Your reflection glinted in the polished white marble floor as crystal chandeliers hung above you like glittering blades from the impossibly tall ceiling. The walls were pristine porcelain-white with the occasional oil portrait or marble statue of Corvin breaking up the long stretches of white. You shivered looking at the artworks, you could feel their empty, soulless gazes piercing right through your soul, almost as if they would suddenly spring to life and chase after you.

They're just decorations, it's not like they're going to actually come to life.

After walking for what felt like hours through a white blur of statues and portraits, it didn't take long for you to realize that you were lost. You sighed as you shook your head and clenched your teeth.

Oh come on! Are you serious? I really got lost this early?! You stamped your foot in frustration and put a hand to your forehead.

Way to go, idiot.

As you chastised yourself, you suddenly remembered the trick that you learnt from your mom during a first-grade field trip to a corn maze: always go left and put your hand on the left-hand side of the wall. If you do this for long enough, you'll eventually you'll wind up at the exit.

You weren't sure if it would apply to a mansion that you've haven't been in before, but you supposed it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. You gingerly put your hand on the wall and shivered at the cold touch of the wallpaper. With a small step, you began to walk.

Every now and then, you looked over your shoulder to see if anyone or anything was following behind you. You jumped at every slight sound, making you walk a little bit faster. Occasionally, you ran into a dead end only to turn around and go further down into the main corridor. The threat of marrying that fairy loomed over you like the Grim Reaper, making your stomach turn.

Just keep going. At this rate, you're sure to find it by now. Keep moving in a single direction and don't make any turns until you reached the end of the hallway. You'll win this game and never have to deal with that fairy ever again or become its...

Cold sweat dropped down your cheek, you didn't dare to even bother with finishing that thought.

After groping the left side wall for several minutes, you came across a massive lobby that had a large peacock-blue carpet with gold trim taking up most of the floor. But what actually caught your eye were the golden front doors that looked as if they were twinkling from the crystal chandelier above. Relief overcame you and you sprinted towards it without a second thought. You pulled on the doorknob with all of your might, but it didn't budge. Confused, you jiggled the knob and pulled at it a little bit harder.

"What?" You stammered and took a step back.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Corvin sighed behind you.

"B-but I found the front door!" You protested.

"Yes, but you didn't get the key to unlock the front door," he retorted, walking his slim fingers on your shoulder like a spider.

"Are you going to give me a hint as to where I might get it?" You asked.

"Of course not! That would make it easy for you!" He chuckled. "And that's not going to be interesting for either of us, now would it?"

You gritted your teeth and narrowed your eyes, "If by 'us' you mean yourself, then you'd be right."

"But isn't life a bit more interesting for you humans if there was some sort of adversary or challenge to face? Isn't that the purpose of every story you tell?"

"Well this isn't a fucking fairytale," you smacked his hand away from you and spun around to face him.

"You sure?" He breathed. "I'm sure there's a lot of them that have some parallels to your current situation."

"If you're here to make fun of me, then shut up. You stupid, disgusting piece of--"

Corvin suddenly leaned in towards you, his smile turned into a cold expression as his sclera turned black. "Need I remind you what you're dealing with? So if I were you, I'd be a little more careful with how you address any member of the fair-folk."

Fighting the urge to make a sarcastic retort, you settled to glaring back at him. Even if you were terrified, you wouldn't give in to him. Corvin leaned back, his sclera reverting back to white and he tapped his cane against the floor. He turned his head westwards with his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Anyways, I wouldn't stay here for much longer. You don't know what else is going to wander in here." He said and walked away from you, receding into the shadows of the hallway.

You stood there in silence for a few moments before you began to move. You didn't want to stay and find out what else would come in here. As you were about to head right, you heard something walked towards you from that direction. You ran into the left hallway and entered a random room. You quietly closed the door shut and listened.

Your heart pounded against your chest like a rabid animal. The drumming of it was the only thing you heard before the distant sound of a raspy, rattling groan followed by what sounded like shuffling feet that broke the silence. Your throat closed up as the groaning and shuffling became slightly louder. Closer.

Don't let it find me! Just keep calm and don't make any noise. If it comes close, swing the door in its face and make a break for it!

You waited for hours as it inched closer to where you were. Your body stiffened with dread and your heart felt like it was about to explode. The groaning and shuffling became more grating to your ears and felt like someone was slowly twisting a knife into your head.

Wait for it...

The being stopped for what you assumed was mere feet away from the door. Your fingers tightened around the doorknob. The thing, whatever it was, let out one last groan before it started to retreat. You pressed your ear against the door and waited until you could no longer hear it.

Is it gone?

After waiting for several minutes, you finally opened the door slowly. You glanced around to make sure that nothing was there before sticking your head out. When you were sure that nothing was following you, you carefully got out and took a look around at your surroundings: nothing but an impossibly long hallway that seemed to continue for miles.

Throwing a quick glance behind you, you began to make your way down further into the halls; praying that you wouldn't have to face that creature again.

---

After wandering in this grand and flawless labyrinth for several minutes, you noticed a door that was different from the others. Instead of it being as sterile and white as the surrounding environment, it was in a state of disrepair. The wood was splintered, the paint was cracked and peeling in places with the doorknob covered in dark stains as a result of the passage of time.

Taking a deep breath, you ironed yourself for whatever was behind the door; praying that maybe the key was in there so that the nightmare could finally be over for once. With a soft push, the door creaked open and the smell of dust and mildew hit you like a sudden slap to the face. You coughed and put a hand to your neck as the stench wafted away. When the last of it was gone, you pushed the door open a little bit more before entering.

The room was completely dark, save for the orangey-yellow glow coming from the lit fireplace on the right side wall, casting long and writhing shadows. The dark brown walls were decorated with disturbing watercolor paintings of creatures with abnormal features: some had limbs far too long for their bodies, others the mangled heads of animals for faces, or eyes that glowed like hellfire. The once luxurious furniture was covered in a thick layer of dust, making the fabric appear it was taking on a deathly-gray hue. The frayed rug had clusters of dark mold growing, distorting the original patterns of it. On the far right was a cards table with a white lace tablecloth and a pale wood chest sitting right in the middle of it as if waiting to be opened.

You approached the chest and gave it a closer look. The wood had small scratches on its surface, as if someone had hacked it with a knife. You flipped up the latch and the cover flew open, releasing a cloud of a sweet-smelling powder. You waved your hand in front of your face as the powder dispersed before you took a look inside. Glinting within the silk cushioning, was a white gold medallion in the shape of a fork and knife. Confused, you flipped the emblem on the other side to see that there was a small square peg in the center of it.

"So how is it going so far?"

You whipped around to see Corvin's face mere inches from yours, his gold and red eyes glittering like gems with amusement as he leaned on his cane.

"Why are you here?" You demanded, not bothering to hide your annoyance and put the emblem inside your jacket's pocket before he could notice it.

"Just to see how you're progressing, besides this is my home. Well, one of many." He laughed to himself.

"Just how many do you have?"

"I lost count after the thirteenth or so."

"And how do you afford that many?!"

"Being a count helps."

"Fairies have governments?"

"Well, even we recognize the importance of them." He answered coolly and adjusted his coat.

You were about to make a bitter comment about comparing fairies to politicians, when the air felt static. As if all of the oxygen in the room was sucked out. Corvin noticed the expression on your face and his smile dropped.

"Something wrong?" He asked, his voice sounded to be of genuine concern. "You look a little unwell."

"No. I'm fine." You shook your head and tried to steady yourself.

That's when you heard the same pained groaning and shuffling from before.

"Oh, so it's here," he grimaced.

I-is that the thing from the main--

"In case you were wondering: yes, that was the thing from the main entryway," Corvin responded, his voice was laced with the slightest bit of disgust. "If you want to resign already, you can."

"I'll take my chances," you spat out.

"Alright then," he shook his head. "But don't say that I didn't warn you."

Before you could ask what he was talking about, Corvin stepped into the darkness and began to fade away. The thing banged against the door. Wood splinters flew in the air from the force. You crouched down low to the ground and carefully hid behind an end table. Your terror grew stronger as the door splintered more under the creature's force. You flinched as the door gave way and the monster stumbled into the room.

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The thing-- whatever it was-- let out another groan as it limped towards where you were a moment ago. In the low light of the fireplace, you could see it was human-shaped and hunched over. Long, tangled hair covered most of its gaunt, warped face. Thin, deathly-pale skin was stretched over the jutting bones underneath. The dirty and faded remnants of a cotton tunic barely covered its mangled body. Its long, cracked nails nearly dragged across the ground as it sniffed the air every now and then.

You pressed yourself closer to the wall, daring to not draw a breath. The monster let out a heavy wheeze and headed towards the left side of the room. Quietly, you took another small step towards the fireplace. Never taking your eyes off of the creature as it slowly walked around the room. As you were about to reach the end of the wall, the floorboard underneath your foot squeaked.

The monster stopped and slowly turned its head towards you. Its jaw was barely connected by a string of sinew, making it hanging down to its chest. The gaping mouth was lined with crooked and yellowed needles for teeth. In place of eyes were empty sockets with dark brown sludge leaking from them.

It let out a raspy cry and staggered towards you. You screamed and stepped away in time to avoid the ghoul crashing into you. Scrambling away, you nearly tripped over a fallen chair. The monster let out another screech and lunged at you with its talons. You stepped aside and slammed the chair over its head. The ghoul froze up briefly and you scurried away from it.

The creature let out an ear-splitting screech and made a leap for you. You stepped to the side in time to avoid its reach and kicked it in the back. Without wasting a moment, you smashed a chair leg over its head. The wood splintered from the impact and the ghoul flinched. It swiped the weapon out of your hand and made another grab at you. Its claws narrowly scrapped by the tip of your nose as you backed away.

Panic pounded against your bones as you looked around for another weapon. By the light of the fireplace, you caught the gleam of a fire poker. You ran towards it, only to trip over the broken seat. You fell to the floor and let out a sharp cry of pain and shock. You turned on your back in time to see the monster creeping towards you, thick strands of saliva dripped from its jaws as it came closer.

You jolted your foot away from its talons as you reached for the poker. The monster's twitching movements became more frenzied, like a shark that smelled blood. Sweat rolled down your face as it inched closer. Your stomach twisted as you finally saw the dark brown splotches that coated its teeth.

Just a little more! Come on!

The ghoul grabbed hold of your leg and began to pull you towards it mouth. You screamed in terror and kicked it in the nose. A sharp CRACK! filled the room as the monster's head flew back. Immediately you kicked it again-- this time even harder. The creature let out a feral screech and held its broken nose. As you were starting to stand up, the monster grabbed your ankle again with a much harder grip than before. It felt like your bones were about to snap under its hand.

"No, no, no!" You yelled and tried to shake the monster off of you. It let out a low, husky laugh that made your stomach drop. You watched wide-eyed as it slowly raised its hand in the air; the dagger-sharp claws aiming directly for your eye.

As the thing's talons began to descend, your fingers wrapped around the poker and you swung it into the monster's face. It screamed in pain as its flesh sizzled from the red-hot metal. As it squealed and grabbed its burnt cheek, you stabbed your attacker right between the eyes. The creature screamed and feebly tried to pull the weapon from its head. You grunted and pushed the poker in deeper and deeper, cringing at feeling the metal scrapping against bone and brain. Still you pushed until the poker had fully pierced through the other side of the ghoul's skull. The monster fell limp, its eyes facing the ground.

You gagged slightly at the dark gore that coated the metal. Readjusting your grip, you grunted as you struggled to pull the weapon out of the skull. When it was dislodged, you fell backwards a bit as the poker flung out of your hands from the force. You watched the creature fall to the side. Dead.

Panting as cold sweat dripped down your face, you watched as the corpse begin to crumple in on itself into dust before the the particles dissolved into nothing.

"It- it's over now," you gasped and wrapped your arms over you. "It's finally over."

"That was impressive," Corvin admired. "Although judging by how weak it was, it must have been a more recent addition. Regardless, you held up much better than I'd thought."

You reached for the poker and pointed it at his chest, "You are--"

"Don't even bother with threatening me with that thing," the fairy shook his head. "It isn't even made from iron. Do you really think that I'd be so foolish to have the one thing that could harm fairies in my home?"

"B-but why is it--"

"It's made from brass, my dear."

You clenched your eyes and took a deep sigh. "Let me guess: there's much, much worse things in this house besides that thing, right?"

"Yes. But your chances of running them are very low."

"I have a feeling that there is more to this, isn't there?"

"There indeed is, as they do tend to stick to only certain places in the mansion. So long as you avoid those areas, then you shall be perfectly fine."

"And how would I know if they're near?"

"You'll know it when you do."

"I see," you nodded your head and turned on your heel. Thanks for your very specific and useful information, jackass.

"Oh (Y/N), there's one more thing that I'd like to talk to you about before you leave," Corvin said.

"What?" You turned around.

"What are your favorite flowers?"

"Huh?"

"I'm asking so I know what kind of flowers you want for your bouquet, so what kind do you want me to get?"

"Doesn't matter." You spat out. Because I'm getting out of here.

"You sure?" He blinked, "Aren't weddings supposed to be the bride's big day?"

You ignored him and stepped out of the room.

"I guess I'll come back to that later," he said as you trudged away without sparing a second glance at him.

---

"Think, think, where would it be?" You paced back and forth in the front lobby. "Where would that fairy put it?"

If I didn't want a key to be found by anyone, where would I put it? Maybe on my person? If you had it on you, then it would be nearly impossible to find it since then the location of it would change as you go to room to room. But that would be too obvious!

You put a hand to your chin, the frustration bubbling in your mind growing stronger with each passing moment. You glanced at the locked front doors, it seemed that these golden doors were mocking your imprisonment. You threw your head up in the air and let out a wail before flopping down onto a nearby couch.

"Having trouble?" A croaky voice asked.

You looked up to see a raven with ghost-white plumage looking down at you from the banister. Its eyes were wide with curiosity as it tilted its head a bit to the right.

"W-what?" You blinked.

"Something seems to be bothering you. Care to tell a little old bird like me?" The bird stuck its head towards you to get a better look at your face.

"Well I'm stuck in this hell house of horrors for starters," you sighed.

"This house doesn't seem so bad," the raven remarked.

"That's because you didn't nearly get killed by some monster-ghoul-thing that was once human!" You groaned.

"Goodness! What happened?" It asked.

"I was in this really old and musty room an- and then this thing bust down the door and I had to kill it!" You exclaimed.

"Oh my, that must've been quite frightening." The corvid ruffled his feathers. "But why were you in that situation to begin with, if I may ask."

"It's because I have to play this game and win!"

"Why can't you quit?"

"If I forfeit I have to get married to the fairy that put me here!"

"That doesn't seem that bad," the raven shuffled a bit. "Especially since it sounds like that fairy you're going to marry sounds so handsome."

"Wait a minute...Corvin!?"

"Who else?" He chuckled as transformed back into a human, and leapt down in front of you. "Did you think this was going to be like a fairytale where some friendly talking animal would come to the downtrodden maiden's aid? Remember, one of the rules of this game was--"

"That no one is supposed to help me and to do this by myself," you rolled your eyes.

"Just making sure that you remembered," he sat besides you and fluttered his hand on your shoulder.

You flinched at his touch and ducked away from him. The fairy's lighthearted smile turned into a small frown and he began to lean in closer to you. His eyes seemed to glow under the heavy shadow casted by his hat, reminding you of a hungry wolf.

"How many forms can you take, anyways?" You eyed him.

"Quite a number," he responded.

"That's very specific," you scoffed.

"Your sarcasm wounds me deeply," he said.

"And you're annoying like a crow that won't shut up." You shot back.

He put a hand over his heart, his face wrought with faux hurt. "How could you say that to me, my dear?"

"Because it's true, anyways standup."

"Hm? What for?" He tilted his head.

"Just do it."

Corvin stood up and you begin to pat down the sides of his coat and his legs, putting extra attention to the pockets. You felt nothing and sighed as the fairy looked at you with a smirk.

"Did you think that I would have it on my person?" The left side of his smile twitched further up.

"Not really, I just wanted to see if my hunch was right or not." You shook your head.

"I see," he nodded. "So where else do you think it may be, if not that?"

"I'm not telling you that!" You snapped. "Because then you'd try to find another hiding place for it!"

"Clever girl," he smiled wider, revealing his brilliant white teeth. "For a moment, I thought you'd be as foolish like the other humans I've encountered in my centuries of existing."

You didn't speak, knowing that he was probably trying to make you overconfident and use it against you. So you simply nodded your head slightly in acknowledgement.

"Well then," he sat back down next to you. "Have you finally given any thought about what kind of flowers you want for the--"

"No. Now shut up about it," you growled.

"How about the size of the wedding? Personally, I was thinking maybe at least half of the members of the court. Although I'm willing to do a smaller one."

You closed your eyes, fighting the urge to make a derogatory comment and shoved your hands in your jacket's pockets. Your hand felt something cool and you pulled it out. Shining in the chandelier's light was the emblem from the chest.

"That's for the dining room." Corvin said.

"Huh?"

"It unlocks the dining room's door," he clarified.

You gave a slight nod of your head and put the medallion back in your jacket. Maybe there's a clue in there.

"And where's that?"

"It's on this floor, down one of the halls in the right hallway," he answered and stretched out his arms. "Anyways, I need to be somewhere right now. I'll see you again to see how you're holding up."

You watched as he went upstairs and ascended into the darkness above. You pulled yourself from the couch and began to walk towards the right hallway, your hand clutching the medallion.

---

Your feet were beginning to ache a bit after all of the walking that you've done. You watched carefully at each door that you passed by to see if it had an imprint that matched the shape of the dining room's emblem. The portraits and statues looked even more sinister than before, you could have sworn their smiles were smaller beforehand.

You looked away from the artwork and pulled your jacket closer to you. Remember, it's just some really creepy and egotistical artwork, not some horror game!

You caught a glimpse of a macabre painting of the fairy holding a skull in his hands, as if he was admiring it like it was a fine jewel. However the painted eyes were facing you, as if it knew that you were looking at it.

Then again, given what has happened, I probably shouldn't put it past it that these stupid things are enchanted and would start chasing me down at any moment.

You flinched when a shadow darted from the corner of your eye. You turned around to see that the figure was gone, you clenched your fist and shook your head.

Calm it down, it's probably him trying to mess with you. Just focus on finding the dining room, finding the key, and getting out of here.

As you were about to turn a corner, you caught sight of a pair of oak doors with brass handles on them. Above one of the handles was a plate with the silhouette of the emblem imprinted in it. You stopped and turned towards the door. Taking out the medallion, you gently pushed it into the imprint. With a quick twist of your hand, the door was unlocked with a soft click.

Your shaking hand slowly wrapped around the crystal doorknob. The unpleasantly cold touch of it made a chill run down your back; and with a slow breath, you opened the door.