A special rule?
Hearing Old Anton's words, Byrne and Selena both froze.
There was no such thing as a free lunch. Given the excellent condition of the house and the suspiciously low rent, this "special rule" was likely the true core of the deal.
Thinking of this, Byrne smiled. "Feel free to be direct. As long as it isn't too outrageous, I can accept it."
Old Anton nodded. "Alright, then I'll say it plainly. The rule is: do not open the storage room door at night."
That's it?
Initially, Byrne had worried that Old Anton would propose some exceptionally harsh demands or bizarre eccentricities. He hadn't expected the rule to be so simple.
"Is that really the only rule?" Byrne asked, wanting to be absolutely sure.
Old Anton said firmly, "Yes. As long as you can guarantee that from sunset to sunrise, you will never push open that storage room door, I can rent this house to you."
"What if it's opened by accident?" Selena ventured.
Old Anton shook his head. "There is no such thing as an accident. Either you follow my rule, or you don't rent this house."
His tone wasn't harsh, but it carried an uncompromising finality that only deepened the suspicion in Byrne's heart.
Byrne turned his gaze toward the storage room. During the initial tour, Old Anton had brushed past it with a very brief introduction. The more he downplayed it, the more wrong it felt. Why would a seemingly ordinary storage room have such a strict nighttime ban? Was there something valuable inside he feared tenants would covet, or did it hide some dark secret?
Byrne's eyes lingered on the door for a few seconds. Using his heightened perception, he tried to detect an anomaly. The room sat in the corner of the living room; the door was made of deep brown solid wood, matching the rest of the house's furniture. There were no special markings; it looked perfectly mundane.
Should I try a psychic probe?
But just as Byrne began to channel his power, Selena nudged his arm. That silent warning snapped him back to his senses. Without knowing the old man's background, it was best not to use psychic powers recklessly.
"Hearing you say that actually makes me more curious about this room. If it can't be opened at night, does that mean it's fine during the day?"
Byrne's question was blunt. He locked his eyes onto Old Anton's face, searching for a flicker of a reaction. He could feel that behind this simple rule lay a hidden story.
Old Anton remained silent for several seconds before speaking again.
"It can be opened during the day. It's actually empty—nothing is inside. If you have odds and ends to store, you can put them in there during the day. Just remember: after sunset, no matter what happens, you must not touch that door."
"Empty?"
Byrne arched an eyebrow. His doubts didn't dissipate; they intensified. Why place such a draconian ban on a room that contained nothing? It was completely illogical.
He looked at the door again. The deep brown wood stood silently in the corner like a secret waiting to be unearthed.
"Hehe. Now I'm even more curious. Would you mind opening it for us?"
Byrne could see that Old Anton placed extreme importance on this room. The more protective he was, the more Byrne needed to confirm the situation. After all, if he rented this place, he would be living here long-term; any potential hidden dangers could not be ignored.
Old Anton frowned, appearing hesitant. However, he soon recovered and stood up, walking toward the storage room.
"Fine. I'll let you look, if only to settle your minds. But I stand by what I said: daytime is fine, but you absolutely cannot touch it at night."
Byrne and Selena followed closely, eyes fixed on the door. Old Anton reached out with a withered palm, gripped the handle, and gave it a gentle twist.
Creaaaak.
The wooden door was slowly pushed open. The two leaned in to look. Just as Old Anton had said, the storage room was empty. It was small—less than ten square meters by Byrne's estimation. The walls matched the living room, and the floor was made of the same solid wood planks.
"See? There's nothing in here."
Old Anton stepped aside, gesturing for them to step inside for a better look. Byrne entered to inspect the room while casually chatting with the old man.
"How long have you lived on Wisteria Street?"
"Nearly fifty years. In the blink of an eye, this house has become an antique."
"Then why leave this room empty? Why not put something in it?"
"Hah. I'm just a lonely old man. I don't have much junk to store. If it's empty, it stays empty."
"If you're so worried about tenants opening it at night, why not just lock it?"
The moment the words left Byrne's mouth, he caught a slight twitch in the corner of Old Anton's eye.
"Hehe. This door cannot be locked."
Cannot be locked?
Byrne's brow shot up. "Is it a faulty lock, or...?"
"Young man, stop trying to bait me. I cannot explain the specific reason. You only need to know it is for your own good. I've rented this house out for over ten years, and the previous tenants were always fine... until that boy..."
Old Anton stopped abruptly. He realized he had let his tongue slip in the heat of the moment.
Byrne's heart leaped. He immediately pressed, "Who was he? What happened to him?"
At the same time, Selena stared at Old Anton, waiting for his answer. She could sense that this seemingly ordinary old man and this storage room hid a story that was anything but simple. And "that boy" was likely the key to this strange rule.
Old Anton remained silent for a long time before slowly relaxing his clenched hands. He let out a heavy sigh.
"Originally, there was no such rule for renting this house. Everything changed six months ago. The tenant back then was a young man in his early twenties. His name was Tim; he was a freight hauler. He didn't talk much and seemed honest. He always paid his rent on time, and in his spare time, he'd even help me tend to the flowers in the yard."
As Old Anton spoke, his eyes held a trace of regret mixed with a lingering gravity. Byrne and Selena listened quietly, not daring to interrupt.
"Tim's first two months were fine. The change happened in the third month. One night, I got up to use the washroom. Passing his room, I saw the door open and he wasn't inside. I figured he was also using the facilities, so I didn't think much of it. But when I checked the washroom, it was empty. Just as I was wondering where he went, I heard footsteps from the first floor. When I went down to look, Tim was standing in front of the open storage room door."
"A second later, he completely vanished."