I rushed into the mansion with Masha close behind, my heart pounding as I searched for the source of the scream. It had been Sasha's voice, sharp and panicked, cutting through the silence like a knife. I called out her name as soon as we crossed the threshold, my voice echoing off the high ceilings.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8zqhc4eXX
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"Sasha! SASHA!"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIKGy4RqQj
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No response. Just as my anxiety began to spike, her voice came again, faint but steady. "I'm over here."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcYLq6lbfW
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I followed the sound to the study, a room lined with towering bookshelves and heavy wooden furniture. The air felt heavier here, as if the walls themselves were pressing in. At first glance, the room seemed empty, but then Sasha's voice echoed from an unexpected direction. "Behind the bookshelf."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvMoylwIR9
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I stepped closer, my pulse quickening as I peered behind the massive structure. Sasha stood on a narrow staircase that descended into darkness, her face pale in the dim light. A faint, cold draft wafted up from below, carrying with it a smell that made my stomach churn—mildew, yes, but something else too, something metallic and sharp.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFgbc7jtMa
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"Can you believe it?" Sasha whispered, her voice trembling despite her attempt at excitement. "This place has an underground room."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoxwgObuFm
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I stared into the abyss, my heart pounding. The darkness seemed to pulse, as if alive, and for a moment, I thought I heard something—a faint, rhythmic sound, like footsteps echoing from deep below.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrJSRoZsAs
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Before I could respond, the others filed into the study. Maya, Hendrick, and Martin must have noticed Masha standing by the bookshelf, or perhaps she had pointed them in our direction. Either way, they were suddenly crowding around me, their presence making the room feel even smaller.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVUBqexmF0
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"Are you okay?" Maya asked, her voice tight with concern.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0jBspZEUc
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"Is that an underground room? Sick!" Martin said, his eyes lighting up.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsbzreL2p3
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"I know, right?" Sasha replied, ignoring my glare. "I was checking out some of the books, and one of them triggered this mechanism. The shelf just slid open, and I freaked out."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1iOzJsSCN
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"Which book?" Hendrick asked, his tone curious.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Wsvafcmhs
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"I think it was Catch-22," Sasha said.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSwtVzsr3A
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"Where does it lead?" Martin pressed.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7TWpvU4pD
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"I haven't looked yet."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkn39LgmCEE
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"Can we explore?" Sasha asked, her eyes darting to Maya, who in turn looked to Hendrick. He exchanged a quick, almost imperceptible smile with Martin before nodding.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRiH4iDqIq
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Before Maya could respond, I stepped in. "No! Absolutely not!" I said, my voice firm. "Are you guys insane? This isn't our house. We can't just go snooping around. How am I the voice of reason right now?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERJBKwrP7x
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"Are you saying you're not curious about what the Whites are hiding down there?" Martin challenged.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9W7R5xE8Ye
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I was. Of course I was. But I had the decency to keep that to myself.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2rky5d5nV
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"Not even a little," I lied. "And even if I were, it doesn't matter. We're here to clean, not play detective."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhKCcEsD2E
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"Okay, spoilsport," Martin muttered.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qMAVPPsLL
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"Very mature," I shot back. "Did you forget why we're here in the first place?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmi1wz8KqL8
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I reached out to Sasha, helping her up from the staircase. Masha, ever the quiet observer, carefully replaced Catch-22 on the shelf. The mechanism whirred softly, the sound unnaturally smooth, as if the gears hadn't been used in years. The bookshelf slid back into place with a satisfying click that echoed through the room.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKiYs4yuP4
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Cool. But also terrifying.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTP8iZmg9aJ
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The group drifted back to the living room, but I stayed behind for a moment, my nerves still on edge. I stepped outside, pulling a cigarette from my pocket and lighting it with trembling hands. The cool evening air helped steady me, but my thoughts were still racing.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYRN4AM7os
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Sasha joined me a moment later, her presence quiet but unmistakable. She held out her hand, and I passed her the cigarette without a word. She took a drag, exhaling slowly before handing it back.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Vk3pMnSr8
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"Since when do you smoke?" she asked, her tone casual but probing.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjm0WtVw6qt
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"Since when do you smoke?" I countered, raising an eyebrow.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BefjDnU66
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She laughed softly, the sound almost lost in the evening breeze. "You know, this is the longest conversation we've had since you got back from rehab."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJiinsXFzlZ
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"Is it?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Kx5KNJlDx
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"You've been distant," she said, her voice softening. "I miss having my best friend. And I know Maya misses her sister."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpVQdyAJFI
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I didn't respond immediately, my gaze fixed on the horizon as the sun dipped lower in the sky.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY52i0bkS27
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"Do you hate me?" Sasha asked suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykxQw5pCRA
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I turned to look at her, surprised. "Why would I hate you?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2eFuZXo4L
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"Because I was the one who told Maya and the principal about your addiction."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4Ru7actpS
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I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I don't hate you for that."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7v4K9bvuqQ
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"So you do hate me," she said, her tone half-joking but with an undercurrent of seriousness.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfoeJwd2Ub
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"I don't hate you," I said firmly. "But I've been avoiding the clubhouse for a reason."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VR9t6dAE8
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"Is it because of me and Martin?" she asked, her voice tentative.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEv6bKi49F
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"It's Hendrick," I said bluntly. "I can't stand his face."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsJkmmK3uT
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Sasha gave me a look, her eyes narrowing. "Why can't you be serious for once?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uX6OdrFOa
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"I am serious," I said, though my tone was lighter than I intended. "But fine. The school counselor thinks I blame him."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKNAira39W
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"Blame him for what?" Sasha asked, her brow furrowing. Then her eyes widened in realization. "He's the one who introduced you to drugs, isn't he?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQUiwPkjO9
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I hesitated, the words caught in my throat. "Isn't he?" she pressed, louder this time.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK41hu2z5nw
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"Yes," I admitted, the word heavy with unspoken resentment.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeWaxY2moT
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Sasha's face darkened, and she turned on her heel, storming back toward the mansion. I grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstFKeb3SVn
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"Let me go!" she snapped, her voice sharp.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Nnv9I8XHN
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"Why? So you can punch Hendrick? What good would that do?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDPOmvZnCv
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"You have no idea the things he's said about you," Sasha said, her voice trembling with anger. "He acts like it was all your fault, like he had nothing to do with it. If only I'd known the truth."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpwdPJVLFc
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I looked away, my chest tightening. "It doesn't matter what he says. I made my choices."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH21bbxPFAJ
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"But he made them easier," she shot back, her voice breaking. "He knew what he was doing. And now he acts like he's better than you, like he's some kind of saint."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSo65i6Tx8X
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I didn't respond, my gaze fixed on the horizon. The sun was sinking lower, casting long shadows across the lawn. "Maybe he is better than me," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "But that doesn't change anything. I'm still here. And I'm still trying."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZQFdbouWw
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Sasha stared at me for a long moment before nodding reluctantly. "Fine."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwcZ35AbFa
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"Thank you," I said, offering her a small smile. "Evelyn sure is taking her time with those groceries, huh?" I added, trying to lighten the mood.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5jkLpGQbc
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"Yeah," Sasha said, though her tone was still distant.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmujYG7ke3S
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I sighed and sat down on the ground, the grass surprisingly soft beneath me. "Sit with me," I said, patting the spot beside me. Sasha hesitated before joining me, her shoulders still tense.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqzLBbMwN6
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The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. The air was cool, and for a moment, everything felt almost peaceful.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6r8esMNma
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