Ymonesou stood still in a corner, feeling ignored by everyone. Her heart beat fast from the tension. She gazed at the reflection of the moon in the nearby pond, her thoughts as disordered as the ripples in the water. She felt paranoid, imagining terrible things that seemed all too real. Her blue eyes searched for calm among the old trees but found none. Resigned, she stepped away from the pond as silently as she had arrived.
She wanted to look at the pond one last time before walking toward the mansion. Each step on the gravel brought back unpleasant memories and made her thoughts feel even more jumbled.
The mansion loomed in the distance. It was an old building with some modern touches. Its yellow lights stood out against the dark sky, and the place seemed to have a serious atmosphere. The thought of returning filled her with fear and a little sadness, so she walked slowly.
She climbed the steps, and a cold wind dried the tears that had almost escaped. She remembered past arguments among the staff. The owner was away on business and had left his friend Lucas in charge. Lucas spent a lot of money on parties to gain popularity, even though they weren't profitable—he just wanted people to applaud him.
When she reached the entrance, an employee told her:
"Miss, please, come in."
She nodded shyly. She tried to smile but still felt sad.
She entered a side room. The golden light and warmth surprised her. A crystal chandelier sparkled brightly on the ceiling. The air smelled faintly of lemon and cinnamon. Then she saw Lizen. She was dressed in red and black with veils, holding a broom, her gaze distant as if lost in thought.
Noticing Ymonesou, Lizen approached slowly and said:
"It's been so long, Ymonesou!"
"Uh... yeah..." replied Ymonesou, trying to sound cheerful.
Lizen stretched her neck. For a moment, her expression was serious, but then she smiled slightly.
"Ymonesou... my back hurts. Could you check it?" she said softly, showing discomfort.
Ymonesou sighed and led her to a quieter corner of the room. There was more silence there, only the distant sound of the chandelier's crystals could be heard.
Ymonesou sighed again. She focused and inhaled the lemon scent. She brought her hands close to her companion's back. Lizen grew a little nervous, turned slightly, and placed her own hands near her neck.
Ymonesou adjusted Lizen's dress, saw the worry on her face, and began unbuttoning the red dress, one button at a time.
"Lizen, I don't like it when you appear out of nowhere... Sorry for complaining—"
"It's not that, I just don't feel well," Lizen replied, sounding down.
"Are you feeling sick?" asked Ymonesou, concerned.
Lizen was about to answer but instead asked another question. She clenched her teeth slightly and murmured:
"Sweetheart... what's wrong with you?"
She avoided answering immediately. Ymonesou's breathing slowed as she discovered the synthetic skin beneath the clothes—the skin covering Lizen's android mechanics. Carefully, she removed a protective layer and examined the internal parts: wires, small lights, and flexible ribs shielding a standard metal skeleton for her model.
Lizen flinched slightly and clenched her hands when she felt her companion's touch.
Ymonesou carefully checked for any system issues. Working helped her feel useful, something essential for her. As she inspected, she spoke seriously.
With a better mood now, she said:
"I'm worried about the arguments between Ana and Lucas. He's always treated us well, and we live comfortably here, but I'm afraid everything will change."
"Change? Really?" Lizen asked, smiling as if she didn't believe it.
Ymonesou fell silent. She seemed not to be listening. She kept examining Lizen, glancing at the floor for a moment.
"Hey, Ymonesou..." Lizen said, shrugging slightly.
Ymonesou looked at her.
"What?"
"You worry too much, Ymonesou. They'll work it out. Besides... I'll always take care of you," Lizen replied, relaxed.
"I know..." murmured Ymonesou, lost in her own feelings. Those words made her feel like she always had to stay close to Lizen, waiting for her affection.
"Found it!" she exclaimed. In her hand was a damaged green plastic gear with bent teeth. She felt relieved to have found the problem and relaxed. Lizen brushed her light hair aside with one hand, showing relief and a satisfied smile.
Lizen was about to straighten up, but Ymonesou spoke again:
"Still, I'm worried. What if Ana is right? What if they fire Lucas for giving us what we asked for?" she said, looking at her companion. But seeing her friend's smile and cheerful eyes, she felt a glimmer of hope.
Carefully, she buttoned Lizen's dress back up, feeling the fabric, and returned a timid smile.
Lizen laughed with a hint of superiority and sarcasm:
"Then let's enjoy it while we can," she remarked, seeking agreement.
"I don't... I don't think that's the solution," said Ymonesou, placing a hand on her chest.
Lizen raised her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips:
"Didn't you just say we should be more careful? Or are you afraid people will find out what we get here? If so, you'd better hide it. Not everyone gets favors around here... just ask Evelin how she ended up: empty-handed for asking."
Ymonesou thought for a moment, hand on her chin, then replied:
"Don't say that. It's just... if they don't need us, without Lucas here, they'll discard us. It might be a relief not to work, but we'll be alone in the world."
Lizen lowered her arms and relaxed her face. She stepped closer to her friend, placed a hand on her back, and said:
"You need to leave your fears behind and focus on us. This moment is what matters... come closer."
Ymonesou didn't move. She looked away and made a face.
"Come on, it's important," Lizen insisted.
"Why?" asked Ymonesou.
Lizen sighed, accepting the resistance, and suddenly said:
"I want to go on vacation with you."
Ymonesou seemed lost in thought. Her friend took her arm and started walking through the room. Ymonesou followed hesitantly, murmuring something, trying to understand Lizen while resisting being pulled along.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked loudly, confused.
Lizen chuckled softly and replied:
"Just be good to me, okay?" as they headed toward the library door.
Ymonesou paused for a moment and nodded. She relaxed a little and let herself be led.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, puzzled.
"You're too stressed. We should get away for a few days," Lizen said. She stopped in front of the door and placed a hand on her companion's shoulder.
"You go first..." Ymonesou replied, gesturing for her to enter.
They stepped into the library. It was a quiet, serious place. The only light came from the fireplace, casting moving shadows on the walls. Ymonesou wandered among the books, unsure of what was happening. The noise from outside had faded.
Lizen, with sudden excitement, went to a bookshelf.
"No one would take care of my things if I weren't here," Ymonesou said with slight reproach, referring to her work or belongings.
"You'll find a place for them," her friend replied while searching for a book.
"Should we really leave? I wouldn't want Ana to get upset," Ymonesou asked.
"I'm sure Lucas will give us permission for the trip, no matter what Ana says," Lizen said, laughing happily.
She quickly crouched, searched through several books, and found a thick red one. She opened it halfway, turned to Ymonesou, and held it up. The pages showed an image of a lake bathed in soft light—a scene promising calm and beauty, so different from the serious building they were in.
Ymonesou looked at the image, imagined it, and slowly changed her mind. Her eyes began to shine.
"You... really think...?" she said, wanting to believe it was possible.
Lizen swayed her hips slightly, hinting that they could share an intimate moment in that place from the book.
"Yes, we'll be there, just being ourselves," she affirmed, bringing the image closer to her face and smiling.
"No masks."
Ymonesou felt warmth spread through her body. She tilted her head slightly, a tingling sensation on her skin. She clasped her hands behind her back to hide her interest and looked at the ceiling, still thinking about Lizen's proposal.
Lizen approached, humming, swaying the book in her hands, and exclaimed playfully:
"Ta-daa...!"
Ymonesou clenched her legs, her body trembling slightly as she tried to control her excitement. A few steps away, Lizen spoke again in a normal tone:
"Of course it'll happen. You work hard, even when no one asks. Lucas has granted similar requests for less merit," she assured confidently.
Ymonesou smiled slightly. They stood in silence for a few seconds, looking at each other—but suddenly, a loud noise shattered the calm. The sound echoed off the walls, startling them. Ymonesou's heart pounded, her ears ringing from the noise. Her eyes widened in shock.
She looked fearfully toward the library door, where the noise seemed to come from. The mansion fell into an uneasy silence. As her hearing returned, she heard footsteps, metallic movements, and a pained groan behind the door.
Covering their ears, the two approached the door, trembling. They didn't speak—just exchanged horrified glances. The anxiety Ymonesou had felt earlier that night returned with even greater force. Unable to think clearly, she opened the door to the side room, dreading what she would find.
The scene was horrifying: a cook lay face-down near the exit door, a small pool of blood spreading across the floor. She froze, staring at the body. Lizen patted her back gently to comfort her.
"It was a gunshot," Lizen said seriously.
"Go inside, Ymonesou; it's better if we stay here," she added, pulling her arm as more people arrived through other doors.
Lucas and other employees came running. Their faces showed horror and urgency.
Lucas, confused, stopped at the sight of the body. He carefully turned it over, saw the cook's blood-covered chest and the wound.
Overwhelmed with anguish, the mansion's caretaker looked around for help and spotted Ymonesou. He shouted:
"Ymonesou, get the first-aid kit from the shelf!"
Terrified, she ran to a gray box on a nearby shelf where medical supplies were kept. With trembling hands, she pulled out bandages, scissors, and other items, trying to ignore the pressure.
Suddenly, her hand touched something warm.
"What is this?" she wondered.
She looked inside the box and found a small revolver pointing upward among the supplies. A chill ran through her—she felt dizzy, almost collapsing. Her face turned pale, and she began to shake. She wanted to scream but covered her mouth with her hand.
Her first thought was to run, but she knew she had to stay calm. She glanced quickly at Lizen, who watched her worriedly, and kept searching the box. Her trembling fingers grabbed gauze and disinfectant. She felt everyone's eyes on her, panic making it hard to see clearly. She rummaged without touching the gun again, trying to appear normal and steady her ragged breathing.
"What do I do? Who left this gun? Will they blame me?" she thought anxiously with every movement.
She imagined terrible outcomes, but she couldn't just stand there. The cook needed help, and she had to be useful.
As others watched her erratic movements with suspicion, the room quickly filled with people. Among them was Ana, the head of security, with her android guards. Her presence radiated authority.
"He's dying! Stop the bleeding!" someone shouted.
"Don't touch him! What if he dies here with us?" protested another.
"Calm down!" Lucas ordered, starting CPR on the cook.
Ymonesou hadn't noticed Ana's arrival, but the others had. They felt some relief seeing authority but also worry—Ana had a difficult personality and always dressed elegantly for her job. The guards, all identical, surrounded the scene and pushed back the onlookers.
They were androids, just like Ymonesou and Lizen.
"Please stay still and step back," they ordered.
Ana smirked mockingly, crossed her arms, and stared at Ymonesou with contempt and satisfaction.
"What are you doing?" she asked coldly.
Hearing her, Ymonesou shuddered. She looked up and saw the now-angry, accusatory expression in the security chief's eyes—a rapid shift.
"What do you have there?" Ana demanded firmly.
Ymonesou struggled to speak. Her lips trembled as she barely managed:
"It's... a gun."
Under Ana's harsh gaze, her expression shifted to genuine surprise.
Ymonesou didn't try to hide the weapon anymore. The murmurs stopped—total silence fell. Everyone stared at her. She stood frozen, eyes wide with fear.
Then Lucas, still trying to help the cook, raised his voice and broke the tense silence:
"Ymonesou, bring what's needed to treat the cook!"
Ymonesou's heart raced—she nearly cried from shame. She hurried, forcing herself to stay calm. Reluctantly accepting the situation, she knelt beside Lucas to assist.
Meanwhile, the room buzzed with agitation. Lizen, Ana, and other employees approached the box. Their faces showed curiosity and horror at the sight of the revolver.
"What do we do?" an employee asked Ana.
The security chief's heart pounded at the sight of the gun. She took a deep breath and scanned the room. Rumors spread among the staff—decorators, technicians, waiters. There were shouts and confusion. Some pulled out phones to record. Others tried to flee the mansion through the lavish halls, leading to scuffles with the guards.
Ana hated the chaos. She had already ordered a lockdown as a precaution: guards watched the doors and black steel gates, and the internet had been cut. Complaints and screams echoed through the mansion. The sound of lost footsteps filled every corner.
Though many ran to their rooms to gather belongings and escape, Ana stayed silent. She checked her phone to confirm the mansion was now completely sealed.
Lucas had tried reviving the cook but stopped, lowering his head in defeat—it was too late. Sadness gripped everyone. Ymonesou slowly stood to join Lizen.
Ana strode authoritatively to the center of the room, ensuring everyone heard her.
"No one leaves the mansion until we find out who killed Roberto," she announced, staring straight at Ymonesou.
"Ymonesou, you're a suspect as an accomplice," she continued. Her words hit the young android like a hammer—she froze in panic and shame, feeling the ground vanish beneath her.
Lizen saw the injustice. Angry, she stepped forward, stomping, and gestured in protest.
"This accusation is absurd!" she exclaimed.
"She's done nothing wrong! She was with me the whole time—it's impossible!"
The guards, sensing the shift, exchanged glances. Lizen's strong defense eased Ymonesou slightly, but whispers and accusing stares from employees and androids continued. They pointed at her as guilty just because Ana said so.
Then Clara, an older, respected employee, stepped forward. Ana looked at her with superiority. Clara spoke calmly but firmly:
"You can't accuse someone without real proof. Ymonesou has always been reliable. This makes no sense."
A tense silence followed. The employees hesitated—their faces showed confusion and exhaustion over whom to believe. Ana felt her authority challenged.
She stepped back, annoyed and uncomfortable, but composed herself.
"Silence!" she shouted. "No one leaves until this is resolved. Ymonesou, you'll be watched until your innocence—or guilt—is proven by your strange interaction with that gun."
Though nothing was settled, Clara's defense sowed doubt. Ana, frustrated, continued:
"Fine, Ymonesou, you'll spend the night in a guest room under surveillance."
She glanced around, noticing attention had shifted from the accused to the murder's tension. In the silence, only unease remained. She slowly approached Lucas and spoke disdainfully:
"Do you even know this man's name?" she asked, pointing at the dead cook.
Pale-faced, Lucas stood.
"No... Roberto, you said?"
"This is the last straw, Lucas. I could've made up the name, and you'd never know. You never pay attention. This man was probably a guest someone snuck in. Who was he? No one knows," Ana criticized.
As many nodded and made way for her, the security chief scanned the tense faces, feeling her authority impose order amid chaos. She walked through the room, irritated. She scolded Lucas, who seemed dazed and couldn't meet her eyes. It was true—he was the mansion's caretaker.
"Look at Ymonesou, falling apart—it reflects your fragile management," she told the employees. "Look how she ended up... This is your responsibility, Lucas. There's a killer among us!"
Quietly, she added: "I'm done with your negligence."
Returning to the room's center, she challenged the staff:
"If anyone objects to us taking measures to resolve this, speak up..."
No one did. Ana smiled slightly. She signaled a guard to call the others and added:
"Obey the guards..."
Head held high, she let the medics and nurses—finally arriving—pass through.
Worried, she left the main hall for the meeting office. As she walked, she regretted not handling things better and vowed not to over-speak next time.
The guards rushed to lock down the mansion. Several secured doors from outside. An employee saw this, approached a door, and yelled through the window at a guard:
"Stop locking us in!" he shouted, banging the glass—but they ignored him.
Then he screamed: "Enough! You can't trap us here!"
A guard approached, stared at him for a few seconds, and said:
"You can't do this. Step back."
The employee jerked free and started punching and kicking the guard without hesitation. His fists struck the robotic body, but it didn't flinch or show pain.
The man kept hitting. Seeing he wouldn't stop, the guard grabbed his wrist firmly and threw him down, pinning his shoulder. Another guard arrived, seized his other arm, and the employee gave up. People stepped back, watching with pity and disgust.
Slowly, order returned.
Amid murmurs, Ymonesou clung to Lizen.
"Lizen..." she whispered.
Her friend saw she was paralyzed. She brushed hair from Ymonesou's forehead.
"You're a little... stiff..." she said.
Lucas, trying to restore order and regain some courage, backed Ana and announced loudly:
"No one may move freely through the mansion tonight. You'll be taken to your rooms. Please cooperate and avoid trouble."
The employees, though confused and worried, began following instructions. The once-cheerful mansion now felt like a prison.
A guard approached Ymonesou. Tears welled in her eyes. The uniformed man said:
"Please fill out this identification form," handing her a thin tablet and digital pen.
Lizen offered to write for her friend, but the guard crossed his arms:
"Not your place. Let her take responsibility," he insisted.
Annoyed, Lizen pushed the tablet away. Ymonesou took it firmly and wrote in silence.
When done, she returned the form. The guard placed a hand on her shoulder:
"Follow me."
He started walking. Ymonesou obeyed. She glanced at Lizen—a tear almost escaped.
"I'll... be back. Don't worry, Ymonesou. Have faith," Lizen called out just before her friend disappeared through a door.
As soon as she finished speaking, a guard did the same to her.
More guards entered the room. Their presence filled the space. They discussed controlling the situation, identifying each employee, and escorting them to their rooms.
Employees asked questions, but the guards gave only vague answers.
They organized to isolate the mansion and prevent the killer's escape. One group sealed doors and windows. Another blocked main paths with barriers and checkpoints. They set patrol schedules and routes, inspecting outer areas like gardens and the perimeter.
Inside, they led employees to their rooms one by one. People whispered fears while guards confiscated phones and laptops from humans. Some clung nervously to their belongings. Others stood alone, feeling vulnerable.
A pale employee asked a guard:
"How long will we be locked in?"
The guard, not looking at him, replied:
"Until further notice."
Another employee asked a coworker:
"What happens now?"
"I don't know. Just wait for it to end," came the reply.
Lights were turned off early. The only sounds were guards' footsteps in silent halls. Some stayed awake, watching their doors helplessly. Others, exhausted, slept.
Finally, due to stress, they allowed employees drinks and food. Some androids were called to comfort the most frightened.