And so, almost without realizing it, we ended up venturing toward that abandoned house.
Luca walked in front, guiding us at a fast pace, as if he couldn't wait to arrive. We followed closely behind him.
Even so, the pace didn't stop us from noticing the city.
Our city.
The place where we were born. Where we had lived our entire lives.
Most of the houses were made of wood—warm, familiar. I paused for a moment, my eyes resting on one in particular: flowers in every window and a perfectly maintained pointed roof.
It looked like it had been taken straight out of a storybook.
But as we moved forward, everything began to change.
The streets narrowed.
The ground became dirtier.
The houses smaller… more neglected.
The air felt different.
And yet, it was still our home.
Or at least, I wanted to believe that.
I kept walking, lost in thought, until I looked up.
And then I saw it.
That house.
It didn't fit.
Not at all.
It was bigger than all the others. Much bigger.
Old. Deteriorated.
The walls were blackened. Parts had collapsed, splintered wood sticking out… and that dark, almost charcoal-like tone covered everything.
It looked… dead.
And yet, it was imposing.
An unnatural silence settled over us.
—We've arrived —Luca said.
He was standing right in front of the door.
What, at some point in the past, had been the entrance to something like a mansion.
—Who's going in first? —Luca said with a mischievous smile, as if challenging us.
Silence.
No one answered.
—What's wrong? —he insisted—. Scared? Didn't you say I was a bad storyteller?
He laughed.
I sighed.
—Fine —I said—. I'll go in first.
Luca smiled, satisfied.
—Good, Ren. That's the spirit. We'll be right behind you.
I stepped forward and approached the stairs.
They creaked the moment I put my foot on them.
Old. Crooked… as if they might break at any second. I climbed slowly, feeling every plank under my weight, until I reached the small porch leading to the entrance.
And then I stopped in front of the door.
A chill ran through my body.
Something wasn't right.
I couldn't explain what… but I could feel it.
—We can still leave and go somewhere else —Tarin said from behind calmly—. We can sit anywhere.
—What are you talking about? —Luca replied—. We've made it this far. We're going in.
He was right.
Or at least… I wanted to believe he was.
The more I doubted, the less I would act.
So, without thinking any further, I reached out and pushed the door.
It opened.
Too easily.
Much easier than I expected.
The interior slowly revealed itself.
And the first thing I noticed was the darkness.
Even though it was daytime, barely any light made it inside. The few windows that existed were covered with old, worn curtains that blocked almost everything.
And then I smelled it.
Burnt.
A thick, ancient smell… as if it had never fully gone away.
I frowned.
—Well… —Luca said, leaning over my shoulder—. Looks like there's nothing here.
He smiled.
—We can go in without any problem.
And without waiting for a response, he stepped inside.
I followed.
Then Helen, then Mira… and finally Tarin.
Once inside, we found ourselves in what looked like an entrance hall.
It was large. Too large for a normal house.
Several doors. Different hallways… and a staircase leading to the upper floor.
Too many options.
We gathered in a circle almost instinctively.
—We'll split up —Luca said—. That way we'll be faster.
Mira frowned.
—That always ends badly.
—I know —he replied with a grin—. That's why it's more fun.
He shrugged.
—Besides… what could happen? There's no one here.
No one answered.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Luca continued:
—Helen and Ren, you go upstairs.
He pointed at the stairs.
—The rest of us will explore the ground floor. It looks bigger.
He looked at me.
—When you're done, come down and help us.
We broke the circle.
I watched as Luca, Mira, and Tarin headed into one of the rooms on the ground floor, slowly disappearing from sight.
Meanwhile, I started going upstairs with Helen.
Every step made the wood creak beneath our feet.
Too much.
The sound echoed through the entire house.
Something wasn't right.
I didn't know what exactly… but I could feel it.
—How did we end up here? —I said to Helen, trying to joke.
She smiled.
—I'd like to know that too —she replied—. I guess we just wanted to let Luca have one of his adventures for once, don't you think?
She let out a small laugh.
—You're right —I said—. Though now he might start doing this every day… what a nightmare.
Helen laughed again.
We kept climbing.
At the top, we found a long, dark corridor. Barely any light came through, and the air felt colder than downstairs.
Heavier.
We walked to the end, where several closed doors stood.
I decided to open the first one.
The door creaked open slowly.
The room inside was… a bedroom.
Or what was left of it.
Everything was burned.
The bed reduced to a black, twisted frame. The walls covered in soot. The floor filled with carbonized debris that crunched under our feet.
As if fire had consumed everything… and then simply stopped.
—Hey… —I said, not taking my eyes off the room—. Why do you think they haven't torn this house down?
Helen looked around before answering.
—I guess because it could damage the nearby houses.
I let out a small laugh.
—You say that like magic doesn't exist to do it without damage.
She shook her head slightly.
—Unfortunately, people with that kind of power don't do things like that.
She paused briefly.
—They prefer to become important mages. Earn money. Gain recognition.
She lowered her gaze for a moment.
—They don't care about things like this.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
We entered the next room.
This one looked more like a living room.
There were far more cobwebs, hanging from the corners as if no one had been there in years. In the center were the remains of what had once been a table and several chairs, now reduced to burnt, distorted frames.
—Do you think the story Luca told is true? —Helen asked me.
I shrugged slightly.
—I don't know… —I replied—. If my brother were here, he'd probably be able to tell if this place is full of magic, but we still…
I suddenly stopped.
A sound.
A sharp crack.
It wasn't ours.
It came from below.
But not from the floor beneath us.
Lower.
As if something was… under the house.
I froze.
—What is it, Ren? —Helen asked, uneasy.
—Didn't you hear it?
—Hear what?
—There was a noise… downstairs.
She frowned.
—It was probably just the others. Don't worry about it.
I slowly shook my head.
—No… it came from lower than that.
Helen looked at me, confused.
—That's impossible. This house only has two floors.
I gave a faint smile, trying to ease the tension.
—And how do you know that?
She sighed.
—Because old houses usually don't have basements. And the ones that do have stairs right next to the main ones.
She gave me a slight smile.
—You really weren't paying attention in class.
I let out a small laugh.
—I guess you're right…
I shook my head, trying to push the feeling away.
We entered another smaller room that looked like a bathroom. It was also completely burned.
—Anyway… —I continued—. Like I said before, I don't know if Luca's story is true, but what's clear is that this house burned down a long time ago.
I picked up a piece of charred wood from the floor.
It crumbled slightly between my fingers.
—At least we're here together —Helen said.
I looked at her.
Smiled.
—You're right. We'll be able to tell this as a funny story later.
Helen laughed.
So did I.
But then…
I heard it again.
Clearer.
Closer.
A long creak… almost piercing.
Like something dragging itself.
From beneath the house.
My laughter stopped instantly.
—Tell me you heard that this time —I said, staring at her.
Helen frowned.
—No.
Silence dropped like a weight.
Heavy.
Cold.
A chill ran down my spine.
And for the first time since we had entered…
I knew for certain something was wrong.
We were not alone.