Aria sat alone in her new room. The door was closed, and the room was so quiet that she could hear her own breathing. She lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling with a heavy mind. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her and put an end to all that was happening to her.
She tried to sleep and closed her eyes slowly, but her thoughts did not stop. She saw Morgan in her mind, his dark eyes gazing at her and his calm voice saying, "You belong to me." The words echoed repeatedly in her ears.
She turned to her side and hugged the pillow lightly. She was confused and afraid, yet she felt safe strangely. That safety frightened her as a thought ran through her mind.
How does she feel calm around him when she barely knows him?
Maybe she once did.
That thought made her sit up. She looked around the room again and observed how everything looked prepared for her. The closet had her clothes in it, the dresser had her jewelry, and the bathroom had her things. It was like she had lived there before, but she didn't remember.
She believed that she was trapped in someone else's life and was living in it forever.
She stood slowly. Although her legs were still weak, she forced herself to walk because she wanted to explore.
She opened her bedroom door quietly. The hallway was empty, long, and silent. Rays of sunlight entered through tall windows and made the floor shine under her feet.
She walked carefully. Her steps were soft, and she had a feeling that she shouldn't be wandering, but curiosity pushed her forward.
She passed several closed doors. Each one looked important and mysterious to Aria. She wondered what secrets they were all hiding.
She reached the end of the hallway and noticed one door there.
It was made of dark wood and was different from the others.
She stepped in front of the door. She didn't actually know why, but something about it felt connected to her, and she could feel it.
She lifted her hand slowly. Her fingers hovered near the handle. She felt a strong pull, like the room was calling her, and her breathing became uneven.
She placed her hand on the handle. It was cold.
She tried to turn it, but it didn't move.
It was locked.
She was surprised and puzzled.
Why was it locked?
What was inside?
She asked herself.
She pressed her ear lightly against the door. She could hear nothing but silence.
But inside her mind, something stirred.
A faint flash.
An image.
A shadow.
Broken glass.
And a whisper.
She stepped back.
Her head ached a little.
She touched her temple, and the pain faded.
She was confused again.
Why did that image appear?
Was she ever inside the room?
She wondered.
But she was certain of something.
She had stood there before.
She knew the door, even if she couldn't remember.
She stepped closer again and whispered softly,
"What's inside?"
Her voice echoed a little. She felt foolish for talking to a door, but the question felt very important.
She touched the wood gently. The surface was smooth. Her chest tightened immediately because a feeling of sadness grew inside her.
She wondered why she was sad and what could have happened there, but there was no one to answer her yet.
She closed her eyes briefly, and another image flashed in her mind.
A man shouting.
Several glasses breaking again.
She could hear her own voice crying loudly.
She gasped and opened her eyes.
She stepped back again. She could feel the fear creeping in.
She shook her head and whispered,
"It's nothing."
But it didn't feel like nothing.
It felt important.
She gathered courage and decided to ask Morgan.
She turned to leave—
and froze immediately.
Someone was standing behind her.
It was Morgan.
He stood silently watching her, and he wasn't wearing a friendly expression.
She felt like she had been caught doing something wrong.
She straightened a little.
"I was just..." she began, her voice trailing off.
He stepped forward slowly. His eyes moved to the door and then back to her. His jaw tightened.
"You shouldn't be here," he said calmly.
His voice wasn't loud, but it was firm.
"What's in the room?" she asked with curiosity.
He didn't answer immediately.
Silence filled the hallway, and she felt the tension rising between them.
His gaze darkened slightly.
"It's locked," he said.
That wasn't an answer, and she knew that.
"Why?" she asked, her voice trembling.
He stepped closer to her. Not aggressively, but protectively.
"Because it needs to be locked," he replied in a cold tone.
She was hurt by the tone of his voice. She didn't really understand why, but she felt disappointed because she wanted him to trust her.
She whispered,
"Was I inside before?"
Her question made his eyes flicker slightly.
That small reaction told her something.
He looked away for a second, then back at her.
"Yes," he answered.
Her eyes widened in shock.
"What happened?" she asked.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
He didn't respond.
He remained silent for a moment.
She stepped closer to him.
"Tell me," she pleaded softly.
He shook his head once.
"Not now," he finally said.
His reply made her frustrated.
"Why not?" she asked again.
He looked at her intensely.
"Because you are not ready."
Although his words were protective, they were also controlling. She felt both emotions at once, which made her even more confused.
She looked at the locked door again. The mystery behind it grew stronger.
"Never open it," Morgan said firmly.
His voice was colder and more serious than before.
She understood the warning clearly.
It wasn't a simple request.
It was an order.
She nodded slowly, but inside her curiosity burned steadily.
He studied her face as if trying to read her thoughts.
He gently took her wrist—not tightly, but enough to guide her.
His touch was warm and steady.
He led her away from the door.
She didn't resist, but she looked back once.
The door stood there silently, watching her leave.
That night she lay in bed again. She noticed the quietness of the mansion and the moonlight entering her room.
She couldn't sleep.
The locked door stayed in her mind.
Several thoughts raced through her mind.
Why is it forbidden?
What memory is hidden there?
She closed her eyes slowly, and sleep finally took her.
She had a dream.
In the dream, she found herself standing in darkness.
The locked door appeared in front of her, and this time it was open.
The room inside was dim.
She stepped forward.
Her heart pounded loudly as she moved.
She heard shouting.
It was a man's voice.
It sounded angry and dangerous.
She saw broken glass on the floor, and blood stained the white carpet.
Her breath shook at the sight.
She could hear herself crying.
She saw the shadow of a man holding her, but she couldn't see his face clearly.
She was in severe pain.
Suddenly she saw Morgan.
He was the man holding her, and his shirt was stained with blood.
He looked desperate and afraid.
He whispered something.
She couldn't hear him clearly, but his lips moved.
"Stay with me."
The dream shifted violently.
The room felt like it was shaking.
She screamed in her sleep and woke up suddenly.
She was breathing fast, and her whole body was covered in sweat.
The room was dark and quiet.
She was relieved that it was just a dream, but the dream felt too real.
She sat up quietly, trying to figure out the meaning of the dream.
Just then the door opened.
Morgan stepped inside and switched on the light.
He looked alert and concerned.
"You screamed," he said.
She stared at him with fear in her eyes.
"There was blood," she whispered quietly.
His expression changed immediately as his jaw tightened.
"In the locked room," she continued weakly.
Silence filled the air.
Morgan didn't say anything.
And that silence confirmed her fear.
It wasn't just a dream.
Something had happened in the locked room.
Something dangerous.
Something violent.
She looked at him desperately.
"What happened to me?" she asked in fear.
He walked closer to her.
His eyes were dark, and there was guilt written in them.
He answered quietly,
"You almost died."
She was dumbfounded as she began to tremble.
It dawned on her that the locked room held the explanation for the night her life changed.