After his shower, Nolan stepped out of the bathroom and grabbed his shirt, putting it on and making damn sure the device on his chest, which counted his remaining heartbeats, wasn't visible. After that, "Krek," Nolan opened his door. He saw the hallway was empty, then stepped out and walked toward the staircase to go downstairs.
"Hmm, no one's around. Whatever. Yesterday was truly exhausting and... pretty messed up," he thought.
After descending the stairs, he caught a delicious scent coming from the dining room, which wasn't far from the staircase. He walked over and opened the door. Nolan saw a buffet table next to the main dining table, apparently set up for their breakfast. There was a pot of warm soup, a platter of various breads, a plate piled with bacon, and a bowl of mashed potatoes. Everything was self-serve for anyone who wanted breakfast.
Nolan glanced around. He walked past the table and looked toward the far end of the room where the sofa and bar were.
"Hmm, why the hell are there no servants around?" Nolan wondered to himself.
Without touching the food, Nolan left the dining room and walked down the corridor leading to the back. He reached the kitchen and saw that no one was there. All the kitchen equipment looked tidy, and no stoves were on or even warm from recent use. He exited the back door of the kitchen. He saw a garden and a small shed far in the back. But the strange thing was, there wasn't a soul in sight.
Nolan went back inside and exited through the front, then walked through the mansion's inner corridors again and found two large doors on the right and left. He tried opening the door on the left; inside was a library. There were several racks like library shelves, a complete desk with a chair, and a lounge chair with a small side table holding a reading lamp. Nolan closed the door and crossed to the one opposite it.
When he opened it, he saw that the room was a family living room, filled with expensive-looking antique furniture. He stepped inside. Turning his head, he saw a large painting hanging on the wall, right above the fireplace. He stood there, looking at the portrait of a middle-aged man with an unclear face, sitting at an angle when he was painted. The man seemed to be the same person as in the painting at the staircase landing in the lobby. The suit he was wearing looked like a regular suit; nothing seemed odd. But Nolan stood and stared at the painting.
"Hmm, so this is him, Arthur J. Waldorf, the billionaire who invited me here," Nolan mused to himself.
"Splash!" A loud sound of something heavy falling into water startled him. Nolan turned toward the glass wall with a glass door on the right side. Outside, there was a fairly large swimming pool surrounded by a beautiful, grassy garden and fenced by a tall hedge. Nolan opened the door and stepped outside. He saw Selma swimming laps in the pool.
"Hey, just getting up?" someone asked beside him.
Nolan turned. He saw Zack sprawled on a lounge chair with a glass of a drink in his hand. He was only wearing a tank top, so all his muscular tattoos were visible. On the table next to him, Nolan spotted a bottle of wine and two glasses that Zack had apparently taken from the bar in the dining room.
"You're out here too?" Nolan asked.
"Yep. Not just me. Selma's swimming, and Ingrid's wandering around the garden," Zack replied.
"Hmm, I see. Have you eaten breakfast?" Nolan asked.
"Been up for a while, man. You slept in," Zack answered.
"Alvin and Helena?" Nolan asked.
"I don't know. It was empty when I got here. Ingrid showed up a little later and sat next to me, keeping me company while I drank. Even if we're under legal age, there's no rule against it, is there? The rules here are just those five things. Maybe they're in the dining room. Go check there if you haven't eaten," Zack answered, taking a drink.
"Speaking of which, are there no servants at all?" Nolan asked.
"Yeah. When I woke up, I saw the staff getting ready to leave. I even asked Beatrice. Like she said yesterday, the staff was only here to serve us on the first day when we arrived. After that, we're on our own. Beatrice also said she set up breakfast, but for lunch, we have to make our own. The ingredients are fully stocked in the kitchen and the cold storage—enough for more than 30 days, she said," Zack explained.
"Ah, that's right. She did say that yesterday," Nolan replied, watching Selma swimming back and forth in the pool.
"Hmm... interested in Selma's body? Want to jump in with her?" Zack teased, grinning as he saw Nolan watching Selma.
"Huh. Don't joke around. I'm going to the dining room for breakfast," Nolan said, turning away.
"Okay. Just remember the rules, man. I don't want anyone else dying because they broke one," Zack said casually, taking a sip of his drink.
"Yeah, I know," Nolan replied, walking off.
Nolan left the living room and walked back to the dining room. "Click," he opened the dining room door and walked in. Alvin was already inside, looking immaculate as if he'd just showered, enjoying his coffee and food. Across from him, Helena looked disheveled, as if she'd just rolled out of bed, and was eating. Nolan walked toward the buffet, passing Helena and taking note of her. He grabbed a plate and started serving himself.
He then carried his plate and teacup to a seat next to Helena, who was quietly eating.
"Morning, Helena," Nolan whispered.
"Um... morning," Helena replied.
"Next time you leave, please wake me up, okay?" Nolan hinted, still whispering.
Helena immediately turned, her face looking confused, her blue eyes staring sharply at Nolan.
"What are you talking about?" Helena asked, bewildered.
"Look, last night was the last time. Don't ever come to my room again," Nolan insisted.
"Huh... I don't know what you're talking about... When I got to my room last night, I didn't leave again, and I only just woke up now," Helena replied, bewildered.
This time, Nolan was the one who turned and stared sharply at Helena. He realized Helena was still wearing her pajamas, but what confused him was that they were different from last night. He glanced at Alvin, who didn't seem to hear their conversation and kept eating while enjoying his coffee.
Nolan leaned closer to Helena's ear, then whispered what had happened in his room last night. Helena's face, which was already confused, instantly looked like she'd just watched a horror movie. She turned back to Nolan.
"I-I didn't come to your room... I swear, and you can ask Selma, because last night she came to my room to borrow my comb, and we talked for a long time because we were both scared stiff after what happened yesterday," Helena stammered, genuinely terrified.
"R-really? are you sure?" Nolan asked.
"Yes," Helena replied.
"What are you two whispering about?" Alvin asked, finally looking up.
"Nothing," Nolan replied, turning back to his plate. A sudden shiver ran down his spine, and his face instantly went pale. "Then who the hell was it last night? And why did I have that dream? This is weird... really weird," Nolan thought to himself.