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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1u7cBcgZjz
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"Sasha! SASHA!"260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhx0qfVaC6k
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No response. Just as my anxiety began to spike, her voice came again, faint but steady. "I'm over here."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGvQY73wUs
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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."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjw2mUrYR4
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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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJigXSoeIha
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"Can you believe it?" Sasha whispered, her voice trembling despite her attempt at excitement. "This place has an underground room."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOBeAIaUxY
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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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5blYllKrH
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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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uN8UPwHCM
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"Are you okay?" Maya asked, her voice tight with concern.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpz6MbPvjb
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"Is that an underground room? Sick!" Martin said, his eyes lighting up.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPtIYoDFPO
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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."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXl1vYFhfmb
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"Which book?" Hendrick asked, his tone curious.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFb3RAKRAO
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"I think it was Catch-22," Sasha said.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqwjfV9e0d
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"Where does it lead?" Martin pressed.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ272rghWKYY
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"I haven't looked yet."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcszDrDiueP
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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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeK6JdVpAzB
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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?"260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvjZTBDAcS
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"Are you saying you're not curious about what the Whites are hiding down there?" Martin challenged.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtk0v7LPo9Y
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I was. Of course I was. But I had the decency to keep that to myself.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWVZQyiGDB
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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."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7rNPJWAUH
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"Okay, spoilsport," Martin muttered.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMylVTULg5
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"Very mature," I shot back. "Did you forget why we're here in the first place?"260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80ogxdN2Ew
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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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHRK6vDftk
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Cool. But also terrifying.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrl51i0E6Qa
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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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInMbaKRGtV
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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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3E4Ejzluof
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"Since when do you smoke?" she asked, her tone casual but probing.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23hcyy8BMS
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"Since when do you smoke?" I countered, raising an eyebrow.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALXFkNHUho
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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."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbB7fZ7Emz
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"Is it?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHulxhGQzZq
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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."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9S5mF5ix3M
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I didn't respond immediately, my gaze fixed on the horizon as the sun dipped lower in the sky.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSDRE02t62
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"Do you hate me?" Sasha asked suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYP1Flk2vf1
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I turned to look at her, surprised. "Why would I hate you?"260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyDv5YM45w
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"Because I was the one who told Maya and the principal about your addiction."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtIBWKy8LK
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I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I don't hate you for that."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8JMaFsvII
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"So you do hate me," she said, her tone half-joking but with an undercurrent of seriousness.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVcKHREh93
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"I don't hate you," I said firmly. "But I've been avoiding the clubhouse for a reason."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6K4q21GGXi
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"Is it because of me and Martin?" she asked, her voice tentative.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWo5txZFM0
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"It's Hendrick," I said bluntly. "I can't stand his face."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXyu9Fo1kW
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Sasha gave me a look, her eyes narrowing. "Why can't you be serious for once?"260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4Wc0h80SM
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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."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1r29WBRDx
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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?"260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2seUr7l8w
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I hesitated, the words caught in my throat. "Isn't he?" she pressed, louder this time.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeVQ3u86PI
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"Yes," I admitted, the word heavy with unspoken resentment.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiz3xGavdEV
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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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3doadi7O1
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"Let me go!" she snapped, her voice sharp.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFztteso0fu
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"Why? So you can punch Hendrick? What good would that do?"260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLaQwKIpe3
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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."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKZTcc7AzS
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I looked away, my chest tightening. "It doesn't matter what he says. I made my choices."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVJb6nmYYL
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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."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25fxViiV73
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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."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZJShKhHYW
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Sasha stared at me for a long moment before nodding reluctantly. "Fine."260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnLZdevfp3
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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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBbcGyEokP
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"Yeah," Sasha said, though her tone was still distant.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriNaL6E2w1
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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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlC08PvW9x
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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.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUoT37Ra4E
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