INTRODUCTION

When Chaeyoung arrived with a bag pack as her only luggage, the first day, thunder tore the sky apart giving a frightening light to the darkness. Rain was falling heavily and mud was stuck on her shoes. She had to escape and found herself in what seemed to be a solitary place. She couldn’t step back after taking such a decision and she had to move forward. She ran away from her country to find herself here, in north England, where a voice inside her head whispered an order to come. The mansion was the only building in those lands, there was nothing else in the picture and it would take at least a twenty minute walk until reaching the closest little town.

Chaeyoung was shivering. A single dead tree seemed to cover a grave, right in front of the huge black mansion. There was two windows with lights and a shadow looking through the highest window of what could be confounded by a castle.

This time, thunder really near her feet, it made her jump and shriek. Soon after, a woman opened the door, speaking loudly.

"I was expecting you ! What are you doing ? Come in !" The voice seemed cheerful, from a young woman about her age and it gave Chaeyoung confidence, well, just enough to be able to reach the door to meet the woman. She had blond hair, a beautiful smile and could have been miss universe if she wasn’t living in such a weird place. She seemed to be a warm person, someone you wouldn’t expect to live far from the society. She was like the light that attracts butterflies.

"Don’t be afraid, I only bite when I’m hungry !" The girl laughed and made room for Chaeyoung to step in. The hall was huge, a chandelier was hanging on the ceiling and there was two stairs joining at the same point to reach the first floor. On her right and on her left there was doors, closed doors and she wondered : what is it all about ?

"I’m sorry but, how can you know I was coming ?" Chaeyoung’s voice was barely audible but the girl caught it and helped her to take off her wet jacket. This whole place smelled a bit old and historical, it was a typical gothic house with what seemed to be some family paintings against the walls, it didn’t felt very welcoming but fortunately the other’s woman presence made it okay.

"My instinct. I’m good at it", the woman winked and opened the door on their right. It gave into the living room where a fire was being consumed in the chimney. There was two sofas and a chair. A huge table full of all papers and stuff coming from other centuries. If the woman told her she was an archeologist she would have believed her story right away.

"And why were you expecting me ?" Chaeyoung was afraid to sit down but the woman gestured her to do so and it was almost natural to obey. If indeed, it was murderer, she even would have accepted her fate, the latter seemed too convincing only with a smile and a demand.

-"Because we need you", it seemed like an evidence and the woman looked surprised that Chaeyoung didn’t knew about it.

"I’m sorry but.. I don’t really understand, you don’t know me", Chaeyoung frowned and felt dry. The woman prepared a cup of tea, it smelled chamomile and it eased a bit Chaeyoung’s heart. The flowery scents always made her feel at ease, it reminded her of far memories and a house she used to love.

"I should be more precise, isn’t it ? I didn’t even made a presentation. I’m sorry", the woman seemed sincere and she also poured some tea inside her own porcelain cup. She took a deep breath and Chaeyoung noticed that the thunder stopped outside, only rain kept hitting against the wide round windows.

"My name is Sana, I live here.. since almost forever. You see, just like you, I have a particularity, I can sense things. I can tell if you are lying, I can tell if you’re hiding something and I can also erase your memory." At those words, Chaeyoung’s heart started to beat really fast. It didn’t seemed like lies and she was afraid she’d be like an open book and could be read easily, each thought being peel by Sana’s piercing eyes. She gripped tightly her bag pack against her chest.

"But trust me, I’m not about to hurt you. It’s more complex than what you can think and no, I can’t read your mind." Sana chuckled and drank her tea. It gave Chaeyoung’s time to understand little by little that the reason she went here was because of her own particularity. No matter how much she drank tea kept becoming dry and it made her uneasy.

"Were you.. the one whispering those things inside my mind ?" Her voice seemed fragile but she needed to understand if yes or no, those voices came from the woman sitting right in front of her, inside this gothic mansion and out of time place.

"No, I don’t have the ability to do such a thing, but someone.. actually can", Sana smiled. It reminded Chaeyoung about the silhouette she saw outside. Sana wasn’t alone inside this mansion and for a reason, the other resident didn’t desired to make his or her presence known.

"How many of you live here ? I saw.. someone, standing at one of your windows when thunder ." Chaeyoung’s voice seemed so small inside this place, like any words kept a secret and that the walls would swallow them for themselves. How could someone live in a place full of what seemed to be a long and unhappy story ? This place, far from the curious eyes, had a purpose and Sana knew it, of course she knew it, she seemed to be the owner but only a temporary heir of this timeless place.

"What about discovering yourself ? But there is some rules and for the moment you should stick to those rules, you seem to understand quite quickly that without some order there is chaos and this place can lead to chaos without some rules, isn’t it ?" Sana had impressive vibes. It was probably the first time that Chaeyoung met a woman with such power and warmness at the same time. Only rare types of people could have such a powerful impact and she felt a bit sad, that this woman standing like an emperor had no other place to shine than this dark gothic manor.  

They went back to the hall to take the stairs. Chaeyoung knew it would take days to explore this place. They kept opening the doors, walking through corridors. They all seemed untouched, purple red colors being the dominant aesthetic. The thunder was growling far way and the sky started to be dressed by little stars. Soon, Sana opened a door, giving to a wide room with a bed, windows, a table and a chair. Since Chaeyoung came from a little house in Korea, she never experienced the expensiveness of places like this. It smelled rich and it made her uncomfortable. How can someone be happy to sleep in a room that its own cost could cure so many people around the world ? It was selfish and she felt selfish about the idea of living here, in a place built from wellness.

"I’m not blind, you’re wearing anything but cheap clothes and you’re surprised by this place. You don’t need to feel home yet but it’s better if you take some rest, alright ? I’ll be there tomorrow morning", Sana smiled, a bit sorry about the younger girl’s situation. It was indeed true, she could sense anything but she could do nothing about it but she gave Chaeyoung some time to understand what was happening with her life. She put down my bag, her clothed soaked from the heavy rain but her phone intact. At least she could listen to some music and get ready for what was coming next and taking a hot shower was the first step.

Once Chaeyoung felt relax, she had to borrow a pajama. Her stuff were too soaked and she couldn’t sleep and risking falling sick. She opened the wardrobe near the door and found something a bit too large but comfortable enough. She looked at herself through the mirror and sighed.

"It’s coming from the 19^th century.. who wore this before me ?" She whispered to herself before walking around the wide room. The floor was cold and her feet were freezing, but it felt nice to be alive and to feel something logical at this precise moment. From the window she could see the land, dead grass, the sky and she wondered how many man and woman were here before, were they happy ? Those questions couldn’t be solved just now, it had to wait and probably Sana would be queen to share those secrets but from now she had to sleep.