Calian and Jalen stood in the entrance hall, their labored breaths the only sound to break the oppressive silence. The darkness of the mansion, amplified by the sun's descent beyond the horizon, made the space feel even more claustrophobic.

"Damn, this place is something else!" Jalen said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I can't believe we barely made it."

"Yeah, we're finally safe from those fucking wolves." Calian replied, his voice tinged with relief. "But something feels strange... The lights are out, and where is everyone?"

"Maybe the snowstorm affected the generators. They're probably underground." Jay suggested, his mind racing for answers. "But the lack of people... I don't know, man. This place is supposed to be a retreat for the anthropologists and researchers. There should be people everywhere."

"I agree. It's downright eerie." Cal said, shivering despite the heat radiating from their exertion. "Let's try and find the main power switch. If we can get the lights back on, maybe we'll have a better idea of what's going on."

The two men cautiously explored the dark mansion, their hands groping along the walls in search of a light switch. They stumbled over unseen obstacles, their footsteps echoing ominously through the empty halls.

"I believe this is the way." said the hyperactive man, taking the lead; "The museum building in my hometown is kind of similar to this mansion, so I think I know roughly where things are."

Finally, they reached the main control room located behind the main staircase in the entrance hall, their hands closing around the large, metal power switch. With a flick of the wrist, the lights flickered to life, bathing the mansion in a dim, sinister glow.

"Let's take a look around and see if we can find any signs of life around here." Young said hesitantly, his voice trembling with apprehension.

Jalen scanned the halls, the rooms, and the windows, searching for any sign of movement. "Nope, not a soul in sight. I don't like this, Cal. Something's definitely off."

The two men shared a look, their faces grim with the realization that their ordeal was far from over. The secrets of the mansion, and the whereabouts of its inhabitants, were now their primary concern. They had to find answers, and fast.

Then, the duo armed themselves with whatever they could find, making sure to have something to protect themselves with as they ventured deeper into the mansion. Candlesticks, metal pipes and pieces of wood were scattered everywhere at their disposal.

As they traversed the labyrinthine halls, the two men stumbled upon a room that appeared to be a makeshift medical facility. There were cots, medical equipment, and an array of empty vials that had once held blood samples. A chill ran down Calian's spine.

"Jay, look at this." he said, pointing to a chalkboard with scribbled notes. The writing was illegible, but the drawings of various creatures caught their attention. Wolves, bears, and even a human-like figure with sharp claws and fangs.

"What the hell is going on here?" Jalen exclaimed, his voice shaking with fear. "This place is like a horror movie come to life."

"I don't know, but we need to find out." Calian responded resolutely; "Let's keep looking around. Maybe we'll find someone or something that can give us answers."

The two men continued their search, moving from room to room, uncovering more unsettling secrets with each step. As they delved deeper into the first floor of the mansion, they couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, that the mansion itself was alive, and its inhabitants were waiting for the right moment to strike.

As the night wore on, the tension in the air grew thicker, and the mansion's secrets threatened to consume them. But, despite the fear that gripped their hearts, Calian and Jalen refused to give up. They had come too far, and they were determined to unravel the mystery that lurked within the walls of the isolated mansion.

In one of the rooms, some kind of library, they discovered a hidden trapdoor that led them down a narrow spiral staircase. The dim light of their oil lamps barely reached the bottom, casting dancing shadows on the damp walls. As they descended, the air grew colder, and the stench of rot became more pronounced.

"What the fuck..." Jay exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.

"Maybe something happened and they all went down there for some reason. We have to check." Calian reasoned, his voice determined.

"Y-Yeah... You're right. I'm right behind you, Cal." Jalen confirmed, swallowing hard as he steeled himself for whatever they might find.

Finally, they reached the bottom, and their lamps revealed a large, cavernous room. It was also filled with rows upon rows of bookshelves, each containing a different type of creature catalogs. Some were humanoid, while others were distinctly animal-like. A few of the creatures depicted in those books were bizarre, their eyes seemed to be bright red. Both men were stunned by the images, probably extremely realistic artistic conceptions that illustrated most of those countless books. At that moment a low, guttural growl echoed through the room.

"Did you hear that sound?!" Jalen asked, his voice laced with panic.

"I did. I think it came from back there..." Calian replied, his brow furrowing in concern.

"Shit, what do we do?" the man blurted out, visibly rattled.

"It sounded like a wolf, so the picture I'm getting is that some wolves from the pack that lurks around here entered the mansion and they tried to trap the wild animals in here..." Cal theorized, trying to make sense of the situation.

"M-Maybe you're right." Jalen stammered, his fear palpable as they both contemplated the possibility of being hunted once again by a pack of enraged wolves.

Calian and Jalen exchanged a nervous glance, their improvised weapons at the ready. They moved cautiously through the room, examining row, trying to piece together the puzzle that the mansion presented. They found more notes, scrawled on torn pages from a singular book which was on a small reading table in the corner, that seemed to detail some experiments carried out on these creatures.

The two men continued to explore, determined to find answers. But as they did, the sense of being watched grew stronger, and the feeling of unease turned to outright dread. The mansion's secrets were beginning to reveal themselves, but at what cost? And what horrors still lurked in the shadows, waiting to strike?

"There's nothing else down here." Jalen sighed, clearly disappointed.

"The growls must have been coming through the air ventilation." Calian deduced, his voice laced with relief.

"Probably." one turned around, nodding in agreement.

"Alright, then let's get back up there." the other suggested, ready to move on to the next part of their investigation.

As the brave duo made their way back up the stairs, the growls coming from the depths of the underground library grew louder and more menacing. The hair on the back of their necks stood on end, and they exchanged worried glances.

"Do you think we should go back down there?" Jalen whispered, his voice trembling.

"No, I don't think it's safe. Let's head back to the main hall and see if we can find anyone." Calian replied, his voice firm despite the fear that gnawed at his insides.

As they emerged from the trapdoor, the growling stopped, leaving the two men with an unsettling silence that seemed to amplify the sound of their own heartbeats. They made their way back through the maze-like halls, their steps heavy with trepidation.

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Upon reaching the main hall once more, they noticed something peculiar. The portraits that adorned the walls seemed to be watching them, their subjects' eyes following their every move. Calian shivered, the sensation of being watched growing more intense.

"I don't like this..." Cal mumbled, his unease growing by the moment.

"Where is everybody?!" Jay exclaimed, clearly unnerved by the eerie silence that permeated the mansion.

"They must be somewhere. Let's start searching for them here on the first floor." the other man suggested, trying to regain control of the situation.

"Good idea. I'll go look at the rooms to the right side of the main stairs, you take a look at the ones to the left. We'll meet back here in an hour or so." Jalen agreed, readying himself for the search.

"Okay. If I find anything, I'll let you know." Calian replied, before the two men parted ways in search of answers and, hopefully, the missing occupants of the mansion.

That way the two men decided to split up, covering more ground in the hope of finding more clues or a way to contact the outside world. Calian headed towards the mansion's study, while Jalen explored the kitchens and servants' quarters.

As they searched, they couldn't shake the feeling that the mansion's secrets were closing in on them. But, despite the mounting dread, they pressed on, determined to unravel the mystery that held them captive. The truth, however, was far more sinister than they could have ever imagined. And the mansion, with its endless halls and dark, hidden corners, was far from an innocent bystander in the unfolding events.

***

The night was just beginning, but the cold coming from outside was starting to permeate the large, dimly lit corridors of the Institute. The howling of wolves in the distance added to the feeling of anguish of that situation. The large windows, which showed the total darkness of the surroundings, were so old that they had been completely stuck for years.

Jalen cautiously made his way through the kitchen, his senses on high alert. The room was spotless, the absence of any sign of recent activity only serving to heighten his unease.

He continued through the servants' quarters, his footsteps echoing in the silence. As he reached the end of a dimly lit corridor, a shadowy figure darted past him, disappearing into the darkness. Jalen called out, "Hey! Wait up!" but the figure didn't stop.

Frustrated, Jalen pursued the fleeting form, his heart pounding in his chest. As he rounded the corner, however, he found himself alone once more. He searched the area, scouring every nook and cranny, but his efforts yielded no results.

The only thing he found was a chilling, almost inhuman sound that seemed to come from the very walls themselves. It sent shivers down his spine, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

Jay then continued his search, but each passing moment only served to reinforce the mansion's ominous grip on his psyche. He found nothing, and the only thing that accompanied him on his quest was the haunting cacophony of the mansion's macabre secrets, ever-present and ever-watching.

As the minutes ticked by, Jalen's anxiety mounted. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being toyed with, and the mansion's enigmatic nature seemed to grow more potent with each passing second.

He continued to search, moving through the maze-like hallways and rooms, but each new area offered no new clues or signs of life. Instead, the mansion seemed to close ranks, conspiring against him to keep its secrets hidden.

Finally, the sound of footsteps echoed through the halls, causing the apprehensive man's heart to leap into his throat. He called out, "Calian? Is that you?" But the footsteps continued, and as they grew louder, Jalen's hopes of finding his friend began to fade.

The figure came into view, but it wasn't Calian. Instead, it was a familiar face. His eyes widened in shock as the figure revealed itself to be someone he knew. The figure's presence in the mansion was unexpected, to say the least.

"It's you?! What are you doing here?" Jay blurted out, unable to hide his surprise. He couldn't fathom how this person had ended up in the mansion, and their appearance only served to deepen the enigma that enveloped the place.

The figure said nothing, but the enigmatic smile on their face seemed to suggest they held the key to some of the mansion's many secrets. The reunion, however brief, opened up a new avenue of investigation for Jalen and Calian as they sought to unravel the mansion's mysteries and help their friends.

***

In that mysterious place, the corridors seemed immense to a young man tired from a restless journey. Step by step, room by room, the Institute was scanned in search of someone. However, instead of finding answers, more questions were being raised.

As Calian searched the mansion's study, he found himself growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of answers. He paced back and forth, his mind racing as he tried to piece together the enigma that was unfolding before him.

"Where could everyone be?" he whispered to himself, his voice laced with confusion and a hint of desperation. The study was immaculate, the books on the shelves in perfect order, as if the occupants had merely stepped out for a moment.

But the fact that no one had returned, coupled with the cold silence that permeated the mansion, only served to heighten Young's sense of unease. He began to doubt the very premise of their visit, wondering if he and Jalen had somehow stumbled into a trap.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the floor above him. He tensed, ready to defend himself if necessary. But he thought that it couldn't be Jay, since their plan was to search the first floor.

As the footsteps drew closer, Calian's eyes scanned the room, searching for any potential clues or weapons that could aid him in his predicament. That's when he noticed a table adorned with an old abacus lamp and a collection of items that immediately piqued his interest.

Among the items on the table, the man noticed a set of antique keys, a journal with a thick layer of dust, and an old-fashioned magnifying glass. He cautiously approached the table, hoping that one of these items might provide a clue as to the whereabouts of his missing companions.

As he picked up the journal, the sound of the footsteps above stopped abruptly, leaving Calian in a deafening silence. A cold shiver ran down his spine, and he hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do next. But his need for answers and the burning desire to protect his friends compelled him to press on.

Calian flipped through the pages of the journal, his eyes widening as he read the accounts of bizarre experiments and twisted rituals. It was as if the mansion's dark history was being revealed to him, piece by piece. The more he read, the more he realized that the danger they had stumbled into was far greater than he could have ever imagined. It was a memo to McCarthy Institute staff, instructing them to protect themselves in 'extreme cases'.

With a newfound sense of urgency, he gathered the items from the table, including the journal, the keys, and the magnifying glass, and prepared to face whatever awaited him in the depths of the mansion.

As Calian gathered the items from the table, his eyes locked onto a photograph that instantly caught his attention. It depicted an older man with gray hair and a beard, sporting an ornate eyepatch over one of his eyes.

"What on earth is this?" the man whispered to himself as he examined the photograph closely, his brow furrowed in confusion and curiosity.

He recognized the man as Mr. McCarthy, the old anthropologist who had once been a guest lecturer in his part-time volunteer work, back at the Penobscot Indian Island Reservation. He knew that McCarthy had lost the sight in one of his eyes due to an accident during one of his travels around the world.

Beside the anthropologist, the photograph showed an Asian family. A father, wearing a white researcher's coat similar to McCarthy's, sat on a sofa with a mother and two children, twins, a young boy and a girl who appeared to be around ten years old.

Next to the photograph, Calian noticed a newspaper clipping from a Japanese publication. The foreign language was unfamiliar to him, so he couldn't make out the details of the story. Nevertheless, the presence of these images and the context they provided only served to deepen the enigma that surrounded the mansion and its previous inhabitants.

As he continued his search, the man couldn't shake the feeling that he and Jalen had stumbled into something far more sinister than they could have ever anticipated. The weight of the mansion's dark history now rested on his shoulders, and he vowed to unravel the mystery and bring his friends back safely.

His heart raced as he remembered that Mr. McCarthy had recently returned from one of the institute's facilities in Japan. The anthropologist's connection to the mansion and its disturbing history only added to the mounting sense of dread that enveloped him.

With the journal, keys, and magnifying glass in hand, Calian carefully placed the photograph, the newspaper clipping, and the other items into his backpack. He tucked the photo and the memo into his pocket for safekeeping, determined to study them more closely once he and Jay were in a safer place.

The concerned man made his way back to the main hall, hoping that Jalen had had more luck in finding any sign of their missing companions. As he stepped into the open space, his ears perked up, and he heard a man's blood-curdling scream coming from the direction of the hall.

"Jalen?!" Calian called out, pausing briefly to listen for any response. But the mansion's oppressive silence swallowed his words, leaving him alone once more.

Without hesitation, he sprinted towards the source of the sound, adrenaline coursing through his veins. As he entered the hall, he found it eerily empty, devoid of any signs of life. The only indication that the scream had originated from this very spot was the overwhelming feeling of dread that clung to the air.

Puzzled and increasingly anxious, he scanned the area, searching for any clues that might explain the unsettling turn of events. But the more he looked, the more he realized that the mansion's secrets were not about to be unraveled so easily.

"Jay, can you hear me?" Cal shouted, his voice trembling with both concern and confusion. "Where are you? Was it you who screamed a moment ago?" He waited anxiously for a response, but the mansion remained stubbornly silent, leaving him with no answers.

As he stood there, uncertain of what to do next, a chill ran down his spine. It was as if the mansion itself was mocking him, daring him to continue his search for answers. But Calian, fueled by his loyalty to Jalen and the burning need to protect his friends, resolved to press on, no matter the cost.