Chapter 62: Persistent question
The air was thick with unease as the visitors who had just crossed the threshold of the ancient house found themselves inexplicably standing outside again. The transition was instantaneous, disorienting, as though the house itself had rejected them with a silent, unseen force.
"Huh?" one visitor stammered, blinking in confusion.
"What the..." another muttered, their voice trailing off as they scanned their surroundings.
The visitors, guards, and those still waiting in line stood frozen, their eyes wide with shock. This wasn’t how it worked. Visitors were supposed to emerge from the house of their own accord, shaken or enlightened by whatever was within.
The house expelling them was unheard of,
Rumble...
The ground trembled beneath their feet, a deep, guttural vibration emanating from the house itself. The crowd stumbled backward, their gasps mingling with the creak of wood and the groan of stone. Fear rippled through them like a cold wind.
"Move back!" barked one of the two entrant guards, his voice cutting through the growing panic. He and his partner positioned themselves protectively in front of the crowd, hands resting on the hilts of their weapons, eyes locked on the house.
The structure seemed alive, its walls pulsing with an eerie energy that set their nerves on edge.