"Something is wrong with this house," Ava said.
They looked at each other.
Ava and Liora rushed to get out. As soon as they climbed up the ladder, they froze.
The floor was sand.
"Sand?" Ava whispered.
"The floor was marble just before we went down," Liora said.
She grabbed Ava's hand, and they hurried toward the exit. Once outside, they stopped.
The house looked completely normal.
They exchanged uneasy glances and slowly stepped back toward it. From the outside, nothing seemed unusual—no cracks, no sand, no signs that anything had changed.
They walked back inside and examined the tiles above where the ladder had been.
Liora crouched down and touched the surface.
Marble.
Calmly, she took her keys and dropped them onto the floor.
Clink.
The sharp metallic sound of metal hitting marble echoed through the room.
Liora frowned.
When my keys fell earlier, it sounded like metal hitting wood… Now it's marble.
"What are you doing, Liora?" Ava asked.
"Help me remove this tile."
Ava stepped forward. Together, they pried at the edge with all their strength. After struggling for a moment, the tile finally came loose.
They both stared in shock.
"Where is the ladder?" Ava whispered.
"I don't know. It was right here a few minutes ago," Liora said.
"Let's leave. I think this place is cursed."
Liora nodded. "Let's go."
They got into the car and drove away from the villa. Only after they were far down the road did they finally stop.
"Thank goodness… What was that place?" Ava said.
She turned to Liora. "Your brother gave you the keys to this mansion."
Liora nodded, frustration flashing across her face. "I'm going to take his class the moment we get back. Because of him, we were almost scared to death."
They checked into a hotel and decided to stay there until the next day—until Harper's wedding.
Meanwhile, at the Crown Hotel
Ring…
Ron turned over in bed, still half asleep.
The phone kept ringing.
Groaning, he sat up with his eyes barely open and reached for it. His fingertips brushed against something grainy.
"Sand?" he muttered, opening his eyes.
He wasn't in his hotel room.
He was lying on open ground.
Where am I?
Ron slowly pushed himself up—and froze.
He was inside a grave. Around him, terrifying creatures wandered through a dark graveyard. One of them passed straight through his body as if he wasn't even there.
What the—
He blinked.
The hotel room returned.
Ron was back in his bed. The phone had stopped ringing.
His heart pounded.
The horror felt… familiar.
Why does this feel familiar?
His eyes widened.
Those creatures… They're from World of Dark Souls. And this graveyard—it's from the game too.
"That Wulkranoth… he never changes," Ron muttered. "But what does World of Dark Souls have to do with Atliop City?"
His stomach growled loudly.
"Breakfast is more important than Wulkranoth," he said to himself.
Ron got dressed and stepped into the hallway.
"Maybe it was just a hallucination… or some strange coincidence," he muttered.
He walked outside toward a nearby café.
For a split second, the entire city shifted.
The buildings became tombstones. The people walking past him turned into skeletons—some into things far worse.
Then everything snapped back to normal.
Ron didn't notice.
Meanwhile,
Jake, nearly recovered, sat in front of a large screen watching an old video.
On a rooftop, two masked men were fighting a third. The footage was shot from behind them; only their backs were visible.
One of the two was Jake.
He paused the video and zoomed in on the man standing beside him.
"Revisiting old times, sir?" Aldrio asked from behind, carrying breakfast.
Jake nodded. "I was watching my battle against Xentan, the Lion."
"Sir, Harper has sent you a wedding invitation," Aldrio said, placing the tray on the dining table.
"When is it?"
"Tomorrow. Atliop City. 9:30 PM."
Jake sighed. "I have other matters to attend to… but I'll go if I have time."
He stood and moved to the dining table. Aldrio remained standing nearby.
"Sir," Aldrio began carefully.
"Yes?"
"Why don't you settle down?"
Jake looked up sharply. "What do you mean? Should I stop protecting the city?"
"You won't stop. I know that," Aldrio said gently. "I mean… you should think about getting married."
Jake gave a faint, humorless smile. "Marry? Who would want to marry me? I can't even protect the people I care about."
Aldrio was silent for a few seconds before replying.
"Sir… what I've learned in life is that you cannot save everyone. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to live."
Jake looked away.
"Why not try dating?" Aldrio continued softly.
"Aldrio, I have many enemies. If I start caring about someone, they'll target her—or her family—to get to me. Most women I've met were after Bruce—his money, his power. Not his heart. Not Jake Jacobs."
"Was there ever a time you fell in love, sir?"
Jake stared into the distance, saying nothing.
Aldrio sighed. "I always wanted you to live a normal life. But I suppose… that was never meant to be."
"I'm sorry, Aldrio."
"Sir… can you promise me one thing?"
"What is it?"
"If there is another life… promise me you'll forgive yourself. And live normally."
Jake looked up at him, eyes glistening.
"Yes," he said quietly. "I promise."
He stood and hugged Aldrio.
"I hope we'll be together in the next life… if there is one."
"It would be an honor, sir," Aldrio replied.
As they pulled apart, Aldrio glanced at the paused screen—the masked man standing beside Jake.