After hearing this story, Vanthias was a little surprised; it was the first time he had ever heard it.
Vanthias looked out the carriage window and thought,
"When I told Charles… I had to choose a torture place that Marcus would hate… I didn't know he would choose it so well…"
After an hour, the carriage reached the outskirts of the capital: a small mansion with a burnt-brown roof, neo-Gothic architecture, and bone-white walls, a place where Marcus had once lived.
After stepping out of the carriage, Vanthias and Aldrin began to explore the area around the mansion. It was clear that the mansion had been abandoned for years and few dared to enter; perhaps it had now become a place haunted by the evil spirits of the past, those who had once been tortured there.
Vanthias and Aldrin first entered the mansion, slowly opening the door. A cold wind hit their faces as they stepped inside, sending a shiver down Vanthias's spine. If he had come to the mansion before hearing the story, he might not have felt any fear, but now, knowing the mansion's grim truth, he followed every sound and watched every movement carefully.
Inside, very little light penetrated, and it was almost impossible to see clearly. Part of the ceiling had collapsed, another section of the wall had crumbled. In another corner, some mice scattered at the sound of the door opening.
It was truly a mansion that hadn't been entered for years.
Vanthias looked at Aldrin with a tone of doubt and surprise and said,
"Do you really think Yutab is being kept here? I think it's very unlikely… maybe we should look somewhere else."
Aldrin lowered his head, looked around the mansion again, and concluded that Vanthias was probably right. He then turned to Vanthias and said,
"We should check other places…"
Vanthias nodded and tried to suggest an idea to Aldrin:
"According to what you said… the Marcus family experimented on their subjects… so exactly where in the house? Maybe the cellar? A specific room? Or perhaps the basement… that would make more sense."
"That's right, we need to look for the places where they could have performed experiments or torture… maybe we can find something this way," Aldrin replied.
Aldrin gave a faint smile and gently said,
"How about we split up? This way we can search more efficiently, and if either of us finds something, we'll inform the other immediately."
"Alright, sounds like a good idea,"Vanthias responded.
After separating, each began searching a different part of the mansion. After spending some time looking for clues, Vanthias reached a metal door leading to the basement.