The car rolled slowly up the long gravel driveway, past towering iron gates, and through a forest of skeletal trees that stood like guards. Anna's heart pounded as the mansion came into view—a massive, cold structure made of dark stone and high walls. It looked like something out of a nightmare, its windows like empty eyes watching her every move.
She could hardly breathe. The cold air seemed to freeze her lungs, and the warmth of the black car felt like a distant memory. The woman sitting beside her, her eyes dark and unreadable, did not speak. Anna's hands were clenched tightly in her lap, and for a moment, she thought she might be sick. Her stomach twisted with nerves and fear.
Finally, the car stopped with a soft hiss, and the woman motioned for her to get out. Anna opened the door slowly, stepping into the cold, her boots crunching against the gravel. The woman's heels clicked sharply behind her as they walked toward the entrance of the mansion.
A tall, emotionless man opened the doors. His uniform was pristine, his face expressionless.
"The young girl will be staying in Room 9. No exceptions," the woman said.
"Yes, ma'am," the man replied, stepping aside.
The doors closed behind them with a deep thud, sealing Anna in the cold, silent world of the mansion. She looked around, her eyes wide. The walls were lined with marble and dark wood, the air thick with the scent of expensive perfume and dust. There was nothing warm here. No laughter. No life.
The woman in black turned to her. "This is your new home. The rules are simple. You will speak only when spoken to, and you will obey my instructions without hesitation. You will train. You will work. You will not question. Understand?"
Anna nodded, her throat tight. Her voice barely a whisper. "Yes."
They continued down a long, echoing hallway, the sound of their footsteps loud in the emptiness. The mansion seemed to stretch on forever, like a maze that swallowed every trace of light.
Finally, they stopped in front of a small wooden door. The woman unlocked it with a key and pushed it open. Inside, the room was as cold and sterile as the rest of the house. A small cot sat against one wall, a desk beneath the only window. The window itself was too high to see out of, the glass grimy and cracked.
"This is your room," the woman said, stepping aside. "You will stay here unless you are given a task."
Anna stepped inside, feeling the weight of the silence press down on her. She turned to look at the woman, who was already walking out of the room, her heels clicking away.
Before she could ask anything, the woman's voice called out from the hallway. "Remember, your brother's future depends on you. The sooner you accept your place here, the sooner you will have what you want."
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Anna alone.
She sat down on the edge of the cot, staring at the bare walls. For the first time since she'd been taken away, the tears came. They flowed freely, without control. She wasn't sure how long she cried—minutes? Hours? The cold stone of the room felt like it was pressing into her chest, making it hard to breathe.
The door creaked open.
Anna wiped her eyes quickly and stood up, her heart racing. She wasn't ready for another command. But when she turned, she saw a girl standing in the doorway. She was around Anna's age, maybe a little older, with long, tangled hair and a weary expression. She was dressed in a simple, gray uniform that matched Anna's.
"Are you new?" the girl asked softly, her voice almost a whisper.
Anna nodded, unsure what to say. "Yes."
The girl stepped into the room cautiously. "I'm Mira," she said. "I was brought here a few months ago. Don't let it break you. You're stronger than you think."
Anna didn't know how to respond to that. She looked down at the floor, too afraid to speak, too afraid to even move. But Mira seemed to understand. She placed a gentle hand on Anna's shoulder.
"It's hard," Mira continued. "But you'll get used to it. You'll survive. And you'll learn to obey. Because if you don't… well, they'll make sure you understand why you should."
Anna swallowed hard. "What's going to happen to me?"
Mira didn't answer immediately. She just stared at the floor, her hands clenched tightly in front of her.
"They'll train you. Like the rest of us. Like the others before us. You'll become... something else. Something... useful."
Anna shuddered at the thought. She felt a strange mixture of fear and disgust at the idea of being "useful." She didn't want to become something cold, something like them.
But she couldn't deny the truth in Mira's words. This was no longer about survival. It was about becoming something more—something that could help Calvin. Something that could make sure he never had to suffer again.
"I don't want to be like them," Anna whispered, more to herself than Mira.
Mira's eyes softened, but there was no pity in them—only understanding. "None of us do. But sometimes, you have to become what they make you if you want to save those you love."
The words struck Anna like a punch to the gut.
She didn't want to become like them, but if she didn't, what would happen to Calvin? Could she really save him without becoming part of this cold, soulless machine?
She sank down onto the cot, her mind racing. Mira didn't wait for a response. She just gave Anna one last look, then turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
And Anna was alone again.
Alone in a mansion full of masks, full of lies, and full of people who had all learned to bury their humanity to survive.
But not her. Not yet.