The night was cold, and Ellie Graves pulled her jacket tighter as she walked home from work. The streets of Ravenwood were quiet, almost too quiet. The town always felt this way at night, like something was lurking just out of sight.
Her usual shortcut took her past the woods at the edge of town. That's when she saw it, the abandoned mansion.
The old Devereux House.
She had seen it before, but never this close. Everyone in town said it was abandoned, cursed even. People whispered about it, told stories of those who went inside and never came out.
But tonight, something was different.
A light flickered from one of the upstairs windows.
Ellie stopped. Was someone in there?
Her gut told her to keep walking, to mind her business. But her curiosity wouldn't let her. She had always wanted to know the truth about this place. And if someone was living here… that would make a good story.
She stepped closer. The iron gate was rusted, and it groaned loudly as she pushed it open. The front yard was overgrown, weeds and dead leaves covering the path. The mansion itself stood tall and lifeless, like a shadow against the night.
When she reached the front doors, she hesitated. Should I really go in?
Before she could decide, the wind blew, pushing the doors open with a slow, eerie creak. A cold chill ran down her spine.
She swallowed hard and stepped inside.
The air inside was cold and stale. It smelled like dust and something metallic. She pulled out her flashlight, the beam cutting through the darkness. The place was huge, a grand staircase, an old chandelier covered in cobwebs, and furniture draped in white sheets. Everything looked frozen in time.
Then she heard it.
A voice. Deep. Smooth. Dangerous.
"You shouldn't be here."
Ellie froze.
At the far end of the room, a man stepped out of the shadows.
Tall. Dressed in black. His face was sharp, his skin pale. His eyes locked onto hers, dark and unreadable. Something about him felt off, like he wasn't just a man, but something more.
A strange fear settled in her chest.
She had just walked into something she didn't understand.
She had found Lucian Devereux.
Ellie's heart pounded. The man stood still, watching her. His eyes were dark and unreadable, like he could see right through her.
She gripped her flashlight. "I...I didn't mean to trespass. I just saw the light and thought… someone might be here."
He didn't answer. He just tilted his head slightly, like he was studying her.
Ellie shifted nervously. The air in the mansion felt even colder now.
"Do you live here?" she asked.
The man took a slow step forward.
Ellie instinctively stepped back.
A small smirk formed on his lips. He was extremely handsome, almost unreal. His sharp features and smooth, pale skin made him look like he had stepped out of an old painting.
"And if I do?" His deep voice sent a strange shiver through her.
Ellie swallowed. No one was supposed to live here. The town believed this mansion was abandoned. And yet, he was here.
"I just thought this place was empty," she murmured.
His smirk faded. "It should be."
Something about the way he said it made her stomach twist. "Then why are you here?"
He let out a slow breath, as if thinking. Then, he stepped toward her again.
Ellie's pulse jumped. His movements were too smooth, too controlled. Something wasn't right. She needed to leave.
"Well," she forced a nervous chuckle. "I should go. Sorry for..."
Before she could turn, he was suddenly in front of her.
Ellie's breath caught. What? He had been across the room just seconds ago. She hadn't even seen him move.
Her flashlight flickered.
Then his cold fingers wrapped around her wrist.
"Leaving so soon?" he murmured.
His touch wasn't rough, but it was firm. Like he was testing her reaction.
Ellie's heart pounded. Who was this man? How did he move like that?
She met his gaze again. And that's when she saw it.
For a brief moment, his pupils dilated.
Not like a human's. Like a predator's.
Panic shot through her.
She yanked her hand away and took a shaky step back. "I...I really have to go."
Lucian didn't stop her. He just watched her closely, his expression unreadable.
Ellie turned and rushed outside. But as she stepped outside, she swore she heard him whisper behind her...
"We'll see about that."
Ellie didn't stop running until she was far from the mansion. Her heart was still racing, her wrist tingling where he had touched her.
Who was he? And how did he move so fast?
She reached the main road and forced herself to slow down. Maybe she imagined it. Maybe the fear had messed with her mind. But deep down, she knew what she saw.
The man she saw was not normal.
By the time she got home, her hands were still shaking. She locked the door behind her and leaned against it, catching her breath. The small house felt too quiet, too empty. It had been like this ever since her mom died.
Ellie kicked off her shoes and headed to her room. She grabbed her laptop, typing "Devereux mansion Ravenwood" into the search bar. But nothing useful came up, just old ghost stories and rumors.
She sighed and shut the laptop.
'Forget it, Ellie. You won't go back', she thought
But as she lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, she knew that was a lie.
Because now, she had more questions than ever.
And the guy she met, whoever he was, whatever he is, was the only one who had the answers to all her unanswered questions.
She laid on her bed, deep in thought, replaying everything that had happened at the mansion. His unreadable gaze. The way he moved, too fast, too smooth.
Her eyes flickered to the window, where the moonlight spilled through the curtains. The town was quiet, asleep. But somewhere out there, in that abandoned mansion, He still existed.
Her mind swirled with questions, but exhaustion slowly pulled her under.
She would figure it out tomorrow.
She laid in bed, lost in thought, until sleep finally took over.