Episode 3: The First Night

The night after receiving the ominous letter was heavy with tension. The fire crackled in the corner of the grand lounge, casting flickering shadows on the old walls. The letter Caleb had received had unsettled everyone, but no one dared to speak about it directly. It seemed like the type of warning no one wanted to acknowledge, yet none of them could ignore the strange feeling hanging in the air.

Ava sat on the plush, faded sofa, her hands tightly clasped together, her mind racing. She glanced around the room at the others, trying to gauge their reactions. Caleb was sitting next to her, his expression unreadable as he stared at the letter, the edges curling from age. His usual confident demeanor had faltered, and Ava could feel a weight settling over him.

"Who sent this?" Jack asked, his voice slightly tense, though he tried to mask it with his usual lighthearted tone.

"I don't know," Caleb replied, his eyes narrowing. "It's clearly meant to scare us. Someone’s idea of a joke."

Ava shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. Seraphina was lounging nearby, draped across a chair in her usual seductive manner, glancing at Caleb every few seconds, though she didn’t say a word about the letter. Ava couldn’t help but notice how close she was sitting to him.

"It's not funny," Liam chimed in from across the room, his eyes darting between everyone. "Not at all. This place is... eerie. And now we get a creepy letter on top of it?" He leaned back in his seat, his usual bravado faltering slightly as he eyed the letter in Caleb’s hands.

The silence stretched on, and Ava felt like the walls were closing in. The house creaked and groaned in the night, as if responding to their discomfort.

"I think we should leave," Ava finally spoke up, her voice unsteady. "Something doesn’t feel right. First the letter, now this house—it’s all too strange. Maybe it’s just the old architecture, but I can't shake the feeling that something’s watching us."

Sarah turned to her, her face soft with concern. "Ava, I know this place feels weird, but it's just a house. You’re probably just feeling a little on edge."

"I’m not scared," Alex added quickly, though his voice wavered. He was sitting nervously near Seraphina, who had her arm draped across his shoulders in a move that made Ava’s blood boil. "I just think we should stay calm. It’s all in our heads."

Caleb nodded slowly, his eyes meeting Ava’s with a reassuring smile. "We’re fine. This is all just in our heads, okay? Nothing’s going to happen. We’re all here together."

Despite his words, Ava couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. The air felt thick, the silence too oppressive. She turned her gaze to the dark windows, watching the trees sway in the wind. The wind howled, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Look, we’ll stick together," Jack said, breaking the silence. "Nothing’s going to happen. This place is just old, that’s all."

But even as he said this, his eyes kept darting to the windows, and he was the first to stand. "Let’s just head to our rooms for the night. We’ll all feel better in the morning."

The First Signs

The group slowly dispersed, heading to their respective rooms. Ava stayed close to Caleb, hoping his presence would make her feel safe. But the moment they crossed the threshold into their bedroom, the heavy atmosphere seemed to double.

The room was large and opulent, though dated. The large four-poster bed loomed in the middle, its dark canopy hanging like a shadow over them. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a dull light over the room. Ava couldn’t shake the feeling that the house was alive, watching them with unseen eyes.

Caleb went straight to the window, pulling back the heavy curtains to reveal the full moon hanging in the sky like a cold, watching eye. Ava sat down on the bed, trying to calm her racing heart. She could hear the sound of distant footsteps from the hallway, but the sounds were muted and hollow, as if the house itself was swallowing them.

"Do you think it was just a joke?" Ava asked, her voice soft. "The letter, I mean."

Caleb glanced over at her, offering a reassuring smile. "Yeah, probably. You know how Kian can be. He’s always up to something. Don’t worry about it, okay?"

Ava nodded, trying to let his words comfort her. She wanted to believe him. But as the night stretched on, the eerie feeling continued to grow.

The First Death

It was well past midnight when the first real sign that something was wrong came. Ava was lying in bed, still awake, staring up at the ceiling. Caleb was asleep beside her, his breathing steady, but Ava’s mind wouldn’t rest.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the house, followed by the sound of frantic footsteps. Ava shot up in bed, heart racing. She glanced over at Caleb, but he was still fast asleep, unaware of the noise.

"Ava, did you hear that?" a voice called from the hallway.

It was Sarah. Ava rushed to the door and swung it open to find Sarah standing there, her face pale.

"Sarah, what’s wrong?" Ava asked, her voice trembling.

"Get out of your room—NOW!" Sarah shouted, her eyes wide with fear. "Someone’s dead!"

Ava’s heart stopped. She felt a cold rush of fear run through her body as she followed Sarah down the hallway, the old wooden floor creaking beneath their feet. They reached the main hallway, where the others were already gathering, looking equally shaken.

"Who?" Ava whispered, her mind racing. "Who’s dead?"

Sarah shook her head, looking too stunned to speak. Noah was pacing back and forth, his face drained of color, while Isabella stood behind him, clutching onto his arm. Jack, Liam, and Alex were huddled together, their faces grim.

Finally, Liam stepped forward, his voice trembling. "It’s... it’s Isabella. She’s gone. She... she fell."

Ava’s stomach lurched. "Fell? What do you mean?"

"She was found at the bottom of the stairs, her neck twisted at an odd angle," Liam continued, his voice strained. "It doesn’t make sense... She wasn’t even near the stairs."

The group fell silent, staring at one another. The air was thick with disbelief and fear. Isabella had always been so full of life, always the sweetest among them. How could she be gone so suddenly?

"This house is cursed," Sarah whispered, her eyes wide with terror. "There’s something wrong here. Something we don’t understand."

The Dark Reality

The death of Isabella struck everyone hard, but it was just the beginning. The next morning, as the group gathered in the main hall, the atmosphere was one of confusion and fear.

"What happened last night?" Jack asked, trying to stay calm despite the fear in his eyes. "This is insane. First, we get that letter, now this."

No one had an answer, and the house seemed to echo their unease. Every sound felt amplified in the stillness. Even the faintest breeze felt suffocating, like the very air was thick with unseen forces.

Ava tried to focus, to push away the fear, but deep down, she knew something had awakened in the villa. Something dark, something vengeful.

And as the sun set, bringing darkness back to the villa, Ava couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched... by something that had been waiting for them.

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