chapter 2

The next morning they were all ready to leave with their little bags only Amelia had a bagpack that was quite big which they ignored

As the car drove they chatted about their life and job and other things

only Amelia looked uninterested and kept shut through the journey

"Hey Amelia you look so serious~ you should also join us to chat even though you are a senior right? "

Harper asked deliberately

the reply he received was just a short glance from her then silence

The car was awkward and

Jane decided to ask

"Senior what's your private task?"

"Secret"

Amelia replied

"Uhm do you have a side job"

mia asked

"I do"

Amelia answered

"Oh! you do what is it ?"

Mia asked excited after hearing her answer thinking Amelia would talk about her job

"A Secret"

Amelia replied and they were stunned

"What do you mean by this ?"

It was Xander who couldn't take it anymore and asked looking annoyed

"Who does she think she is ?

If you don't want to work with us then get lost... we didn't ask you to tag along Anyway, take your secretive self away from here!"

" Are you done yelling my ears hurt from all your noise"

Amelia leaned on the seat

" When we get there wake me up I'm going to take a nap "

The others "..... "

They looked speechless at her unbothered reaction

" Seriously she going to take a nap..? " Xander wondered

It was like punching cotton as she had no reaction to their displeased mood

Leo chuckled

"alright let her be "

"Sooo"

Jane  turned to Leo

"what's your side job!?"

She asked him

"Me ?... Uhm I'm a police man though i retired"

he answered Jane

" Whoa really I'm a student "

Jane said

" I'm a historical journalist''

mia stated with a smile

'' well I was a translator before becoming an explorer ''

Xander said they turned to Harper

" What? I'm just a rich young master "

he stated

" Actually Harper is also good in sports though rebellious "

Jane whispered

" You know I can hear you right"

Harper said behind her

"Just pretend you can't"

Jane said

"I'm not deaf even if I pretend to be"

Harper joked

The car was filled with laughter again

  and it drove away

The car stopped at the hill and they walked down going into the villages

And finally came to the beautiful mansion built like a castle

"This place looks really worthy of being a mansion"

Harper said

They dropped their bags and went searching for locals to question about the place only Amelia sat there whom they ignored

They were few people in the remote area and they looked poor and lived in dilapidated buildings

They just gave vague replies which amounted to nothing and depressly walked back

"Oh you all are finally back tch! what a waste of time"

she said sarcastically

They couldn't refute as they indeed found nothing useful and wasted time

"Shall we go in now"

she asked

...they just gathered at the entrance

"What are you younglings doing here ?"

They turned to see a old man who gave them sympathetic looks despite looking blind

He looked like he would fall to his death in no time as he was malnourished and in rags

"Old man what do you mean" 

Harper asked disrespectfully

"Don't you know it is forbidden to go into the elder mansion or do you have death wish " he replied

" Have you been here? "

It was Amelia who asked

" My kids were lost here I advice you to leave this place is full of evil energy  it is not visible to the physical eyes"

" Old man why did you run off to "

someone rushed in

It was a young man who supothe old man and he saw them neatly dressed and apologized cautiously with a bow

" Carry on, carry on , this old man is a bit loose in The head and says strange words "

The person pulled the old man away

" Is that man trying to Scare us away cause I'm sure it's not working at all"

Harper said

" True "

Xander nodded

" Let's go in first "

Leo ordered

He pushed the creaking gates into the compound and they walked to the double doors

Amelia gave a thoughtful look at the old man's back and followed them in

" This place despite being old is still so beautiful nice"

mia murmured

" Yeah "

Jane murmured too

They managed to open the lock and

Enter the house

The place was dusty filled with cobwebs and paintings that are old almost every where

The mansion was huge with segment separating each place

It has the stairs that leads up and different rooms to show that the owners then were a large family

With the wives and servents no one would be surprised

They went round the place

"Guys they are quite old painting on the walls here "

They went to the long hallways

Lit the lamps but it was still quite dim

And indeed there were portraits but they were torn or scratched completely disfigured and unrecognizable

Except one it had a lady standing among shadows her face was blur but the name was still written on it

"The words are quite old can you read it " Leo asked and Xander nodded

He lifted a lamp to read the words written on it

" Matilda Lin - the only successful and surviving

Enchantress of the great Elderkarlos family the fifth "

The lights flickered fiercely as he called it out

" Don't call anything you see so casually"

he heard Amelia say

" I will go up to check"

Leo said

" I just read it out what's there to be so mean about"

Xander wondered

She turned to him

" It's strange"

" How?"

Xander asked confused

" don't be decieved by illusions"

she left

Xander followed wondering what she meant

Jane felt cold all over and rushed out

She felt watched

The dim hallways was silent and a soft voice spoke

" I have company ha... it's been so long since I last had company "

The halls returned to it's creepy silence once again

Jane went to the others

" I feel spooked out Xander like someone is watching me".

She whispered to Xander and Harper who  overheard gave her a look and then scoffed

" You are such a scaredy cat "

he mumured

" There's nothing there to be frightened about "

Xander replied

" But "

" That's ok "

" Go join leo upstairs "

Harper said and walked away

Xander and Jane following behind

Behind them Amelia held her lamp and pointed it towards the hallways

She had a thoughtful look on her face not knowing what she thought of she grinned glanced again at the hallways

..

..

..

" Indeed we were being watched"

she whispered in a voice no one heard she turned and followed them up stairs too

As she left a shadow scurried away