“What do you mean you saw someone in the maze? I thought you said the servants’ quarters were empty?” Hyejoo snaps, trying to keep her voice as low as she could.

“I swear they were!” A panicking Chaewon throws her hands up. “I went in and out through a window. Looked everywhere and I swear it was empty!”

“You sure it wasn’t a stray animal?”

“Damn it Hyejoo, that thing was too tall to be an animal.”

-

The dormitory that served as the servants’ quarters was indeed as empty as Chaewon had described. Two floors, with twelve rooms, split into two rows on each floor. The bottom floor was strangely cleared of furniture, used to blockade the domitory’s entry doors, while the top floor was the exact opposite. All the furnishings and fittings were still there, left relatively untouched, covered in the same layer of dust and cobwebs that blanketed everything else in the house.

The greenhouse, instead of being overgrown like the hedge was lifeless. All the plants on the racks and planters lay shrivelled and dried up. Most of the glass itself was gone, cracked and shattered. Finding nothing of further interest, Chaewon turns back into the dormitory.

Chaewon exited through the window she entered, only to catch sight of a movement in the hedge maze. The figure moved too fast for Chaewon to identify, but it was definitely too tall to be a dog or a wandering cat. Definitely a human being.

The quartet were clearly not alone in the mansion.

And without a second thought, Chaewon runs.

-

“If it was empty, how could someone else be here?”

“M-maybe our mysterious housekeeper is here.”

Silence.

Hyejoo speaks a moment later.

“Okay you two keep watch out here. Yerim and I will check out the study, then we’ll buzz off.”

To which both Yeojin and Chaewon nod before running to take up positions at the library doors, keeping an eye out for the other intruders while at the same time looking for a place to hide

Yerim finishes picking the final lock, carefully prising apart the chains after. Yerim opens the doors and slips through the gap, Hyejoo following suit.

The study felt as if it was more of an occult shrine than an actual study. There was the desk, bookshelves. But then there was the oddly placed ornate candle stands in a circle around the room itself, each emblazoned with the same alien symbols as on the shelves outside.

Yerim and Hyejoo get to work, searching and scouring the study. In the back of the room, over the mantle, was a clay bas-relief. With the same alien symbols carved into it.

In the cente of the bas-relief was what could be vaguely described as a humanoid figure, towering over several smaller human-like figures. The larger figure was like a cross between a human, a dragon and an octopus; a pulpy, tentacled head mounted on a humanoid body, with rather rudimentary-looking dragon-esque wings. Surrounding the figure was what could be described as structures of a Cyclopean origin.

The hell is this… thing? Hyejoo wonders. She feels drawn to the bas-relief somehow, reaching out, running her gloved fingers over the symbols as her head feels like it’s beginning to spin, hushed voices starting to whisper in the corners of her mind.

A tap from Yerim on Hyejoo’s shoulder breaks Hyejoo out of the beginnings of the trance.

“Check out what I found.” Yerim had picked the locks on the desk’s drawers which were chained up like the doors (Yerim was beginning to think this was some sort of twisted running gag).  She had found a sculpture, wrapped in mouldy canvas.

Yerim sets the sculpture down on the table, quickly unravelling the binds on the wrapping. As Hyejoo snaps a few shots of the study’s interior.

It was the same chimera-esque creature from the bas-relief but this one was carved from some kind of stone that both Hyejoo and Yerim struggled to name. It felt like marble, but the surface was black, glossy, with a faint green tinge when Hyejoo held it up to the light. Its pose in the sculpture was reminiscent of the bronze sculpture named The Thinker.

Hyejoo examines the figure as Yerim rifles through the various drawers. Hyejoo somehow feels compelled to look closer at the figure, suddenly realizing that there was another set of the alien hieroglyphs on its base.

I̶̧̢͕̘̖̥͎̻̘̬͒͊̅̾̀̈́̀̂̀́͠ͅä̶̡̟̭̝͚̅̄̃̊͌̕͝͝ ̸̧̝̔̇̀͐̋͋̅̒̿̓̕̕I̷̛̙̖̽͒̈̈́̔̄̊̄͌́́̚ä̴̲͒͂͆ ̶̛̗̻͙̩͔̈́̅͆̇̾C̶̨̧͎͚̺̼̝̤͓̲͚̃̈́́͋ͅṫ̴͕͉̗͙͗̂͋͐h̶̢̧̘̠̣̼̹̝̣͕͈̭̠͋̈́͒̅̏̓̑̎̉̓̀u̷͇͌́͘ḽ̶̢̣̠̲̱͕̫̥̹̜͋͂̀́͐͒h̸̺̙̮̠̫͈͓̪͉͚́̀͝u̴̘͍͕̝̣̮̔̏̀͘̕͝ ̵̧͚̖͚̳͍̖̩̦̼̖̼̓̏͜f̸̦͖̜̩̬́̄͑̀̅̎̎͊̑͒͝͝͝ẖ̷̛̪̮͓͍͉̯͚̅̀̓̆̈́́͘͝ț̶̡̅́̎͌̃͝ȁ̴̡̨̹̫̭̰̼̮̬̲̥̮̉̉̃̈́̀͗̎͆͝g̸̝͚̊̾͂͂̎͜ņ̶̘͕̟͖̘̯̓͊̑̈́͗̓͝͝͠ ̷̠̳̪̠͓̱͉̜̿̐̒͛͌̄͜͠P̵̢͇̳̎̎̐͌̓̍h̸̳͓̰͙̘̬̿̊̑̄͝'̶̹͑̔͗̽͒̇n̸̨͕̝̻̜̞̺͍͂͆̿̈͒̈̾̽͐ḡ̶̡̭͔̖̱̮̣͆̋͜ͅl̵̨̖̰͉͇̲̙̖͚̮͓̤̍͂̀̀͝ͅu̷̡̪͖̮̝̥͇̰̝̹̳̼̞͋í̴̗̫͈̼̩͉͇͚̻͈͍̈́̈̂͘͜͝ͅ ̸̧͓̘̫̗͎͓̣̤̳͖͍̆m̸̢̼̻̯̤͉̩̻͍͈̭͉̣̈͂̊͊̽̕g̷̩͔͇̩͙̘̎̓̈͝l̴̡̞̭̀́͛͛̿̾̒̾͋̿̄͝ͅẇ̸̧͙͈͓̺̣̉͋̿͋͜͝'̸̪̠͇͎͖̜̰̀ǹ̸̙̞͍̔̅́̀a̸̛̛̠̗͙̭̫͈͍͎͐̿͆͊̐͂̅̽͘̕f̴̡̛̛̠͎̗͈̰͚̤̗͔͙͉͑̐̾͆̓͑͋̓͝ḧ̶̭͉̲̣̺̻́͒̃͘͝ ̸̡͉̱̝̥̲̰̖̓͂̆̋̿͋̊̔̈́̏́̏C̶͉̞͚̙̺͈̞̙̥͒́̆̎̅̈́̓̔͌̕̚͜͝t̴̗̺̦̹̤͔̍̇̀͂̓̾̊̌ͅḧ̵̨̞̲́̅͌̉̕̚͠ư̵͎͈̼̺̰̹͈̲̺̭̗̞̽̃͋̈͛͌̎͌͝l̶͕̱͆͂͌̊́̈̚̕͝͠ḩ̴̪̼̙̲̫̀̽̈́̊̍͐̾̿̇͘͠ǔ̸͕̤͎̞͓͎̺̹̓͑̚͝ ̶̝̖̊̀̒̀͊͑̾̈́́̆̃̃̏Ŗ̴͔̫̝̯͖̮̻̜̗̰̞̼͋̑̊͗̀̈́'̷̛͉͉̻̆̈́͒͐̌̒̓̔̆̔̕͠ḻ̷͓͆̅̈́̔̿̋̽͌͌̽̽͜ͅy̸̙͙͇̪̝̭̫͒̕͜ę̷͉̞̩͎̱̠̺̭͕̈́̾̆͒̑̂̒̐͂̀͠͝ḣ̵̭̫̠͓̯̠̫͈̄͜ ̷̮̤̥͌̈́́͗̂̂͒͘ͅw̴̢̛̛̯̥͕͚͓̼͖̥̩͕̞͒̆̊̋̔͑̇͒͌̅̕ͅg̵̲̟̘̞͍̭̜̪̀̌̆͊̉̕ͅa̸̲̟͈̱͍͎̅͊͋̋͒͒̆h̴̢͓̰̞̱͔͆̅'̷̧̼̜͎̬͇̼̈́̀̌͂͆̎̊̚͜ņ̶̘̻̙͎̙̞̠̼̝̙̼͍̓̒̀̈͝a̶̪͕̅̏̔̇ģ̷̣͖̭̽̃̈́̆̄͌l̶̺̜͉̩̥͈̫͎̬̭̹̖̦̍̈́͒̒̿̀̄ ̷̩̤̱̟̼̬͐̊͗̿͗̒͛̔͐̕̚f̶͍̯͖̳͑̃̀̓̄͌̋͐h̴̻͕̺̼͔͔͙͖͍̰͔̋͗͊̑̊́͐̐̓̔̈́͠t̴̻̠̝̱̍̔̓̏̂̉̄̓ă̵̖̝̤͖̘̣͇̲̏̿̐̑̆̓̑̔g̴͖̠̰̯͌͂̈͆̾͌̓̆̒͠ṅ̶͉͓̲͇̤͍̹̤͖̞̭̮̉́̍̀̀̇͒̆̊͝͠ͅ

Hyejoo stares at the figure, and for a moment, she feels as if the sculpture is making direct eye contact with her. The world starts slowly fading as the voices in the back of her mind return.

And she could have sworn the figure’s eyes flashed a sickly green. Visions of space, of the stars aligning flash across Hyejoo’s mind’s eye, interspersed with images of a city of sorts, with its structures comprised of stone, carved in all sorts of alien geometries. And then a vision of a shadowed behemoth, rising from the waves with its eyes glowing a brilliant red. Yerim rifles through the drawers, taking out folder after folder. Piles of notes, both typed and scibbled. All have the words ‘Cthulhu’ and ‘R’lyeh’ written all over. One note from a folder marked as ‘CTHULHU CULT’ catches her eye.

“That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die.”

The rest of the following words remain untranslated. Followed by that was a heavily yellowed newspaper clipping from the Sydney Bulletin, dated to 1925. Yerim skims through most of it, but what catches her eye is the mention and description of an alien-looking idol.

 The aforementioned idol matched the description of the one that Hyejoo was examining a little too closely. Realizing that there’s not enough time to go through all the files, Yerim compiles them into a single folder, stuffing it into her bag.  A safe in the far corner of the study catches her eye.

Whatever was in here, they really wanted to lock away. The safe unsurprisingly was also chained up, with the locks bearing the same arcane markings as the locks to the study’s entrance. Whatever protective spell that was on this would have worn off by now, which was why Yerim could effortlessly pick all seven locks on it.

Yerim cracks open the safe- only to find that sealed inside is a book. Half expecting it to be chained up just like every door in the mansion, she holds up the book, finding that it’s bound by silvery strings that look like they can be cut. The book itself, was not in the ornate Victorian style or the stereotypical patched together skin covering, as were most books one would expect to be sealed away with arcane locks on its containment device.

The book itself was closer to the ‘Death Note’ from the titular anime, bound in black leather, with the word ‘Necronomicon’ along with several occult-looking symbols surrounding a line drawing of the sculpture’s head.
 

A noise startles Yerim as she’s quickly flipping through the pages, several of them containing sketches of unearthly looking creatures, from masses of tentacles, to winged, tentacled abominations. Whatever text Yerim found, was written in the same alien hieroglyphs as the ones on the sculpture and the bas-relief.

Yerim turns towards the source of the noise, finding a dazed Hyejoo stagger to her feet, with the black sculpture lying on the floor.

“You alright?” Yerim calls out, to which the still-dazed Hyejoo responds with a thumbs up.

“Yeah but my head’s starting to feel a little funny.”
 

“I think this place is already getting to you.”  Deciding enough was enough, Yerim decides to stuff the book into her bag, along with the rest of the files, to study and decipher later at her place, but not before she takes a few pictures of the study, turning off the DSLR after.

“Come on, let’s go get Yeojin and Chaewon.”

-

From a clearing in the overgrown mess that was the hedge maze, a lone woman clad in a hooded jacket scans the mansion grounds, raising an eyebrow as she catches sight of a flash of light coming from the upper floors of the mansion itself.

Of all the days for someone to break in, why does it have to be on the day I’m supposed to be off duty… The woman lets out an irritated sigh before reaching for her own phone, dialling up a number.

After several rings, the person on the other hand picks up.

“A bit early to be calling me up, don’t you think?”

“Well someone just broke into Dr. Jeon’s mansion. Get your down here now. Fetch whoever else is awake. I can’t apprehend these punks alone.”

“…Oh. Crap. Okay I’m on the way.”

“Make it quick. We need to get them before they break into the library.”

-

Yeojin is the first to confirm the presence of the newcomers, hearing the sounds of hurried footsteps, right after the sounds of metal being dropped, followed by the creaking of the main doors.

With no way to warn the others verbally without tipping off the three new intruders, Yeojin decides to warn them by text.

Lentil Bean (11:07 a.m.): Chaewon was right. There is someone else… three of them. One of them is definitely your mysterious housekeeper.

Choerry (11:08 a.m.): Crap. Get out of the library before one of them gets here, then find somewhere to hide.

Yeojin slips out first, creeping in the shadows as Chaewon follows, not far behind. A beam of light from a flashlight lances overhead. Both Yeojin and Chaewon duck behind the wall that formed the bannisters, moving on hands and knees as slowly as possible as to not alert the three intruders below as they attempt to sneak into the gallery to hide as the sound of running footsteps get closer and closer.

-

Yerim is thankful she had decided to put her phone on silent as she drags a dazed Hyejoo by her hand out of the study. The first thing Yerim hears is the sounds of footsteps, amplified by the near-empty halls followed by a female voice shouting to search the ground floor.

As Hyejoo gets to her feet, slowly recovering from her daze, a flashlight beam appears from between the library doors before turning around and disappearing. Both Hyejoo and Yerim glance at each other before they wordlessly agree to split up, Hyejoo squeezing herself against the wall in a niche in the study’s passageway entrance while Yerim quickly climbs up on top of one of the bookshelves using a ladder that was rusted in place.

The beam of light reappears as a tall hooded female figure, purple locks of hair visible in the light from under her hood,  bursts through the doors, pausing as she scans the area, sweeping the flashlight’s beam over each nook and cranny where a person could be trying to squeeze into to remain out of sight.

Yerim draws in a breath, the only sound she can hear being that of her pounding heart as the figure steps towards the passage leading to the study. A fresh wave of fear overtakes her as she realises that Hyejoo might be the first to be discovered

-

Yeojin and Chaewon pause, hearing the footsteps fade into the distance. Both of them had managed to squeeze into a cupboard in the gallery, which thankfully was not filled with moths. Both of them hold their breaths, Chaewon pinching her own nose shut to hold back a sneeze, which to her relief, never came.

Yeojin catches the form of the second intruder through the gaps in the cupboard doors. And then a flash of light as the intruder walks on.

Someone shouts from downstairs, both Yeojin and Chaewon can’t make out the words but apparently it’s enough for the figure outside to turn around and run back downstairs.

Both Chaewon and Yeojin slowly slip out of the cupboard, slowly creeping down the right staircase. Yeojin can make out the intruder and said intruder’s companion talking just loud enough for them to hear.

“Gallery’s clear. No signs of anyone there. Minji’s gone to check out the bedrooms and the library…”

“You go check out the kitchen and dining rooms. I’ll scope out the parlor. Regroup at the dining room.”

And then silence descends as footsteps fade into the distance.

There’s only 30 feet of space between the two girls and the now open main doors.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Let’s do it.”

-

Hyejoo feels as if her heart is about to burst from her chest as footsteps approach. The shady woman that had entered the library had quickly turned towards the passage. Hyejoo’s heart beats faster and faster as the figure approaches, the flashlight’s beam almost blinding, in the dimness of the study. The figure is so close, close enough for Hyejoo to catch a whiff of the woman’s perfume.

She closes her eyes, praying the intruder doesn’t notice the sound of her pounding heart.

Her prayers are answered as the woman rushes straight to the study, muttering a stream of muffled profanity as she makes a beeline towards the safe.

Taking the chance, Hyejoo quietly slips out, skulking towards the library doors, nearly running into Yerim, who had quietly climbed down from the bookshelf, somehow without breaking the ladder.

More footsteps come, as the woman’s companions run upstairs. Both Hyejoo and and Yerim slip behind the doors as the three intruders convene in front of the study’s entrance.

“…The punks managed to pick the locks. The Necronomicon is gone. Along with the Sleeper’s idol.”

“No. How? The spells should have prevented this from happening. If only the fools knew what horrors those can inflict… ”

“Ever thought that maybe the spells somehow wore off, genius? I don’t want to talk you all but we seemed to lack quite a bit of foresight when we sealed this place.”

“Touche.”

“Enough.” Hyejoo recognises this voice as belonging to the purple haired one. “There is no use in arguing. Right now we need to get the book and the idol back. The thieves may have backtracked. Yoo, you go search the bedrooms. Siyeon, you’re with me. We’ll scope out the paddock.”

“Understood. Going now.”

It doesn’t take Hyejoo long to put two and two together to realise that the trio were Ordo Arcana members. Mages or acolytes, she didn’t know. Whatever the Ordo Arcana wanted with the book and the idol, she did not know either but they seemed to go through quite a bit of trouble to keep them sealed in, with the chains and the blessed locks.

The trio then walk out, one going left towards the bedrooms while the other two head downstairs. Both Hyejoo and Yerim peek out from their hiding places before creeping outside.

The only way out without having to go through the hedge maze was back the way they came. To avoid attracting the attention of the Ordo Arcana duo that were heading towards the paddock, consisting of the garage and the stables, Yerim and Hyejoo would have to use the surrounding hedges as cover.

Yerim pauses to speed-type out a text to Yeojin. She didn’t know if they got out, but Yerim wanted to remain positive they did. Her next decision after they got out would be based on Yeojin’s response.

Choerry (12:15 p.m.): U guys got out?  

Lentil Bean (12:16 p.m.): Yeah. Just managed to slip past the strangers and we’re now hiding in the woods.

Choerry (12:17 p.m.): Meet @ Haseul’s place. Dont w8 4 us.

Lentil Bean (12:17 p.m.): K.

Yerim then turns to Hyejoo. Both nod, their escape route already mapped out.

“You ready?”

“Let’s rock.”

-

Siyeon hears the sound of something snapping. Glancing outside a paneless window, she catches sight of two figures, who looked like they could be college aged, hastily scrambling over the wall, using the metal bars of the fencing in the gaps between the light blocks as a ladder.

“Hey Minji, I found your thieves!”

Minji, the one with the purple hair, turns around to look, then jumps through an open window in hot pursuit, Siyeon following behind, nearly tripping as she scrambles to her feet after vaulting over the window.

The one with the suspiciously bulging backpack stares, eyes wide at the sight of Minji and Siyeon approaching quickly then scrambles over the fence, her friend helping her by pulling her over the fence.

“Well . They got away.”

Minji pauses, catching her breath before speaking in between huffs.

“Get… Get Yoohyeon. We’ll scour the woods.”

-

Navigating the woods was easy enough. With the lack of undergrowth, locating the main road was laughably straightforward. Yerim and Hyejoo were fortunate in the fact that a car happened to be passing by and was willing to stop when flagged down. The driver does not ask any questions when offered a stack of crumpled banknotes, driving straight towards the café owned by Haseul, Yeojin’s older sister.

They were long gone by the time Siyeon, Yoohyeon and Minji started their sweep of the woods.

-

“Seems like they got away.” Siyeon shakes her head, running a hand through her fringe to wipe away the forming beads of sweat.

“Outsmarted by a couple of schoolgirls.” The one named Yoohyeon shakes her head, releasing a soft chuckle.

Minji sighs, planting her face in her palm.

“We failed big time. The fools have no idea what they’re getting themselves into by running off with the Necronomicon and Cthulhu's idol.”

“What now, Archmage?”

“Call up Dami and Gahyeon. Get one of them to revive our resident Empress. We’re gonna need all 7 of us to fix this major screw-up.”