When the first rays of morning light hit Frank's face, he slowly opened his eyes. His room was messy as always—books scattered across the floor, an old metal poster on the wall, pale sunlight filtering through the window. But the most familiar sight was right in front of him: his little brother, sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows resting on his knees, wearing that same mocking grin.
"Good morning, sleepyhead Frank," Zynox said, tossing his white hair back. His voice was far too lively for the quiet of the morning.
Frank rubbed his sleepy eyes and grumbled. His brother being this energetic at such an early hour was unbearable. "Call me 'bro,' damn it," he muttered as he tried to sit up. "I'm three years older than you."
Zynox shrugged, that signature shameless smile appearing on his lips. "So what? You're seventeen—does that make you smarter?"
Frank let out a deep sigh. There was no point arguing with his brother. Even though Zynox was only fourteen, he had a way with words far beyond his age. Frank ran a hand through his black hair, stood up from the bed with his one-meter-eighty-five frame, and started getting dressed.
"Come on, or we'll be late for school," Frank said, his voice calm and protective. Even under Zynox's mocking gaze, he took his role as an older brother seriously.
Outside, the streets were quiet. In the early hours of autumn, leaves in shades of gold and crimson had fallen to the ground. As the two walked along familiar roads with their bags slung over their shoulders, Frank kept his hands in his pockets, walking with a thoughtful expression, while Zynox constantly scanned his surroundings, looking for something—anything—to make fun of.
"Do you think you'll fall asleep again in that boring math class today?" Zynox asked, glancing sideways at Frank.
Frank shot him a sharp look. "I don't sleep. I rest."
"Yeah, yeah, you're 'resting.' I guess I'm the one imagining the snoring."
Frank lightly smacked his shoulder, but he smiled. Zynox teasing him like this was just part of their dynamic.
Just then, something at the end of the road caught their attention—something they had never seen before.
A mansion.
Frank stopped. Zynox stopped as well.
The mansion looked as if it shouldn't be there, as if it had appeared out of nowhere. Massive, imposing, with dark stone walls, it rose before them. Its Gothic architecture was adorned with towers stretching toward the sky. The windows were dark, their glass surfaces seeming to absorb light rather than reflect it. The door was enormous, made of iron, engraved with incomprehensible symbols.
"Where did this come from?" Zynox whispered, an unusual seriousness in his voice.
Frank shook his head. "I don't know. We walk this way every day. This building wasn't here before."
And yet, strangely enough, it felt like it belonged there. As if it had always been there, somehow escaping their notice.
"Should we go?" Zynox asked. His voice was curious, but also uneasy.
Frank looked at him. That familiar spark of challenge was in his brother's eyes. "We'll be late for school," Frank said, though his voice already lacked conviction.
"Come on, bro. What's life without a little adventure?" That shameless grin reappeared on Zynox's lips.
Frank took a deep breath. A voice inside him told him not to go in. But another voice—deeper, filled with curiosity—urged him forward.
"We'll just take a look," he finally said.
As they approached the mansion's door, Frank's heartbeat quickened. The iron door seemed to tremble slightly as they drew near. Zynox reached out and gently pushed it.
The door opened with unbelievable ease. A dark, cold air poured out from inside.
The interior was far larger than it looked from the outside. A vast hall, staircases rising all the way to the ceiling, old paintings hanging on the walls. But the most striking thing was at the end of the hall: countless doors. Dozens, hundreds, perhaps thousands of doors—on the walls, on the ceiling, even on the floor.
"What is this place?" Frank whispered.
A sound from behind made them both jump.
BOOM.
The entrance door slammed shut. Frank immediately turned and ran toward it, but no matter how much he pulled, pushed, or struggled, the door wouldn't move. It was as if it had vanished—there was only a smooth wall where it once stood.
"Frank…" Zynox's voice trembled.
Frank turned to his brother. Zynox was standing in the middle of the hall, staring at something. Frank walked closer and saw it too.
On the floor lay an old, worn parchment. Written on it in golden letters was text in an ancient language. Yet Frank could read it. It was as if the words were translating themselves in his mind.
The Writing on the Parchment:
"Welcome, Travelers. This is the Legendary Mansion. This place lies beyond all axioms of mathematics. It is where the qualitative transcendence of dimensions exists. A paradox where time does not exist, yet motion does.
The Mansion is infinite in dimension. It contains an infinite number of doors. Each door opens to a different world of possibilities. Each world has its own rules, its own reality.
But beware: once you have entered, the only way out is to find the heart of the Mansion. And the heart is hidden in the depths of infinity.
Remember: here, there is no time, but there is change. You may move, but you cannot know where you are going. Your choices shape the infinite."
After finishing the parchment, Frank lifted his head and looked at Zynox. His brother's face was pale; his mocking expression was gone.
"What does this mean?" Zynox asked, fear in his voice.
Frank looked around. The doors on the walls of the hall seemed to move slightly, as if they were breathing. Light seeped from some of them; others were completely dark. Some bore symbols, others were blank.
"An infinite number of doors…" Frank murmured. "Each one opens to another world."
"But the exit?" Zynox's voice cracked.
"The heart of the Mansion," Frank said. "Whatever that is, we have to find it."
Zynox stepped back and leaned against the wall behind him. "This is madness. We need to get out of here, Frank. Right now."
Frank turned to his brother and grabbed him by the shoulders. His black eyes shone with determination. "Listen to me, Zynox. You don't need to be afraid. We'll get out of here. But we have to work together to do it. Understand?"
Zynox looked into his brother's eyes and slowly nodded.
Frank took a deep breath and looked around. The Mansion was silently waiting for them. Infinite doors. Infinite possibilities. And they were trapped inside this mysterious structure.
"First," Frank said, "we need more information. There could be other parchments. Clues. Maybe a map."
Zynox nodded. "So… where do we start?"