Episode 5: Shadows in the Bloodline

The darkness swallowed them whole.

Naabi’s heartbeat thundered in her ears as the walls seemed to close in. A chilling whisper curled around her spine—soft, broken, desperate.

"Where… is… my… child…?"

A ghostly wail echoed through the underground chamber. Then—

Light.

The candles flickered back to life. The darkness receded.

But something had changed.

Joon-woo stood frozen, his hands clenched into fists. His face was pale, his breathing shallow. His eyes—normally sharp and teasing—were wide with something Naabi had never seen before.

Fear.

Eun-seo touched his arm. "Joon-woo… are you okay?"

He didn’t answer.

His gaze was locked on the locket in Naabi’s trembling hands.

The image of Seo Ji-hoon, his ancestor.

A man who looked exactly like him.

The Truth Buried in Blood

Min-kyu broke the silence, flipping urgently through the old records he had found. "Seo Ji-hoon. A nobleman from over a hundred years ago. Married to a woman named—" He traced a finger over the faded ink. "Lady Eun-ha’s mother. His wife."

Hye-jin exhaled sharply. "That means… Joon-woo’s family is directly connected to this house."

Jae-min crossed his arms. "More than connected. This place is his bloodline."

Joon-woo’s throat bobbed. "I… I don’t know anything about this."

Naabi watched his reaction carefully. The easygoing, flirtatious Joon-woo was gone. In his place stood a man haunted by a past he didn’t even know existed.

She took a step toward him. "We’ll figure it out."

His jaw tightened. "You don’t understand, Naabi. If she’s after her husband and child… why is she coming after me?"

Silence.

The air around them shifted.

The Mansion Breathes

Suddenly—

BOOM.

The mansion shuddered.

Dust rained from the ceiling. The walls groaned. Something deep within the house stirred.

Eun-seo gasped. "What was that?!"

Min-kyu pressed his palm against the stone wall. "The house is waking up."

Hye-jin’s voice trembled. "You’re saying the house is… alive?"

Greenforest tightened his grip on Naabi’s wrist. "We need to get out of here. Now."

But Naabi couldn’t move. Her eyes remained fixed on the locket.

On the delicate, almost fragile face of the woman next to Seo Ji-hoon.

Something about her was familiar.

Too familiar.

Then—

A hand brushed against her shoulder.

A whisper.

"Find me."

Her breath hitched. She turned—

But there was no one there.

A Line That Shouldn't Exist

Jae-min’s patience finally snapped. "Alright, we’re just gonna ignore that a freaking ghost is breathing down our necks?!"

Naabi shook her head. "No. We’re going to find out why she’s still here."

Joon-woo exhaled, trying to steady himself. "And what if she’s waiting for me?"

Min-kyu didn’t hesitate. "Then you’re the key to this whole thing."

Joon-woo scoffed. "Great. Love that for me."

But Naabi wasn’t listening. Her eyes were still glued to the woman in the locket.

Her delicate features. The shape of her lips. The quiet sadness in her eyes.

Then it hit her.

She had seen that face before.

Naabi’s own reflection.

A jolt of cold realization ran through her veins.

The resemblance was uncanny.

Too perfect.

The Curse of the Forgotten

Greenforest noticed the change in her expression. "Naabi? What’s wrong?"

She shook her head, unable to form the words.

Joon-woo’s voice was hollow. "Why does she look like you?"

Eun-seo took the locket from Naabi’s trembling hands, studying the portrait. Her eyes widened. "No way… Naabi… could she be your—?"

She couldn’t finish the sentence.

Because the truth was too horrifying to say aloud.

Naabi’s stomach churned. "That’s impossible. This woman died a century ago."

Hye-jin hesitated. "What if it’s not impossible?"

Jae-min’s tone was grim. "What if it’s a curse?"

The idea sent shivers down Naabi’s spine.

If she was connected to this woman—if their blood was the same—then she wasn’t just some stranger walking into this haunted mansion.

She was a part of it.

And the spirit wasn’t just calling for her child.

She was calling for her.

Greenforest’s grip on her tightened. "We’re getting out of here."

But before anyone could move—

The door slammed shut.

A whisper, louder than before, filled the room.

"You cannot leave."

The locket burned in Naabi’s palm.

The mansion’s past wasn't just a story.

It was alive.

And now, so was she.

To be continued…

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