<b>Chapter </b><b>171 </b>


    Elena’s POV:


    <b>Ah</b>… so it wasn’t just something he felt from the beginning. It was a gradual process, a slow, insidious erosion of affection and paternal instinct as he watched Lazar grow older, a reflection of his mother’s worst qualities.


    I think…understood that. And even if I didn’t, it was his own life, his own quiet torment, and I didn’t think it would make sense for me to preach to him on it.


    The minutes passed by in silence. The scent ofvender and sugar from the macaroons, began to soothe the rough edges of my emotions. I finally gained my appetite and reached for the teacup. They really were as good as he’d said they’d be.


    “How about I have the rest packed and you can take them home?” he asked, a small smile on his face, now visible since he’d taken off his mask to eat.


    I looked at him, surprised. “Are you sure?”


    He gave a small, weary shrug. “They are just going to end up in the garbage otherwise.”


    I frowned. “Don’t do that. You shouldn’t waste food. Just pack it for me,” I said, a little sigh escaping me. I heard him chuckle.


    Afterwards, the next half an hour passed surprisingly quickly as he showed me around a couple more floors, his movements a little slower than they had beenst time. It was a fascinating tour. We saw a cinema room, with seats that reclined at a touch and a screen that took up the entire wall. There was a library that held more books than I had ever seen in my life, with adder that glided along a track to reach the highest shelves.


    But then, he took me down to the ‘war‘ room, a sterile, white space that looked more like a private shooting range. Live ammunition was stacked in neat, gleaming rows, and targets were set up at varying distances.


    He put a pistol in my hand and taught me how to correct my aim, his hands, now firm and precise as they guided my own. The recoil was more than I had expected, and I sighed, bending down and rubbing my wrist. It was only the third round, and my hand already ached.


    “Let’s stop if it’s too much,” he said, his voice a low, gravelly note of concem.


    I let out a breathyugh, the sound a little shaky. “I really need to improve my stamina. I’ve gotten too weak,” I said, looking up at him, a genuine sense of frustration in my voice. He shrugged, then turned the other way to cough. I got up then, setting the gun down, but he stopped me, reaching out and gently taking the weapon from my hands.


    He reloaded it, flicked the safety on, and then ced it back in my hand, his fingers brushing against mine. “Keep it. You know how to use it.”


    I frowned at his words. “Isn’t that illegal?” I asked, my voice a small, uncertain whisper.


    He chuckled, a low, humorless sound that waspletely devoid of emotion. “It’s only illegal if you get caught, dochka.” He said.


    I pursed my lips. A thousand thoughts, a million possibilities, ran through my mind. This was a man who gave me a gun as a gift, a man who saw no moral gray area in it. What did that say about him? What did it say about me?


    After a long while of contemtion, I just shrugged. It’s not like I was going to use it. It’s cool, just like collecting cars, or watches, or any other useless trinket. What’s the worst that could happen? A small voice in the back of my mind told me to be wary, to give it back, but I ignored it. I had been strict for so long. Maybe it was time to be a little reckless.


    I looked at the time on my phone. It was already nine o’clock. “You look tired… and it’s gettingte… I should probably leave.” I said. It would take me an hour to get back to the hospital.


    Sergei nodded, a slow, weary motion. “Alright/You can stay the night if you want… but I’m sure you’ll decline.” he said, the corner of his lips turning <b>up </b><b>in </b>a knowing smile.


    I smiled back, a sincere, genuine smile. “I need to get back to Haider.”


    20:55 <b>Wed</b><b>, </b><b>27 </b><b>Aug </b>M


    He nodded again, a look of understanding in his eyes. “You’re wee toe and explore anytime. This whole ce is your yground You don’t need to let me know in advance.” he said. I frowned a little at his choice of words, but I nodded.


    My yground, huh?


    With that, we entered the elevator together, the silence between us morefortable this time. We rode the elevator back to the foyer. As we walked into the grand, open space, I turned when 1 realized he was going to step out with me. I shook my head. “You should go back to your room, <b>I’ll </b>head out on my own.” His eyes had turned red, a thin, sickly sheen of red, and I honestly felt guilty foring thiste and keeping him up. He looked exhausted, the color drained from his face.


    He sighed then, a weary, defeated sound, and nodded. “Be careful.” he said, his voice a low, finalmand.


    I nodded. “You too, take care.”


    With that said, I turned and made my way out of the mansion, the heavy door closing behind me with a quiet thud that was more final than I had anticipated. The day was eventful, full of revtions and new understandings, but I felt a little anxious on the inside, an ufortable feeling settling in my stomach.


    Maybe it was because I wasn’t tired enough to go home yet. Was it bad that I wanted to explore more? The thought felt a little wrong, but the curiosity was a powerful, consuming fire in my gut. I had just been given the keys to a kingdom, and I wanted to see what was behind every door.


    I sighed and turned to give the estate onest look. Well, as much as I wanted to, it would be weird to go back in. My gaze flicked to the backyard, a space I hadn’t noticed much before, and I paused. The area was well–lit, with manicuredwns and neat rows of hedges, but what caught my eyes was a darker, more secluded ce at the very back.


    Was that a greenhouse? The structure looked old, made of thick, rusted metal frames and stained ss panes. There was a light flickering inside, a small, dancing me in the darkness. My eyes went back to the painting I had seen, of Anaya among flowers. And then my mind went back to Sergei’s words.


    He said I could explore as much as I wanted, right? Wouldn’t it be alright then for me to spend a few minutes checking the ce out? It was a small


    detour. It would only take a few minutes or so.


    With that decided, I began walking forward. I soon reached the massive greenhouse, its ss panes reflecting the distant light of the moon. The closer! got, the more I could feel a strangeness from the ce. Only… the moment I walked closer, I realized it was locked, with massive, heavy chains wrapped around the handle, a padlock the size of my fist holding it all in ce. The sight made me pause.


    I frowned. Why would the ce have a light turned on if the doors were locked? It was a contradiction. I looked around, my senses on high alert now. The atmosphère seemed to have turned eerie at the backside of the mansion. The air felt colder, as though no one ever came here. I felt my arms shudder then, and a voice in the back of my mind told me to just leave, to turn back and get in the car.


    I turned towards the other side from where I came from. There was more grass and flowers around that area, even though it was less lit. I decided to just walk over. Only I paused when I heard a metallic clunk. A sharp, clear sound that seemed toe from directly below my feet.


    I frowned. One step forward. Once again, that thunking sound. I finally looked down, my eyes fixed on the ground. The noise wasing from below my feet, a strange echo of metal on metal.


    I looked around. It would be pretty stupid to bend down and take a look, wouldn’t it? Like in an atmosphere like this, a horror movie viin was bound to show up. Or a ghost. I could almost hear the eerie, low music of a horror film ying in the background.


    But once again, I realized that I was stupid. Because I did exactly that. I bent down, ignoring the cold chill that ran up my spine. I pushed the soil aside, my fingers scraping at the ground, and realized that the thinyer of weeds and dirt was just a camouge for something else. My eyes widened as I saw a massive b of metal covering. It was smooth, dark, and felt impossibly cold.


    I waited a few minutes after touching it, my breath held. I expected something to happen, like the front door. Maybe a scanner. Some noise. An rm. A fucking bomb. Nothing. Nothing happened. That’s when I realized this… was a door. Like the basement door at the back of my house. Only this one wasn’t wood, and it was hidden well, a secret entrance in a hidden part of <b>a </b>fortress.


    That only spiked my curiosity further. I licked my lips and pulled my phone out, turning the torch on for a clearer look. The beam <b>of </b>light fell on the door, revealing its sleek, unblemished surface. There was no writing on it, no lock. It was a perfectly smooth, uninviting door.


    I pursed my lips and, taking a deep breath, I pulled the door open. It moved with a quiet, sickening creak, a sound that seemed <b>to </b>echo in the eerie


    20:55 Wed 27 Ang *


    Chaw 1:1


    silence. I proked in, my eyes widened at they inàNG NH a 10% D? X clean, and descended into a pitch ck abyss.


    da pax mara climb Haest coural statis but nesīstami dabo. They are made


    With my lips pursed. I got up and took the stairs down slowly 16 ***ing Any of


    ding the cold hanider. My p merkstad with avery cleg e


    took, the rhythmic thumping & loud deum in my art. 1 used the mub torch to long for a light onures and finally found a small silver sunch at the bottom of the stairs licked it open, and the sudden, harsh tight of the room madis ma stint. My syes shipped argind the num, tubing in the neona before me. And the Blood drained from my face.


    <b>AD </b>