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[FILE: ACTION_CAM_ETHAN_02.MP4]
[LOCATION: EXTERIOR - SOUTH GARAGE]
Ethan Torres liked being in control. As the group’s "muscle," he felt it was his job to stay stoic while the girls squealed at shadows for the vlog. He detached his GoPro from the dash and strapped it to his chest.
"I’m gonna check the side structure," Ethan muttered into the mic, his flashlight cutting through the thick, unnatural fog. "See if there’s a generator or a landline. Stay by the door, Maya."
The garage was a stone building covered in dying ivy. Inside, the air was still, smelling of old motor oil and expensive cologne. Ethan’s flashlight beam swept over rows of vintage cars—all of them pristine, black, and polished to a mirror shine.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Ethan stopped. The sound was coming from a speaker high in the corner. It wasn't a mechanical failure; it was a recording. A rhythmic, pulsing beat.
"Hello?" Ethan called out. "Anyone in here?"
"You’re early, Ethan," a voice whispered. It didn't come from the speaker. It sounded like it was coming from inside his own ears.
Ethan spun around, his flashlight beam shaking. A tall figure stood by a workbench. He wasn't a ghost. He was a man in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, holding a silver pocket watch that swung like a pendulum.
"Who the hell are you?" Ethan demanded, his hand reaching for a heavy wrench on the bench.
"I am the one who sees the weight you carry," Dr. Aris Vane said, his voice as smooth as velvet. "The weight of being the 'strong one.' Wouldn't you like to put it down? Just for a moment?"
"Stay back," Ethan growled, but his arm felt heavy. The wrench felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.
"Look at the watch, Ethan. See the light catch the silver. 4... 7... The strength is leaving your arms. It’s flowing into the floor. You are becoming a pillar. A stone."
Ethan’s breathing slowed. His eyes, usually sharp and aggressive, began to lose their focus. The GoPro on his chest captured the scene: his flashlight dropping to the floor, the beam illuminating Vane’s polished shoes.
"Look up, Ethan. Look at the rafters. Look at the void where your thoughts used to be."
Ethan’s head tilted back. With a slow, fluid motion, his irises vanished upward. The tough-guy persona evaporated, leaving behind a blank, muscular shell.
"Good," Vane murmured, walking closer. He reached out and adjusted the GoPro on Ethan’s chest, looking directly into the lens. "Hello, subscribers. Meet your first 'Guard.' Ethan, you are no longer a guest. You are a part of the house. If anyone tries to leave... stop them. Use all that wonderful strength."
"I... am... the house," Ethan droned.
[FILE: VLOG_MAY_002.MP4]
[LOCATION: MAIN FOYER]
"Ethan? You there?" Maya called into her walkie-talkie. Only static answered.
"He’s probably just trying to scare us for the video," Lila said, though she was hugging her arms tightly.
"No," Oliver said, staring at his tablet. The GPS tracker on Ethan’s phone had stopped moving. "He’s at the garage, but the signal is... flat. Like the phone is off, but the data is still transmitting."
Suddenly, the heavy front doors groaned open.
Ethan stepped into the foyer. But he wasn't the Ethan who had left them ten minutes ago. He moved with a stiff, military precision. His shirt was unbuttoned, his chest exposed to the cold air, and his eyes...
"Ethan?" Maya gasped, lifting her camera. "Your eyes! Ethan, look at me!"
He didn't look at her. He stood in front of the exit, his massive frame blocking the door. His white eyes stared at the ceiling, and his face was set in a terrifying, vacant grin.
"Ethan, move!" Daniel shouted, stepping forward to push him.
Ethan didn't budge. He felt like a statue made of iron. With one hand, he gripped Daniel’s shoulder and shoved him back ten feet with effortless, robotic power.
"The show is starting," Ethan’s voice echoed, hollow and strange. "Please... take your seats."
Maya backed away, her camera shaking. She looked at the screen of her Sony ZV-1 and saw a notification pop up in the corner of the 'Live' feed:
NEW COMMAND RECEIVED: THE DOLLHOUSE INITIATIVE.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAHwg01hMK
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and then Add to home screen.