Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

The Red House

The house was beautiful inside, but there was something undeniably eerie about it. Every corner seemed to hum with an uneasy chill.

Warren, who was used to being waited on hand and foot, had only left two maids to look after Fiona.

Sylvia was sent upstairs to a room.

When she opened the door, the room was pitch black. Before her eyes could even adjust, someone shoved her hard, and she tumbled to the floor.

She scrambled up, desperate to escape, but the door slammed shut and locked behind her.

The darkness was suffocating, bottomless, like she'd been dropped into a well. Fumbling along the wall, Sylvia finally found the switch and flicked on the light.

When she saw the room, she froze, her face draining of color.

Before her brain could even process it, her body reacted first. "Urgh-"

She bolted into the bathroom, retching violently until there was nothing left. Leaning over the sink, she finally caught her breath.

When she looked up into the mirror, her own pale, numb face was slowly merging with another-one she didn't recognize. It was as if a shadow was leaning over her shoulder.

Sylvia spun around, heart pounding.

was nothing just a stark white

bathroom and looked around at the bizarre, almost indecent furnishings. She felt a wave of nausea roll over her

round bed dominated the center of the room, a mirror mounted

in some kind of waterbed pad, and she could picture exactly how someone might move on it. The whole setup

shaped, and there were inexplicable

bed, and wrapped herself in it, curling

time passed before the door

asked the maid to

of this man. He was

steam curling up from the surface. Her voice was flat and cold: "No

set the mug down, towering

her

beautiful and alive, but her

any man could

hair gently. "Sylvia,

a chill down Sylvia's spine. She shifted away from him, desperate for

crossed Warren's face. Suddenly, he grabbed a fistful of

"Sylvia, do you have any idea how much it hurt me

thrown myself at Uncle Rupert, he wouldn't care about

Then why are you still alive?" Warren sneered. "Do you know how many women have tried to trap Rupert? None of them made it out. You're the only one who ended up on