer to the door and felt it. The wood grain on her fingers brought back a multitude of memories as she eyed the door over, sure of herself that it wasn’t here before.

Then she noticed more details about it. Small carvings painted over. Childlike images were cut into the wood using something sharp. She then realized that the door was strangely familiar. Somehow she remembered this door and its details, but can't remember where exactly from. She pieced together the shards of memory. She heard something beyond the door. It sounded like someone calling her name.

“Illyaaaanaaaaa…”

The voice dragged her name like a knife dragging along someone's flesh. It cut deeply into her as she recognized the voice. A voice that shouldn’t be. A voice that had echoed in her mind for years ever since her childhood, but had never actually heard until now.

“...A-Aithan?”

She recognized the voice of her brother. That was impossible. She began to reach for the doorknob. She was afraid of what would happen if she turned that handle and looked inside, slowly reaching: inch by inch. She was disturbed when Ulysses called out her name. She turned and saw him approaching.

“Illyana? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was just-”

She turned to look for the doorknob, only to find that the door was gone. No trace of it anywhere. She placed her hand on the wall to make sure that it was there, but she only felt the wallpaper along the walls. She kept searching until she cut her finger, letting out a yelp of pain. She sucked her finger as it quickly began to bleed while Ulysses looked confused at her.

“Uhh…are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine. There was a door here. I swear.”

“Well, it's gone now. I think this place is a bust. Let's get out of here. We’ll figure out what to do back at the tavern.”

Ulysses went to the door, but the handle was stuck. He jiggled it around before he began to fight the lock. Jacob looked at Ulysses with an alarmed expression, like a rat that just realized that it was in a trap.

“What's going on?!”

“Damn, the door won't open.”

“Let me try.”

Jacob tried to slam himself into the door, but no matter what force he used, it wouldn’t budge. Ulysses tried to pick up a chair from the living room and rammed it into the door, Only for the chair to break as if it were nothing but a pile of sticks.

“What the hell?!”

Illyana used her magic to try to break down the door, picking up the largest, heaviest object they could find. A stone lion was used as decoration. She levitated it up and hurled the statue as fast as she could, shooting out like an arrow. The statue burst into tiny little pebbles and rubble while the door was unharmed.

Jacob blinked, dumbfounded over the sight.

“That's impossible! What are we going to do now?”

Ulysses tried to calm everyone down.

“We can try the windows!”

He went to try to open a window, but it stayed shut. Joshua as large as he was could do nothing as both men tried to push the window up but it wouldn’t budge. Jacob grabbed a piece of the statue and smashed it against the window. The window didn’t even have a scratch on it.

They pounded hard against the window, yet nothing budged. Hammering the windows with their fists, they realized quickly what had happened. The trap had sprung, and there was no way out.