Emily took a deep breath. Her eyes squinted as she gazed mournfully at the sight in front of her.

It has been two months since her release from rehab. She struggled to come out of her alcohol addiction but Mr. Harlow's relative aided her patiently. Upon her release, the woman even gave her money to start over. Emily was flabbergasted. She first refused to accept the money because Athena - Mr. Harlow's relative had already helped a lot. But Athena refused Emily's refusal, stating that Emily's battle was far from over. Entering the world of the sober and reinstating herself within the community she once was a part of wouldn't be easy. Emily, knowing that Athena was right once more swallowed her pride and accepted the money.

It took her weeks to find a job. One that wasn't even going to pay her a quarter of what she used to earn. But someone like her who had fallen to the gutters cannot be picky. As the saying goes, beggars cannot be choosers. Besides, the job she found was in line with her talent. She is an interior designer and she was hired as one. The only problem was, the owner of the company that hired her knew of the things she had done to her previous company and how that so-called company lost millions due to Emily's alcohol addiction. She blotched a million-dollar project by arriving at a meeting drunk and out of her wits.

The company hired her but with conditions. The owner said that instead of her having to visit the mansion that she will work on once a month, she will have to live there along with other workers. Emily needed guidance-that's how the owner phrased it. He believed in her talent and knew that she was the right person for the job but he expressed that he needed assurance that Emily wouldn't fall back into alcoholism while doing the work they assigned her. It was an important project that they cannot risk losing.

Emily wanted to question why the owner would bother hiring her if he had his reservations but kept her mouth shut. She was not Emily Hudson-world-renowned interior designer- anymore. She was a former. A speck. A remnant of that woman. Today she was just Emily; a woman in need of a job. Who was she to act proudly? She is a shadow of her former self. To reinstate her name in the industry once more, she must learn to start from the bottom, just as she had before she fucked it all up.

So here she was, standing in front of a desolate place with the sun barely visible on the horizon. A soft thud echoed from behind her as she closed the door to her car and slowly approached the high wrought iron gates that had once guarded the manor. It was now rusted and bent. They weren't kidding when they said the place was in ruins, she thought to herself as she tilted her head and gazed at an arch - whose left half had already collapsed - looming in fragility above the gates. The two rock pillars that at one time served as it's corner stone had spider cracks on them, with their base almost non-existent.

The destruction in the entrance was enough to have Emily stepping back. But as she did, she saw a man lurking meters beyond the gate. He smiled at her and she smiled back, deducing that he was perhaps one of the people from the renovation team. He approached her with a measured fluidity in his strides. It unnerved Emily so she took another step back.

"You must be the interior designer." the man said as he stopped a meter away from her. "We were told that you will arrive today. Do you need help with your luggage?" He added as he tilted his head in the direction of her car.

Emily smiled and bobbed her head. So he is part of the team, she thought to herself, calming the blooming dread in her gut. She extended her arm to shake the hand of the man who at that time also had his hand out, breaching the gap between them.

After a handshake, Emily accompanied the man toward her vehicle.

"Name's Oliver. I've been here since the first day of renovation. So if you need anything or want to know something, I'm your guy." He said cheerfully as he positioned himself behind Emily's car, waiting for her to pop the trunk open.

Emily smiled and gave a curt nod then proceeded to open her car trunk.

A whistle from Oliver had Emily raising an eyebrow.

"That's a lot of luggage miss. Are you sure you're here to work or to take a vacation?" He asked before he started to unload her suitcases.

Emily didn't know whether to feel offended or laugh at what he said. Yes, she brought a lot of stuff. But those aren't clothes or any unnecessary items. Her suitcase was mostly filled with books, sketch pads, and sets of pencils. She knew three years of not working made her rusty. She needed practice. She also brought her camera and other electrical devices. Gifts from Athena. Though the company said the place was far from modern and near ruins she guessed that electricity was perhaps not one of those it lacked.

After Oliver finished unloading her many suitcases out of the car, he guided Emily inside the estate. Emily winced as they crossed the dilapidated gate and its almost falling cement arch above.

"Don't worry, it won't fall on you," Oliver assured her as they continued to move forward.

The sun had almost set, but its orange glow was enough to illuminate everything around them. Emily glanced from side to side, taking in every detail that caught her eye.

The grand driveway that came right after they passed the gates appeared as though it has once been lined with trees and shrubs. The tree stumps were still there, embedded in the earth. The driveway was overgrown with weeds and brambles making it almost impossible to pass through. No wonder the company told me to leave my car outside the gate when I get here, Emily thought in silence as she jumped to try to evade a protruding root from the earth.

After a few more steps, they entered the front lawn of the once-grand manor. It was a sorry sight to behold. The lush green grass that had once covered the sprawling lawn was now patchy and brown with weeds and wildflowers growing haphazardly in the gaps. Emily took a deep breath. The place was in so much ruin, she couldn't figure out why one would want it renovated and spend - to her estimate - millions instead of having it torn down and building a new one.

"This used to be a sight that one could only dream of."

Emily looked to her side upon hearing Oliver speak. She was transfixed by her surroundings, she had forgotten that he was there.

"I bet it was," came Emily's short reply, not wanting to have her scrutiny of the place disrupted. Luckily, Oliver hadn't said anything else.

As they continued their walk toward the mansion Emily threw a glance to her left. There she noticed what could have once been a lovely rose garden laying like a cemetery with its hostile thorn bush and scattered cement. The once immaculate flower beds were now overgrown and choked with weeds. The fountain that once had been the centerpiece of that portion of the estate was now cracked and dry with molds and vines marrying every corner. Glancing to her right, she saw the ruins of a playground whose swings were perhaps, children used to spend moments of joy and innocent childhood on, danced, creaking eerily against the billowing wind. The sight made Emily shake her head again. Truly, the place looked hopeless, and renovating it was pointless, she thought to herself.

It took a full minute before she and Oliver reached the manor itself. The stone steps that led up to the front door were crumbling and covered in moss. She took a step back and then tilted her head to look up, then she looked to her left and then right, drinking the image before her. As a designer, she perceived that the mansion had perhaps been grand and an imposing structure in the middle of the estate. But now it was a shadow of its former self slowly crumbling into ruins. The once beautiful facade was now marred by cracks and broken windows, and the roof was caving in at several places. The walls once painted in vibrant colors were stained and peeling and the wooden shutters hung precariously from their hinges.

"It looks like a death trap, but don't worry. We've done some work inside and it's not as bad as it looks on the outside," came Oliver's comment as Emily's loud release of shaky breath echoed between them.

Emily threw her companion a smile and then answered, "I bet."

It was Oliver who first ascended the stone steps. He put down Emily's suitcases and then pushed the main door open. Smiling but with a glint of mischieviousness in his eyes he said to her, "Welcome to Brice Manor where the walls sing with the air. The corridors bend, the number of people doubles overnight and a crazy prince gives a cold kiss goodnight."

Emily's smile disappeared as she heard what he said. Her eyes widened like saucers while Oliver laughed quietly and muttered, "Don't worry, those are just words made up by the people in this town. You know how it is when people come across abandoned places like this – they make up scary stories."

Emily raised an eyebrow. Clearly, she wasn't convinced by what Oliver said.

"Oh, c'mon. You can't be one of those. Are you?"

"One of what?" Emily asked hesitating to mount the stone steps.

"You know. Those who easily believe rumors and ludicrous fantasies through gossipy people."

Emily shook her head, chiding herself for even considering the idea of ghosts. They weren't real, of course. Steeling herself, she smiled at Oliver and walked confidently into Brice Manor, taking her first step inside its dark and foreboding walls.