As Kaito stepped inside the Fujiwara Mansion, a musty odor assaulted his nostrils. The entrance hall was dimly lit, with cobwebs hanging like veils from every nook and cranny. His lantern's feeble light flickered erratically, casting grotesque shadows that seemed to dance and shift on the peeling walls.
The floorboards beneath his feet protested with a loud creak at each step, as if the very mansion was groaning in resentment of his intrusion. Kaito's heart thumped loudly in his chest, and an overwhelming sense of being watched made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
Determined to start his exploration systematically, he decided to begin with the ground floor. There were several rooms branching off from the main hall. The first room he entered was a spacious, empty parlor. The furniture, swathed in white sheets, loomed like ghostly apparitions in the semi - darkness, adding to the already oppressive atmosphere.
His attention was immediately drawn to a portrait on the wall. It depicted a strikingly beautiful woman with long, flowing black hair that cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall. Her almond - shaped eyes, though merely a painting, held a depth of sadness that seemed to pierce through Kaito. As he moved around the room, he couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that her eyes were following his every move.
Suddenly, without warning, the door to the parlor slammed shut behind him with a resounding bang. Kaito jumped, his heart leaping into his throat. Panic surged within him as he rushed to the door and desperately tried to open it, but it remained stubbornly locked.
For a moment, fear threatened to consume him, but Kaito summoned his courage and reminded himself that he had to stay calm. He began to search the room for an alternative way out. As he rummaged through the furniture and scanned the walls, a soft, mournful sobbing sound reached his ears.
The sound was faint yet distinct, sending a chill down his spine. Kaito followed the sound, his lantern held out in front of him like a shield. In the far corner of the room, he made out a figure huddled on the floor. It was a young girl, dressed in a tattered white kimono that seemed to glow faintly in the dim light. Her long hair hung down, obscuring her face, and she she was trembling violently.
Kaito approached her slowly, his heart pounding in his chest. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, afraid that any louder sound might startle her.
The girl did not respond. Instead, her sobs grew louder, filling the room with a sense of despair. Kaito reached out his hand, gently touching her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. But as soon as his hand made contact, the girl let out a piercing scream that echoed through the empty mansion.
Kaito stumbled back in shock, his eyes wide with horror. When he looked up again, the girl had vanished into thin air. He was left alone in the room, his mind racing with questions. What was the girl's story? Why was she here? And how was he going to get out of this room?
Despite the terrifying encounter, Kaito's determination to uncover the secrets of the mansion remained unshaken. He continued his search and, after a few moments, discovered a hidden panel in the wall. With a sense of trepidation, he pushed on the panel, and it slowly swung open, revealing a dark, narrow passage. Taking a deep breath, Kaito stepped into the unknown, his lantern lighting the way into the depths of the mansion's secrets.