Elara's eyes widened as she stared at the corridor. The hallway was back longer than ever, stretching into darkness. The wallpaper peeled on its own, curling like fingers to reveal the hidden wooden door beneath.
Her heart pounded. Every instinct screamed at her to turn and run… but something stronger than fear drew her forward. Something familiar.
The other Elara grabbed her arm. "Don't. It… it knows you."
Elara shook her head. "What does that even mean?"
The floorboards creaked beneath their feet as they stepped into the corridor. The carved door at the far end pulsed faintly, almost like it had a heartbeat. Symbols twisted across the wood, curling into shapes Elara didn't recognize but somehow… understood.
She shivered. "It's… watching me."
The other Elara's hollow eyes filled with urgency. "It remembers everything. Every time you left, every memory you tried to hide… it's all here. And it wants it back."
Elara swallowed hard. A sudden whisper crawled through the walls, soft but sharp: "Come closer…"
Her chest tightened. Her feet moved against her will. It was like invisible strings pulled her toward the door. She tried to stop, but every step forward felt natural, almost like walking through water, slow and relentless.
The other Elara grabbed her wrist again. "Fight it! Don't let it take you!"
But the whispers grew louder, repeating words only Elara could understand names of people she had forgotten, places she had never visited, childhood memories she couldn't place.
Each step toward the door felt heavier. The corridor walls stretched and warped around her. The air grew colder. The symbols on the door shifted, forming faces that looked like people she knew… but not exactly.
"Elara…" the whisper became her own voice again. "You belong here…"
A sharp pain ran through her skull. Flashing images of the mansion different versions of herself trapped inside rooms, stuck in mirrors, behind walls filled her mind. She staggered.
The other Elara shouted, "Stop! If it touches your mind, you'll never come back!"
Elara's hand reached out on its own. Her fingers brushed the cold carved wood. The door vibrated, almost alive, and a rush of wind exploded through the corridor. Whispers became screams, pulling at her soul.
The other Elara screamed her name, but her voice sounded distant, swallowed by the door's power.
Before Elara could pull back, the door swung open… by itself. Darkness spilled out, curling like smoke toward her. And then a hand pale, twisted, familiar reached for her from inside the blackness.
"Elara…"
It was her own face.