I rushed into the mansion with Masha close behind, my heart pounding as I searched for the source of the scream. It had been Sasha's voice, sharp and panicked, cutting through the silence like a knife. I called out her name as soon as we crossed the threshold, my voice echoing off the high ceilings.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJkCKgAjY0
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4xPkuShmc
"Sasha! SASHA!"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPaQzhlN9i
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgG8Uv29jr
No response. Just as my anxiety began to spike, her voice came again, faint but steady. "I'm over here."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWl4EqCImHT
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0bLm3MGZQ
I followed the sound to the study, a room lined with towering bookshelves and heavy wooden furniture. The air felt heavier here, as if the walls themselves were pressing in. At first glance, the room seemed empty, but then Sasha's voice echoed from an unexpected direction. "Behind the bookshelf."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMGu3Ds6kA
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6QlozuwrL
I stepped closer, my pulse quickening as I peered behind the massive structure. Sasha stood on a narrow staircase that descended into darkness, her face pale in the dim light. A faint, cold draft wafted up from below, carrying with it a smell that made my stomach churn—mildew, yes, but something else too, something metallic and sharp.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECkapGn4PJ
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYyQstEWJu
"Can you believe it?" Sasha whispered, her voice trembling despite her attempt at excitement. "This place has an underground room."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3HHEMtjFD
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQx7OtsNO06
I stared into the abyss, my heart pounding. The darkness seemed to pulse, as if alive, and for a moment, I thought I heard something—a faint, rhythmic sound, like footsteps echoing from deep below.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLu5IGgeJ6b
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7S5cPwZhg
Before I could respond, the others filed into the study. Maya, Hendrick, and Martin must have noticed Masha standing by the bookshelf, or perhaps she had pointed them in our direction. Either way, they were suddenly crowding around me, their presence making the room feel even smaller.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcBxLCT3CQ
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFgetTYYhC
"Are you okay?" Maya asked, her voice tight with concern.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8k8fSXYi9q
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxZjpY2Kjj
"Is that an underground room? Sick!" Martin said, his eyes lighting up.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyv4QGRbmD
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfjYf1wCQZ
"I know, right?" Sasha replied, ignoring my glare. "I was checking out some of the books, and one of them triggered this mechanism. The shelf just slid open, and I freaked out."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsBLWWjntM
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rXCBIUpoG
"Which book?" Hendrick asked, his tone curious.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtOePMs0PQ
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCilewOq7Ca
"I think it was Catch-22," Sasha said.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAXE0kULeU
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZwaF4lsXJ
"Where does it lead?" Martin pressed.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLf0ZpmdEqj
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYHO3nQHM3
"I haven't looked yet."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFE6lkdxV0
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4m6nNGvMHR
"Can we explore?" Sasha asked, her eyes darting to Maya, who in turn looked to Hendrick. He exchanged a quick, almost imperceptible smile with Martin before nodding.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpZHtdThW6
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1eDLY0T6I
Before Maya could respond, I stepped in. "No! Absolutely not!" I said, my voice firm. "Are you guys insane? This isn't our house. We can't just go snooping around. How am I the voice of reason right now?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozTb6YYwxs
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaarAHto7t
"Are you saying you're not curious about what the Whites are hiding down there?" Martin challenged.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDVrSGuqxd
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNhpXrEJYB
I was. Of course I was. But I had the decency to keep that to myself.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7D9Z14B6a
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIv4a3yXyp
"Not even a little," I lied. "And even if I were, it doesn't matter. We're here to clean, not play detective."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSB27W3G1r
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXs3OdmspS
"Okay, spoilsport," Martin muttered.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdLKGmfxEp
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K2GthYHzT
"Very mature," I shot back. "Did you forget why we're here in the first place?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHajO2PPds
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3CVLBlcn1
I reached out to Sasha, helping her up from the staircase. Masha, ever the quiet observer, carefully replaced Catch-22 on the shelf. The mechanism whirred softly, the sound unnaturally smooth, as if the gears hadn't been used in years. The bookshelf slid back into place with a satisfying click that echoed through the room.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuJBWH43mT
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveTkeWd1St
Cool. But also terrifying.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6mTDuMF2Q
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvRWKOCoSO
The group drifted back to the living room, but I stayed behind for a moment, my nerves still on edge. I stepped outside, pulling a cigarette from my pocket and lighting it with trembling hands. The cool evening air helped steady me, but my thoughts were still racing.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpXbBME4qC
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5SyTRBwZX
Sasha joined me a moment later, her presence quiet but unmistakable. She held out her hand, and I passed her the cigarette without a word. She took a drag, exhaling slowly before handing it back.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEehHp8DnWH
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cW8tHWZrX
"Since when do you smoke?" she asked, her tone casual but probing.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNKkK1yu33
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpCA0Ha4nR
"Since when do you smoke?" I countered, raising an eyebrow.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNWxcrt5RT
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNm38sK0ny
She laughed softly, the sound almost lost in the evening breeze. "You know, this is the longest conversation we've had since you got back from rehab."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4TM6bC3MI
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQakuukFWln
"Is it?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTp7VJB9Tg3
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlGAlyq30K
"You've been distant," she said, her voice softening. "I miss having my best friend. And I know Maya misses her sister."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zlrQ4dOqz
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAnsgkCH2p
I didn't respond immediately, my gaze fixed on the horizon as the sun dipped lower in the sky.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzBZ585eAH
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpltGZIJ6T
"Do you hate me?" Sasha asked suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHa9LXSwTA4
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6vvz8SPHn
I turned to look at her, surprised. "Why would I hate you?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyvHrunl9D
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGubkJrMR4
"Because I was the one who told Maya and the principal about your addiction."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05o5Akxnir
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmgVemIMjz
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I don't hate you for that."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFZbngKVRd
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5N2uK7cPL
"So you do hate me," she said, her tone half-joking but with an undercurrent of seriousness.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtfKMzO24z
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeDIzchSUm
"I don't hate you," I said firmly. "But I've been avoiding the clubhouse for a reason."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjWubr3XWb
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFbjwZve33
"Is it because of me and Martin?" she asked, her voice tentative.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALCf6XMqcW
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94mZdgPwuX
"It's Hendrick," I said bluntly. "I can't stand his face."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwqZGuDv62
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7R2LbYlgir
Sasha gave me a look, her eyes narrowing. "Why can't you be serious for once?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQU23jMAhF
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXzVxACFvA
"I am serious," I said, though my tone was lighter than I intended. "But fine. The school counselor thinks I blame him."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodnI2Uu6nb
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zJ1E7UzjV
"Blame him for what?" Sasha asked, her brow furrowing. Then her eyes widened in realization. "He's the one who introduced you to drugs, isn't he?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2YPqw3OlF
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvXrbJPbCV
I hesitated, the words caught in my throat. "Isn't he?" she pressed, louder this time.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXE9PTla27M
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiihovoPnak
"Yes," I admitted, the word heavy with unspoken resentment.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleMRjG3FWS
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0jb5Jjykq
Sasha's face darkened, and she turned on her heel, storming back toward the mansion. I grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzfln7JScE
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJ32XufjR2
"Let me go!" she snapped, her voice sharp.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFrQDoayXx
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoz6Q7RrTgp
"Why? So you can punch Hendrick? What good would that do?"198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Xk8es4iJG
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMc5wqq0ac0
"You have no idea the things he's said about you," Sasha said, her voice trembling with anger. "He acts like it was all your fault, like he had nothing to do with it. If only I'd known the truth."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5aFHMvgWs
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIAwD5C6eg
I looked away, my chest tightening. "It doesn't matter what he says. I made my choices."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHjWtWBRoj
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zpLEUVdKx
"But he made them easier," she shot back, her voice breaking. "He knew what he was doing. And now he acts like he's better than you, like he's some kind of saint."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVVpEWjM0Y
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DAXQJFwtq
I didn't respond, my gaze fixed on the horizon. The sun was sinking lower, casting long shadows across the lawn. "Maybe he is better than me," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "But that doesn't change anything. I'm still here. And I'm still trying."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxgiFVHwtn
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4wVgPUXLH
Sasha stared at me for a long moment before nodding reluctantly. "Fine."198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUD7LUAMdSM
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0mQ9H4YaP
"Thank you," I said, offering her a small smile. "Evelyn sure is taking her time with those groceries, huh?" I added, trying to lighten the mood.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VU82lVZr4
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xZ1Kk2DUa
"Yeah," Sasha said, though her tone was still distant.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCztqIDL0d
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYh1glUzPY
I sighed and sat down on the ground, the grass surprisingly soft beneath me. "Sit with me," I said, patting the spot beside me. Sasha hesitated before joining me, her shoulders still tense.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkEgdFWhVc
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeZxYvZ01L
The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. The air was cool, and for a moment, everything felt almost peaceful.198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVRlbRvCjf
198Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pNI7ySwg9
------
Penana
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