Corvin's taunting words rang in your head: there's so much left of this mansion to explore and you've only scratched the surface.

"Only scratched the surface?" You scoffed, "You've got to be kidding me."

To your half-surprise and relief, you didn't hear a sardonic comment in response .You collapsed on a nearby chair. A grimace was on your face as you let out a deep huff and put your head in your hands. Squeezing your eyes, you tried to think of where else he would have hidden the key.

So if he hid it in a painting before, a place that would be in blatant sight, he might try to hide it in something obvious again. Right? No, he wouldn't be stupid enough to try something like that a second time! Come on! You clenched a handful of your hair and growled from the back of your throat. Think! Where would that bastard put it!? Maybe he hid it somewhere that I already have been for? But then why would he say that I have so much left to explore? Damn it, why does he have to be so conniving!?

You shook your head and let out an exasperated snort from your nose. The world would be a much better place without fairies.

A faint groan came from the end of the hallway. There's no point in siting around and wasting time that could be used finding that key. And I can't afford another fight again after just barely escaping one.

You stood up and lightly jogged away from the direction of the sound. Each step felt as if a nail was being driven into your sole; you slightly whimpered but continued onwards. The discomfort became unbearable and you stopped to catch your breath. You leaned against the wall and looked up to see oak double doors a few yards away from you. Hanging above the door was a sign that read: LIBRARY.

"First a theater, then an art gallery, and now a library?" You muttered. "Just how much space is in this house?"

Seeing no other option, you entered the library. The doors creaked open as they gave way to your push. You stared in awe at the size of it. The library took up two storeys with a spiral staircase that connected the levels together. The white walls were tall with towering orange-brown bookshelves that loomed over you like wooden giants. Hanging from the ceiling was a gigantic gilded chandelier containing hundreds of white candles that swayed slightly like small phantoms. In small clusters, were leather and velvet chairs huddled next to each other with circular tables. Wrapping around the right side of the library was a porch with spandrels carved into an intricate pattern of swirls and florals where even more seating areas and bookcases were.

On your left was a large, heavy desk with mountains of papers and books on it. Behind the desk was a dark wood cabinet with tinted glass that was polished so brilliantly you could see your own reflection in it. Something glinted among the collection of books; you squinted your eyes and approached the cabinet a little more to get a better look at it.

"May I help you with something?"

Snapping your head in the direction of the voice, you were met with a person a head taller than you. He wore a heavy dark blue cloak that concealed most of his body. The hood was pulled up which left the upper half of his face covered in shadows. In the light, you could see a faint pattern of Corvin's emblem woven into the fabric with fine silver threads.

"Uh...." you blinked at the person, completely at a loss of words. "Do you...work here?"

"I guess you can say that," he grimaced at the last word. He walked over to the desk and put the stack of books in his hand down before taking a seat.

"What brings you here, Miss (Y/N)?" The librarian asked.

"What? How do you know my--"

"It's because of Master Corvin," the cloaked person responded.

"I see," you trailed off.

"Now that we have that out of the way, do you mind telling me why you are here?" The librarian asked and pulled back the hood with a narrow and ghostly-pale hand: revealing chin-length black hair, a smooth androgynous face with plump, pouting lips, and upturned black eyes behind a pair of circular-lensed glasses.

"I'm not entirely sure," you answered. "I just kind of stumbled upon here."

"Interesting," he mumbled and gripped his chin between his forefinger and thumb. "Anyways, I have a proposal for you. An offer you can't refuse if you will."

"What?"

"If you can find the token of when I was once human, I maybe able to help you with finishing the game. I might even tell you where exactly the front door key is."

When he said this, you caught a glimpse of a pewter key in the shape of a peony flower that hung within the cabinet. You narrowed your eyes. This offer seemed far too good to be true. You felt like there was something more to this apart from that, but you couldn't tell what exactly. The reason was in the back of your mind, a faint inkling that was almost on the tip of your tongue.

"I'm not so sure," you said, crossing your arms and shifting your weight onto your left leg.

"Why is that?"

"I don't know entirely."

The librarian clenched his jaw. "Is it because of him?"

Your silence was your answer.

A low and annoyed sigh came from him and he crossed his legs. A heavy tension filled the atmosphere, making it feel as if countless pins were being pricked into your skin as you and the librarian stared at each other for what felt like hours.

"How are you so sure that he didn't say that to manipulate it to be easier to take advantage of you and to win the game?" The librarian finally broke the silence, his voice held the slightest crack of annoyance. "Or that he isn't going to suddenly be dishonest and lie right to your face?"

"He's a man of his word and he holds himself to his standards," you answered.

"Do you really believe that?"

You froze up. Corvin had been rather upfront with everything that he had told you, he didn't twist the truth nor lied to you at any point. However, he was still sneaky and you couldn't trust him, he was unpredictable and had plenty of tricks.

"I'm not sure," you croaked out.

"So why not accept my offer?" The librarian asked.

You glanced over your shoulder to see Corvin looking at you from a distance. His face was unreadable, but you could feel the devilish glee coming off of him in oppressive waves.

"C-can I get back to you in a moment?" You asked. "I just need to think through this for a bit."

"Fine," the librarian brusquely said. "Take all the time you need."

As you sat down by Corvin, his eyes peered at yours from above the pages. An impish light danced in the crimson and gold irises. You could see the large grin on his face behind the book as he held back his snickering.

"What are you looking at?" You spat.

"Just seeing how you are doing so far and to get some light reading in," he demurely answered and flipped over to the next page. "How is it going so far, my dear?"

"You know, I still haven't forgotten that little stunt you pulled off," you growled.

"Which one?" He said.

"You know exactly which one."

"Oh, you mean back at the art gallery?" Corvin chirped. "Yes, I can see why you would still be upset. But that will soon be all in the past when we exchange our vows and we'll remember it as a funny story to tell for many years to come."

Fighting back the urge to slap him, you turned away from the fairy and closed your eyes. Why does this offer seem so wrong? I could have sworn that I know the reason why! Alright, maybe I need to to review the rules. Okay, so I know that in order to win I have to exit through the front doors and that's the only way. The second rule is that the game doesn't start until I exited those doors all the way back in the parlor. The next rule is that...

It was then a cold realization hit you as you remembered that: you are to not help any of the residents nor accept any offers of theirs.

"I-it was a trick...." you whispered.

You glanced over to see Corvin looking back at you. His blood and hellfire eyes had the look of a wolf staring down an injured deer. You could have sworn that his teeth looked much sharper now as he bit back his laughter.

"Let me guess: you're going to make a smartass comment now?" You growled.

"You know me so well, it's almost like we're married already!" He chuckled. "But unfortunately, we aren't. At least not yet. Speaking of marriage: should it be an indoor or outdoor one? Both of them have their strengths and weaknesses and I need some input from my bride-to-be."

"Does it really matter?" You snarled.

"Of course it does! Every detail of the wedding is important! From the wedding dress and the venue to--"

You stood up and exhaled a sharp breath. You stormed away from Corvin and made your way back to the librarian.

"Guess you're conflicted as well," the fairy called out and went back to reading.

The librarian had his back towards you as he sorted out the items in the cabinet behind the desk. You rapped your knuckles against the desk three times, making him jolt slightly as he turned his head to you.

"Oh you're back already," he said and sat back down as he smoothed out the front of his cloak. "So, have you made up your mind?"

"Yes I have," you gulped.

"And your answer is...." the librarian leaned in. The lightest predatory smirk was on his lips; it would have been barely noticeable under most circumstances, but the sinister look in his dark eyes gave it away.

A moment passed and you took a deep breath. Your throat felt dry as you licked your lips nervously and looked directly into those hollow eyes.

"I'm going to refuse your offer," you finally said.

The librarian was still for a few moments before he slunk back into his seat and exhaled, "What a shame. I was really hoping that we could have helped each other out."

You nodded your head slightly. "Yeah, it really is..."

A powerful strain filled the room as you stood there in silence, unsure of what to say next. Your legs tensed as you readied yourself for a possible fight. You took a step back as the librarian adjusted his glasses and cracked his neck, the disappointment was still plastered on his face.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to sorting these out," the librarian gestured to the pile of books behind him.

Nodding your head once more, you sat down a few chairs away from Corvin. His leg was crossed over the other and he leaned in towards you, a ghost of a smirk was dancing on his lips as he tapped his fingers on the chair's arm.

"So what are you going to do now, my dear?" He purred.

You didn't respond to him; your eyes trained on the librarian's desk. Your legs tensed up with anticipation, ready to spring in action at any moment. You looked over the librarian's shoulder at the key glinting in the cabinet. Somehow you knew that it was important to your escape. It had to be the key to the front door. Why else would the librarian put you in such a trap if it wasn't it?

When the librarian left his desk and disappeared from your view, you inched towards the case and took the key. You quickly slid it into your jacket's pocket. You walked briskly away from the desk and were about go over to the exit when you caught a glimpse of the librarian. You pressed yourself against a bookshelf as he let out a shrill and blood-curdling scream of frustration that reverberated off of the walls, shaking some books off of their shelves.

"That--! I am going to make her regret this!" He growled.

As quietly as you could, you ran away from your hiding spot as you heard the librarian heading towards your direction. Fear coursed through your veins as you looked around for another place to hide.

You crouched down to the ground, hiding between a table and chair. Ten feet away from you was Corvin standing patiently with one hand behind his back and the other opening a book, looking directly at you. Your rapid heart felt like it was going to explode. You steeled yourself to run if he were to alert the librarian to your position. The librarian came storming towards his master, his shoulders tensing with fury.

"Have you seen her?" The librarian asked.

"I did, as a matter of fact." Corvin answered matter-of-factly as he began to read and slowly turned over to the next page.

"Would you tell me where she went?" The librarian sputtered, excitement rising in his voice.

"No." Corvin coolly responded and sat down on a nearby chair without sparing a glance at the librarian. "You're going to have to find her yourself."

"What?" The librarian stiffened.

"I just said that you have to find her yourself," the white-haired fairy said. "You shouldn't have too much of an issue finding her. She's just a regular human-- a clever one, but a normal human woman nonetheless."

Refraining from cursing out his master, the librarian bowed his head slightly, "I understand." His cracking voice was laced with barely-restrained frustration.

"I suggest you get a move on," Corvin crossed one leg over the other, tossed the book he was reading with a dramatic flick of his wrist, and picked up another one. "She might be already close to the exit."

You--! You bit your inner lip. You dared not to draw a breath as the librarian passed by. You kept yourself as still as possible. A droplet of sweat streaked down your neck as he glided out of view. Carefully, you crept over to another aisle. You heard the librarian's storming footsteps coming close. Quickly, you hid behind a mountain of books in front of a bookcase. Your pounding heart drummed against your ribs as he drew near. You cursed yourself for losing your knife in the gallery. If only you had a weapon with you.

You watched in terror as the librarian passed by you. His hands were taut with fury, his dark nails were sharp and thin as they shined wickedly in the light. Your heart stopped as he stood still, looking around for you. You were frozen to the spot as he neared your hiding spot. You were like a bleeding rabbit cornered by a hunting dog.

He stopped and turned around. Slowly, he approached to where you were hiding. His talons gleamed like butcher knives. As he was another step away from where you were, a muffled thud came from the other side of the library. He snapped his head in the direction of the noise and stormed his way towards it.

Quickly and quietly, you stepped out of your hiding spot and began to dart out of the aisle. Your hand was clasped over your racing heart as you looked for the exit. The library seemed to have shifted its layout. It felt as if you were running in a circle. Fear raced through your veins like a snake's venom.

You abruptly stopped when you caught a glimpse of the librarian's cloak peeking from behind a bookshelf. His steps were low and slow as he patrolled the aisle; he turned his head from side to side, scanning for any sign of you.

"You know (Y/N), if you put away what you've stolen, I will let you go." He said, his voice tinged with bloodlust. "All you have to do is put the key back in the cabinet and pretend that this never happened."

You clenched your teeth together and shook your head. You gripped your satchel tighter to you and carefully took a step away from the bookshelf, straining your ears for any more noises and clenched the key in your hand. Slowly, you took another step behind you. The blood rushing in your ears sounded like gunfire. Your fear tripled when you heard the ruffling of his cloak dragging against the floors like nails against metal.

Just keep calm and steady.

You took another step. Then another, and another, and another. You didn't dare to look away as you inched your way closer to the exit. You took one more small step when the floorboard beneath you groaned slightly.

"There you are!" He screamed behind you.

You screamed as needlelike talons narrowly grazed your cheek. You rolled to the side and onto the ground. Before you could react, he lunged at you. You cried and moved your head to the side. You kicked the librarian in the stomach as hard as you could before scrambling away from him.

You were barely ten steps away when he swiped at your back. You cried out in horror and ran faster. Sweat was pouring off of you. The rushing of the blood in your ears was roaring. The librarian swiped his arm out in front of him, making an empty and heavy bookcase topple in front of you. You rolled underneath it-- narrowly avoiding being crushed. He made another swipe and a table came flying at you. You ducked your head as it crashed into the wall, exploding into shrapnel of wood.

"You little wench!" He roared.

In the distance, you could see the library's exit. Renewed energy bursted through legs and you sprinted faster. Your eyes were locked on your only hope.

You swerved as his claws nicked the thin skin on your neck. You gasped as you felt small droplets of blood beginning to fall down your neck. He made another slash for you, barely scratching the tip of your nose. You jumped back and fell down over a fallen box. Sharp pain cracked up your back, making you gasp.

"It's all over for you now." He grunted, his eyes glittering with anger as he raised his hand in the air, aiming for your face. He gave you a wicked grin that revealed needlelike teeth as he plunged his claws.

You thrusted the box in front of you. The tip of his talons barely missed your eye by half an inch. Grunting, you threw the box to the side, throwing the librarian off-balance and began to run. The exit was now mere feet away from you. The door was wide open, promising safety like a lighthouse would for lost sailors.

Nearly there!

You sprinted even faster. Each step felt like your feet and lungs were set ablaze. The librarian was mere paces away from you. His talons nearly grazing the back of your jacket as he swiped furiously at you.

With the last bit of strength, you jumped towards the exit. You skidded against the marble floor, nearly hitting the wall before you turned around to see that the librarian was pressing against an invisible force that separated you from him. He pounded his fists against it, his screams were muffled. He gave you one final hateful glare before retreating into the library.

"Oh he'll be fine," Corvin reassured. "He just needs a few hours to sulk and be moody but he'll be back to his usual self."

"Wearing a pair of glasses with a fake moustache?" You deadpanned as you stood up and dusted off the front of your shirt and jacket.

The fairy laughed. "That would be hilarious! But his ego isn't that easily bruised. Although I will have to talk to him about not destroying the furniture, especially if I bought it just last month."

"You don't seemed to be all that bothered," you commented.

"What do you mean?"

"I might be extremely close to finding the key," you answered. "Hell, maybe I already found it."

Although the fairy was still smiling, panic flashed in his eyes briefly. His fingers rapped against his cane's handle and he walked behind you. He gave your shoulder a light squeeze as he leaned into your ear.

"What makes you say that?" He huskily whispered.

"Don't you think I just saw the alarm in your eyes?" You responded.

Corvin closed his eyes, a wide grin split on his lips, and he chuckled. "Oh my sweet, precious (Y/N). Don't you think that I can't see right through your bluff?"

Horror replaced your confidence, earning a booming and sinister cackle from him that reverberated against the halls and made a freezing dread crawl down your stomach.

"You poor thing!" He laughed. "Don't you remember that it's a bad idea to lie to the fair-folk? We can and will find out if you are lying to us."

You were too shocked to respond, your open mouth was left quivering as you stared at him. Every joint in your body was locked in place.

He suddenly leaned in forwards: his sclera was abyss-black, making the red and gold pupils look like smoldering embers of hellfire. "I'm rather amused in all honesty, and I'm not going to punish you for that little stunt of yours."

"W-what?"

"You're wondering how I would know that you don't have the key?" He tapped his finger to his lower lip before slowly licking them. "All of the artwork in this estate with my lovely visage acts as my eyes and hands. I can see things through their perspective and not a single one saw you be anywhere near the key's location."

"Then why do you do these check-ins?" You clenched your hands into fists.

"Why wouldn't I?" He chuckled. "It's fun teasing you and it's better to see how you are doing in-person and strengthens our relationship much better. It makes this game more fun and I enjoy our conversations so much. I can only imagine the ones that we would have once we finally are married."

Your lips curled in a snarl as you shook your head. "Why don't you marry the sound of your own voice since you love it so much?"

Corvin snickered and put a hand to his lips. "The sound of my own voice is second to my love for you, my dear."

"You certainly have a messed up way of showing this supposed love for me." You scoffed.

"That's because I like to show my affection through my own ways," he responded.

"Like making someone go through a death trap of a house?"

"Only if they suggest it."

"Charming."

"Don't act as if you didn't know that this wasn't what most likely going to happen," he said and adjusted his coat.

"All the more reason for you to not do that," you growled.

"Is this a sign of defeat, my dear?" Corvin put his hands behind his back with a smirk and a predatory amusement light dancing in his eyes.

"Fuck no!" You hissed and pushed him away from you.

He let out a hard laugh, a tear started to drip down from the corner of his eye. He wiped it away and pulled out a pocket mirror, making sure that his kohl wasn't smudged before tucking it back into his coat.

"I hope that you still have that fire when we are married and the many, many years after that." He said with a raspy sigh. "That's easily my favorite thing about you and it would be a tragedy if it was extinguished."

"You're insufferable," you shook your head.

"Delightfully insufferable?" He smirked.

"No. Just insufferable." You spat and trudged your way towards the lobby.

---

You looked down at the pewter key shining in your hands with your lips pulled into a slight frown. The cool metal was staring to warm up in the palm of your hand. You wrapped your fingers around it and looked at the front doors.

"This better be it," you sighed and pushed the key into the front door lock. The key didn't even fit through the hole, instead it clinked against the plate uselessly.

"Dead end," you laughed bitterly and shook your head. "It was another waste of time. Of course it was."

Mirthless, you plopped down on a couch and closed your eyes. Your head was pounding with stress and exhaustion. How many more dead ends am I going to have to hit before I can finally get that stupid front door key and leave?

With impeccable timing, you heard Corvin's slow, evenly-paced footsteps clacking against the marble floor behind you.

"I told you that you didn't have it," he remarked. "Although, I didn't think you'd actually find that."

"What?" You looked at the fairy with your eyebrows furrowed into confusion.

"That's the garden key in your hands," he said and sat down next to you with his hands folded in his lap.

"Why does the garden need a key?" You asked.

"Why wouldn't it?" He retorted. "But in all seriousness, the garden is located at the back of the building. The quickest way there is through the music room by putting the key into one of the windows. Or if you're feeling bold, you can hop through a painting of it back in the art gallery."

"You're kidding, right?" You groaned.

"No I am not." He responded.

"Great..." you mumbled.

"I'll wait for you there, so please don't take too long." He gave you a wink and blew you a kiss before leaving.

You rubbed your forehead, your lips pursed together in a deep frown. You tapped your fingers against your temple, cursing Corvin and the fair-folk in general.

He's seriously making me backtrack... this really is all a game to him. You slumped further, your fingers nearly dragging against the floor. Why would he tell you about the garden? Was it where the key was, or was it another one of his traps? What would he do if you didn't come?

The countless possibilities made your already throbbing head hurt even more. Frustration bubbled in your stomach and you let out a loud groan. After a few minutes of contemplation, you decided to head over to the garden. On your way, you made a quick detour to the dining room to retrieve another knife and a fire poker as a weapon.

You gave the fire poker a few quick practice swings to get a feel for it. You nodded your head and put it in your satchel, with the knife tucked into your back pocket as a backup before making your way to the music room.

Hopefully this would be the last time you would ever have to do this.