Part 29 – The House of Secrets

The car finally rolled to a stop in front of a large, weathered estate hidden deep in the countryside. The old stone walls were covered in creeping vines, and the windows—tall and dark—seemed to stare down at them.

Maya shivered. There was something about this place. Something… wrong.

"This is it?" Arjun asked, eyeing the looming house.

Aditya checked the map, then nodded. "Yeah. If anyone knows about the first person who had the visions, it's whoever lives here."

Maya exhaled and stepped out of the car. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and old wood. As they approached the heavy oak door, Aditya hesitated before knocking.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Silence.

Then, the slow creak of footsteps inside.

The door opened just enough for a pair of sharp hazel eyes to peer through. An old man stood there, his face lined with age but his gaze piercing with intelligence.

"You shouldn't have come," he said, his voice low and firm.

Maya's breath hitched. "We just need answers."

The man studied them for a moment before sighing. He opened the door wider, motioning for them to enter. "Then come inside. But be warned… you may not like what you find."

The three of them exchanged glances before stepping into the dimly lit house.

Inside, the air was thick with dust and the scent of old books. Shelves lined the walls, filled with ancient journals, scattered notes, and strange symbols drawn on paper.

Aditya's gaze landed on an old photograph resting on a wooden table. He picked it up and froze.

Maya leaned over his shoulder and gasped.

It was a picture of the orphanage.

And standing in front of it—the old man himself.

Arjun narrowed his eyes. "Who exactly are you?"

The man set his cane down and exhaled. "My name is Elias Verma. And I was the first to have the visions."

Silence fell over the room.

Maya felt her stomach twist. If Elias was the first, then that meant—he knew everything.

She took a step closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Tell us everything."

Elias sighed, rubbing his temples. "This estate… it wasn't always abandoned. It was a facility, a place where experiments were conducted."

Maya felt her stomach tighten. "Experiments on what?"

Elias looked at her, his hazel eyes filled with something unreadable. "On us."

Silence filled the room.

Aditya clenched his fists. "You mean… the visions?"

Elias nodded. "You, me, everyone on that list. We weren't just orphans. We were chosen."

Arjun crossed his arms. "Chosen for what?"

Elias pulled out an old photograph from a drawer. It was a picture of the estate from years ago, with doctors standing in front, their faces cold and emotionless. Behind them were children… all staring blankly at the camera.

Maya's throat went dry. "They… experimented on us?"

Elias placed a stack of old files on the table. "They were studying something they called 'The Sight.' They believed certain children had the ability to perceive future events. But they didn't just observe… they tried to control it."

Maya felt a cold shiver. "Control it how?"

Elias hesitated before flipping open a file. Inside was a medical report—on a child.

Her own name was written on it.

Maya's breath hitched. "This… this is me."

Elias nodded. "They monitored you for years. You don't remember because they erased parts of our memories. But I escaped before they could take mine."

Aditya's hands curled into fists. "And my sister?"

Elias exhaled. "She found out too much. She got too close to the truth. And… she paid the price."

Aditya turned away, his body tense with grief and rage.

Arjun suddenly spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "So the visions… they were never natural."

Elias gave a grim nod. "They were forced."

Maya stared at the documents, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Her entire life… had been a lie.

She swallowed hard. "Then we have to stop this. We have to find out who did this to us."

Elias hesitated. "If you really want to know the truth, there's one last place you need to go."

Maya met his gaze. "Where?"

Elias's voice was barely above a whisper. "The underground labs… beneath this estate."

Maya's hands went cold.

The answers were here.

And so was the nightmare.