The blue door opened another inch.

Nora couldn’t breathe.

A tall shadow stood on the other side.

It was too tall to be human.

Its head nearly touched the ceiling.

Its body was hidden beneath a long black coat.

But Nora could not see its face.

Only two pale eyes stared back at her.

Ella stood beside Nora, trembling.

“Don’t look into his eyes.”

Nora immediately looked away.

The shadow smiled.

“You brought her back.”

Nora frowned.

“Who?”

The voice changed.

For a second, it sounded like an old man’s voice.

Then a woman’s.

Then Adam’s.

“Nora…”

She froze.

It sounded exactly like her brother.

“Adam?”

Ella grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t answer.”

The voice came again.

“Nora, please.”

Tears filled her eyes.

“That sounds like him.”

“It wants you to believe that.”

The shadow stepped forward.

Its foot touched the floor.

The entire house shook.

THUD.

Nora stepped backward.

“What are you?”

The shadow laughed.

“I have been waiting for someone to ask.”

The lights flickered.

Then the shadow’s face became visible.

Nora screamed.

It had no face.

Only smooth pale skin.

No mouth.

No nose.

No ears.

Yet it was still smiling.

A thin black line slowly appeared where its mouth should have been.

Then it whispered:

“I am what your family buried.”

---

Nora grabbed Ella’s hand.

“Run.”

They turned.

The corridor behind them had changed.

It was no longer the hallway of the house.

The walls were covered in black roots.

The windows had disappeared.

The floor stretched endlessly.

Ella pulled Nora forward.

“Don’t stop!”

“What is happening?”

“He woke up.”

“Who?”

“Him.”

The thing behind them began walking.

Slowly.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Nora looked back.

The corridor was empty.

Then she saw him at the far end.

He was standing completely still.

But every time she blinked, he was closer.

Ella screamed:

“Don’t look back!”

Nora turned forward.

They ran.

---

They reached a wooden door.

Ella pushed it open.

Nora stumbled inside.

The door slammed behind them.

Silence.

Nora looked around.

She was standing in a child’s bedroom.

A small bed.

A wooden desk.

Old toys.

A cracked mirror.

And hundreds of drawings covering the walls.

Every drawing showed the same faceless man.

Nora walked toward the desk.

There was a diary.

She opened it.

The handwriting belonged to a child.

My name is Ella.

Nora turned the page.

Father says I must never leave the house.

Another.

Mother says the house is sick.

Another.

Father talks to the walls.

Another.

The walls talk back.

Nora felt cold.

She continued reading.

Tonight Father locked Mother inside the wall.

Her hand began shaking.

Another page.

I tried to help her.

Another.

Father saw me.

Another.

The writing became messy.

He said I had to join Mother.

Then one final sentence.

I am not dead. I am trapped.

Nora closed the diary.

Ella stood in the corner.

“He locked you inside.”

The girl nodded.

“What happened to your mother?”

Ella looked at the wall.

“She became part of the house.”

Nora stared at her.

“What does that mean?”

“She is everywhere.”

Suddenly, a woman’s voice whispered through the room.

“Ella…”

Ella’s eyes widened.

“Mother?”

The walls began breathing.

Nora felt the floor move beneath her feet.

The wallpaper slowly rose and fell.

Like skin.

Like something alive.

The woman’s voice came again.

“Ella…”

The girl ran toward the wall.

“Mother!”

Nora grabbed her.

“No!”

A hand suddenly pushed through the wallpaper.

A woman’s hand.

Pale.

Thin.

Covered in blood.

Ella screamed.

“Mother!”

The hand reached toward her.

Nora pulled her away.

The wallpaper split.

A face appeared inside the wall.

A woman’s face.

Her eyes were closed.

Her lips moved.

“Run…”

Nora froze.

The woman opened her eyes.

“Run before he finds you.”

The wall closed again.

Ella stared at it.

“Mother…”

Nora held her.

“She’s trying to protect you.”

Ella looked at her.

“She always did.”

---

A loud crash came from outside the room.

Nora turned.

The door began shaking.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

The faceless man was outside.

Ella whispered:

“There is another way.”

“Where?”

She pointed toward the wardrobe.

Nora opened it.

Behind the clothes was a small opening.

A tunnel.

They crawled inside.

The tunnel was narrow.

Nora had to move sideways.

Behind them, the bedroom door exploded open.

Wood flew across the room.

The faceless man entered.

He stood motionless.

Then he turned toward the wardrobe.

His head tilted.

He knew.

Nora covered her mouth.

Ella whispered:

“Keep moving.”

They crawled deeper.

The tunnel eventually opened into a basement.

Nora climbed out.

Adam was there.

He was sitting against the wall.

His face was covered in dirt.

“Adam!”

Nora ran toward him.

He stood.

“Nora!”

They hugged.

“You’re alive.”

“I thought you were dead.”

“What happened?”

Adam looked toward Ella.

“Who is she?”

“Her name is Ella.”

Adam stared at the girl.

“She looks familiar.”

Nora frowned.

“How?”

“I don’t know.”

Ella stepped closer.

“Because you saw me before.”

“When?”

“Before you came here.”

Adam looked confused.

“I don’t remember.”

“You weren’t supposed to.”

---

The basement was filled with old boxes.

Nora noticed one marked:

VALE FAMILY — PRIVATE

She opened it.

Inside were photographs.

Newspapers.

Letters.

And a small cassette recorder.

Adam picked it up.

“This is old.”

Nora found a cassette beside it.

She inserted it.

A woman’s voice began playing.

Nora recognized it immediately.

Their aunt.

“If you are hearing this, the house has chosen another Vale.”

Nora’s heart began pounding.

“Do not trust the girl.”

Ella looked down.

The recording continued.

“She will tell you she is a victim.”

Nora looked at Ella.

“She is.”

“Or she was.”

Nora’s eyes widened.

The recording continued.

“Ella is not the only thing living inside the walls.”

A pause.

Then their aunt whispered:

“Neither am I.”

The tape clicked.

Silence.

Adam looked at Nora.

“What does that mean?”

The basement lights went out.

Ella whispered:

“He knows.”

A man’s voice answered from the darkness.

“Yes.”

Nora grabbed Adam’s hand.

The voice came closer.

“You found my records.”

A shadow appeared at the end of the basement.

The faceless man.

Nora backed away.

“Stay behind me.”

Adam picked up a metal pipe.

“Who are you?”

The creature laughed.

“I have many names.”

“What do you want?”

“You.”

Nora’s heart raced.

“Why?”

“Because your blood opened the house.”

Adam looked at her.

“What does that mean?”

The creature raised one hand.

The walls began shaking.

“You are the last Vale.”

Nora shook her head.

“So?”

“The house needs a keeper.”

“What?”

“You have two choices.”

The creature stepped forward.

“Become the keeper…”

It pointed toward the walls.

“…or become part of them.”

Nora looked at Ella.

“What happens to the keeper?”

Ella whispered:

“They can never leave.”

Nora looked at Adam.

He shook his head.

“No.”

The creature smiled.

“You can save your brother.”

Nora stared at it.

“How?”

“Take my place.”

“No!”

Adam grabbed her.

“Don’t listen.”

The creature continued.

“Or your brother stays inside the walls forever.”

Nora looked at Adam.

He was terrified.

She couldn’t lose him.

She stepped forward.

“Fine.”

Adam stared at her.

“Nora, no!”

“I’ll do it.”

The creature smiled.

“Good.”

Ella screamed.

“NO!”

The creature turned toward her.

“You should have stayed quiet.”

Ella’s body suddenly lifted from the ground.

She screamed.

Nora ran toward her.

“Leave her!”

The creature threw Ella across the basement.

She hit the wall and collapsed.

Nora screamed.

“Stop!”

The creature turned toward Nora.

“Say the words.”

“What words?”

“Accept the house.”

Nora looked at Adam.

Then at Ella.

She closed her eyes.

“I accept—”

“DON’T!”

Ella suddenly shouted.

Nora opened her eyes.

Ella was standing again.

Blood ran from her forehead.

“Don’t accept it.”

“Why?”

Ella looked at the creature.

“Because he is lying.”

The creature’s smile disappeared.

Ella continued:

“He doesn’t need a keeper.”

Nora stared.

“Then what does he need?”

Ella pointed toward Nora.

“He needs a body.”

Silence.

The creature suddenly rushed forward.

Adam pushed Nora aside.

The creature’s hand struck him.

He flew across the room.

“ADAM!”

Nora ran toward him.

He was unconscious.

The creature approached.

Its faceless head bent toward Nora.

“You should have listened.”

Nora backed away.

Then she noticed something behind it.

A mirror.

The same mirror from her bedroom.

Its surface was completely black.

Ella shouted:

“Look at the mirror!”

Nora turned.

The creature screamed.

For the first time, it sounded afraid.

Its body began shaking.

The mirror showed its reflection.

But the reflection was not the faceless creature.

It was a young man.

Human.

Terrified.

And standing behind him was a woman.

Nora realized the truth.

“That isn’t your reflection.”

The creature screamed louder.

Ella whispered:

“The mirror remembers what he really is.”

Nora grabbed the mirror.

The creature lunged toward her.

Ella shouted:

“Break it!”

Nora smashed the mirror against the floor.

CRACK!

A blinding white light filled the basement.

The creature screamed.

The house shook violently.

Walls cracked.

Windows shattered upstairs.

Then everything went silent.

Nora opened her eyes.

The creature was gone.

But so was Ella.

Only one thing remained.

A small red ribbon.

Nora picked it up.

Behind her, Adam slowly opened his eyes.

“Nora?”

She rushed to him.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

He looked around.

“Where’s the girl?”

Nora turned.

Ella was standing at the basement door.

But she looked different.

She was smiling.

And for the first time, her eyes were normal.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Nora smiled.

“Are you free?”

Ella nodded.

Then she looked frightened.

“But you broke the mirror.”

“Yes.”

“You shouldn’t have.”

“Why?”

Ella’s expression changed.

“Because that was the only thing keeping him trapped.”

Nora’s smile disappeared.

“What?”

A deep sound came from beneath the house.

Boom.

The floor shook.

Ella whispered:

“He’s free.”

The lights went out.

And somewhere above them, a man’s voice laughed.