⚫ Part Six: "The Curse Isn't Over Yet"
"Was I really there?"
Ella sat on her bed, her eyes wide as she stared at the rusty key that hadn't been there the night before. It was cold between her fingers, as if it had just been pulled from an ancient grave.
She turned to her father, who was still watching her with concern.
"Dad..." she whispered hesitantly. "Is there... a basement in our house?"
Her father's face froze for a second before he slowly shook his head. "No, Ella. There's no basement here. Why are you asking?"
A chill ran down her spine.
She had been there. She had touched the walls, heard the whispers. How could it not exist?
But before she could say anything else, she heard laughter echoing from the hallway.
Ethan.
She jumped off the bed and rushed to the door—only to find an empty hallway. The front door was slightly ajar, as if someone had just left.
"But Dad said he left this morning…" she murmured.
And yet, she was sure she had heard his voice.
Just like in the tunnel.
Something was wrong.
The Mark of the Curse
She spent the day trying to ignore the unsettling feeling that followed her. Everything seemed normal, yet she felt an invisible presence watching her every move.
When night came, she decided to brush it off.
But as soon as she entered her room and closed the door, something made the blood in her veins turn to ice.
The mirror.
There was something carved into its surface.
Slowly, heart pounding, she stepped closer and read the words:
"Don't look into her eyes."
Fear gripped her, but before she could move, the lights flickered out.
"You are not alone."
In the darkness, she heard breathing.
But it wasn't hers.
It was heavy, shallow—right behind her.
She tried not to move.
Then the whispers began.
"She sees you..."
"She's waiting..."
"You opened the door..."
Something cold brushed against her neck.
She gasped, stumbling back, fumbling for the light switch with trembling hands.
The light returned.
But when she turned back to the mirror…
Her reflection was smiling.
She wasn't.
The Red Eyes
The next morning, she told no one what had happened.
But when she entered the kitchen, something felt off.
Ethan was there.
But it wasn't him.
He looked pale, exhausted. And when their eyes met, she saw it—a faint, burning red glow in his irises.
Just like the entity in the tunnel.
She stepped toward him, but he pulled away, as if he knew she had seen the truth.
Something was still inside him.
This had all started with Ethan.
And now, she was sure of one thing.
Ethan had not been himself since that night.
He walked out, his steps heavy, heading toward the woods.
Ella watched from her bedroom window as he disappeared between the trees.
Without hesitation, she followed.
She tracked him deep into the forest, her breath hitching as she saw him suddenly collapse.
"Ethan!" she ran to him, dropping to her knees.
His eyelids fluttered as he struggled to open his eyes.
"Ethan… are you okay? Have you come back?"
Ethan blinked in confusion, pushing himself up weakly.
"Come back? What are you talking about?"
"The entity… it took over your body last night. In the basement."
His brows furrowed. "I remember… something. Where are we? What is this place?"
Ella looked around. It looked like an old, private graveyard.
"I… I don't know. The entity led you here. I followed."
Ethan slowly stood, his eyes scanning the gravestones—until one name caught his attention.
A name he had heard before.
Mariana.