Xiumin and I stood right before the manhole, waiting for Chanyeol’s go signal.

                In the distance, I could see Sehun and D.O. watching us warily. There had been a change of plan at the last minute. D.O. was to accompany Sehun instead of Kris because the proximity was advantageous for D.O. to keep track on us. Kris  was left to guard Tao back at home with Kai who is considerably moody since the morning. I completely disregarded his demeanor and told him not to even try getting near the manor unless necessary. He gave me a pointed look without a single utterance. Knowing Kai, he’s bound not to follow me.

                Sehun raised his hand and waved at us. I tried to smile with confidence but failed. Instead, I just recalled what he told me a little while earlier. Just before we had widened the distance between us five, Sehun pulled my arm and whispered to my ear, “You better get back here slave, so I could give you your birthday gift.”

                “I’m not your slave, and…” I raised one eyebrow at him and said, “birthday gift?”

                “Yeah well I browsed your mom’s calendar on the kitchen counter,” he said knowingly. “You didn’t tell anyone it was your birthday yesterday.”

                I mentally counted the days in my head and realized that he was right. I smiled stupidly and said, “I forgot.”

                “I figured,” he said before letting go of my arm. “So what I’m saying is, don’t get killed and I’ll give you something.”

                “Okay,” I said. “You better make it big, Oh Sehun. I’m expecting.”

                And then the idiot smirked at me.

                From below, I heard Chanyeol say, “You can come down now.”

                Xiumin and I put on our masks and then started to climb down slowly. Xiumin headed down first and then I stealthily followed.

                 The cloak felt everything but comfortable as I stepped on the metal railing. I had to wear insoles too so I could look as tall as those shadows. With Xiumin right below me, I tried my best not to step on the wrong foot or it would lead to a terrible accident I would not have wanted to mark the beginning of this dangerous expedition. Fortunately, we managed without breaking our necks.

                Unlike me, Chanyeol chose to wear more comfortable clothes -- just a black shirt and tight pants. He was holding a flashlight and gestured for us to follow after him. By that point, I was concentrating on controlling our duires, keeping it low so that no one will notice our presence. We hardly talked during the walk and that was quite a good thing because the smell was getting too heavy in my head. Somewhere nearby, the constant pat, pat, pat of water disturbed what otherwise would be a hollow, eerie silence. We hurried our steps in that tunnel-like narrow lane where the ceiling kept getting higher and higher until I couldn't see it anymore. Chanyeol seemed to know the place well so I just ignored the anxiety building in my chest and let him lead.

                For what felt like an hour, we did nothing but walk. I realized that the reason Chanyeol didn't take this long before is because he didn’t need to use his human feet. Eventually, the sewers diverged into two and we took the left upward-slanting path. Soon thereafter, Chanyeol pointed the flashlight to the wall, and we were welcomed by a view of a climbing steel. Chanyeol went first and opened the door high up. I followed and Xiumin came last.

                Chanyeol grabbed my hand, hurled me up, until I was faced by another two-door entry.  When Xiumin came up after me, we could hardly fit in in that box-like compartment. That's when I started feeling weird inside, like whatever I ate earlier was fighting to get out.

                “We’re inside the manor now,” Chanyeol whispered to me and I nodded in acknowledgement. From a corner of my eye, I saw Xiumin secure his mask on his face. I then exchanged a knowing look with Chanyeol and he turned off the flashlight and left it on the floor. The next thing I know, I was staring at a pile of clothes and rat squeaks came from somewhere down the floor. 

                Xiumin had the courtesy to open the door and he went out first. Almost immediately, I began feeling dizzy. He held out his hand to help me come out of the compartment and when he did, I almost knocked him over by leaning forward.

                “Mi Yeon, are you okay?” Xiumin asked worriedly, grabbing my shoulders. I looked at the ground and saw that rat-form Chanyeol was looking up at me too.

                Instead of immediately responding, I gazed apprehensively in the darkness. It was obvious to me it was a desolate place where no one had lived for decades. We seemed to have come out right to the kitchen where everything was just covered in dust.  The ceiling was so high, and full of spider webs that you can’t even see the intricate designs properly. However, that was not my issue. It's that the place itself seemed to be  my energy like a living thing.  I could also smell something metallic and rusty, like blood. I knew I shouldn't even be surprised by it, but I still didn't expect the effect of it on me to come this soon. After all, by our previous conversations, Chanyeol said he only noticed it when the cabinet revealing the passageway opened. Then again, my senses must be a hundred times more sensitive than my warriors.

               Just how could I survive this? 

                “Give me a moment,” I told Xiumin.

                I closed my eyes and let myself adjust to the smell. I knew I could not show weakness this early. I should learn to endure this horrible predicament like how Ji Hye persisted when she stayed at Seijira to know me, her enemy.  Slowly and deeply,  I inhaled and exhaled the air like my life depended on it. When I thought I'm almost immune,  I let go of Xiumin and stood as upright as I can manage.  I couldn’t see his expression because of the mask, but I know I got him worried.

                I then looked at Chanyeol and told him in an almost inaudbile voice to lead the way.

                As soon as we got out of the kitchen area,  I realized what Chanyeol meant when he said the place was insane. The manor doesn't even look like it was made to be resided by people. Instead, it looked like a maze. Different forms of doors were stuck at various angles on the wall -- box-sized, normal doors, red doors, windows too and even stairs. I looked at the ceiling and there were several stairs designed upside down. We then entered an area which seemed to be the lounge but which lead to a number of new openings. That's when I looked at Chanyeol in disbelief. How could he have managed to roam around this whole area without getting lost?

                We crossed the lounge as silently as we can and entered a dark path at the right most corner. As soon we reached it, I realized that it steeped up. There were a lot of ancient paintings hanging around like they came all the way back from the medieval period. After passing through that narrow lane, we were faced again with another entrance that diverged into two, and Chanyeol led us to take the right one. Then there was this small door to our right which we entered, only to be faced again with another door to the right leading down.  We diligently climbed down and entered what seemed to be another lobby. I looked at Xiumin and Chanyeol, thinking of what ifs, like what if we were able to save my mom, would we ever manage to come out of this manor? What if we lost sight of Chanyeol?

                I ignored the fact that the smell was getting heavier.

                Chanyeol led us to the back of the stairs we just climbed out of and were faced with another narrow way that zigzagged. There were doors facing each other and that seemed really creepy to me. We made our way hurriedly out of that portion of the manor and when we came out, we found ourselves in what seemed to be a science laboratory. A shiver run down my spine then, because it looked just like the area in horror movies where they straddle people and cut them in half. I heard Chanyeol squeak and he kept going round and round as if telling us he never saw this place before. That didn’t cheer me up in the least.

                And then we heard sounds from where we just came from. Chanyeol stopped his pacing as Xiumin and I hurriedly backed in a corner. We waited for some minutes with abated breaths until we saw a group of shadows passing through the laboratory. The sight was blood-curdling and terrifying, which had me wondering again just what lies behind those masks. They seemed to be in a trance however, just floating away in a single file to their destination.

                Xiumin tugged my hand and though I understood what he meant, I felt like I didn't want to go out of our hiding place. Still, I knew I have to. So, I inserted my hand in my cloak and grabbed my fighting knife, just in case they suddenly smelled us for what we are and attack.

 I grabbed Chanyeol from the floor and put him inside one of my pockets as we showed ourselves and fell in line. One shadow turned slowly around to look at us with the same mask, but it didn’t do anything. I stopped breathing when it did so. A hundred thoughts circled in my head, but then it turned again slowly, facing the front and continued following the others. I averted my gazed towards Xiumin who stood just behind me but I know I shouldn’t speak. I wanted to sigh but even that I knew I shouldn't risk. 

                The door to the farthest corner of the laboratory opened magically and the shadows floated high up the stairs. Xiumin and I walked, wary that we shouldn’t make a sound that we’re walking and not floating an inch above the ground like them. We climbed and climbed until we reached the top which revealed a single room, like an attic, but definitely not at the top of the manor. There was nothing inside the room but a fire grate, exactly just how Chanyeol described it. My heart started to beat wildly and I cursed myself for that.  Chanyeol began squirming in my pocket as if confirming my thoughts that we have arrived at the right place. 

                The shadows entered the grate one by one, all of them facing to the right before disappearing out of view. I walked near Xiumin before my turn and tugged his cloak. There was only one other shadow behind Xiumin. So when the last shadow disappeared and it was my turn to enter the grate, I walked forward, and then turned around just in time to see Xiumin stabbed the shadow stealthily and let it disintegrate. I motioned for Xiumin to follow af