We exchange glances as we make a decision that can shape the rest of our stay in the mansion. It's either in or out. There's no other choice. No standing in the middle.

"Remember, guys. If we back down, we lose everything. If we continue, there's no more turning back. It's a matter of death or life." My words, instead of deterring the others from taking risks, fuel the fire inside them. All of them accept to continue this journey through "20 Days of Freedom," and so do I.

"Deal! Then, let's be ready to what awaits us in the next days." I realize we are already halfway through our stay in the mansion. We have ten more days to uncover its secrets, while enjoying more fun activities and doing useful chores. I already have an idea popping in my mind.

"I think we should dedicate one day to cleaning the mansion. What do you think?" Lindsey and Anton roll their eyes. They don't seem enthusiastic at the idea of having to vacuum and move pieces of furniture.

I reformulate my statement. "Okay, not just cleaning it. Maybe there are room that could use some renovation. For example, the attic. I passed by a few days ago and, gosh, it was so dusty!" Lindsey's expression changes immediately as I mention renovation. Interior design is something she really likes.

Brianna points out. "We need cleaning supplies, though."

"You're right. We can go and look for them in the storage rooms. Let's make sure at least one of us has a map." We start gathering supplies such as brooms, two mops, five pairs of gloves, bottles of detergent and other cleaning products. It's an easy task because they're stacked in a storage room that's easy to access.

"Do we start now?" asks Kat, who doesn't seem to be in the mood for cleaning.

"I suggest we start tomorrow. For now, we'll exclude our rooms, the kitchen and the common room. Let's focus on areas that have been left untouched." The others nod in agreement and we split for the afternoon, promising to reunite for dinner.

***

As planned, we wake up at dawn to start a major renovation project of the mansion. This is also a way for us to continue exploring its grounds through a different approach. With supplies in tow, we start organizing the work.

I suggest. "I'd start from the attic. It's on the last floor upstairs and it requires us to work together." I lead my friends to the aforementioned area, checking that I have all the right keys. I find the one that opens the attic, after which our job can start.

It's exactly as I expected it to be: messy and dusty. Lindsey curls her nose in disgust as she says, "Oh my God, how old are those spider webs?"

Brianna chuckles. "Maybe we should've asked Mr. Unknown who takes care of house maintainance when the project is not active." They both have a point. The mansion isn't as well kept as I thought.

Well, nothing that can't be fixed without hard work and a few touches. I pass each of my friends a pair of gloves; then, we decide tasks.

"How about we start moving those boxes stacked there first?" asks Anton. "Who wants to help me?" I volunteer in order for him not to be left alone with Kat. They'd turn it into a competition, with all that entails. The two of us move the boxes at a corner for us to inspect them later.

In the meantime, Brianna notices a chest that's placed exactly underneath the skylight. "Come on, guys! Let's take a look." Not everyone joins her, though. Anton stays behind moving the last boxes, while Lindsey is busy picking up visible litter and throwing it in black bags.

"So much trash... I don't think the bags we have available are enough." That can be a problem for later. Now, however, there's an interesting discovery to make. Kat and I reach Brianna, who's struggling to open the chest. I pass her a bunch of keys.

Kat jokes. "You might have to pick the lock, Bri." I stifle a laugh; Brianna, however, sounds annoyed as she groans. How Kat fails to understand this is a serious situation both amazes and shocks me.

When, after five attempts, Brianna finds the right key to open the chest, we find just a letter. "That's odd," I comment. "I thought we'd find something more, considering how big it is."

Kat suggests. "Why don't you read it, Silla? Bri and I can take the chest away to clean it.

I go through the letter. It's short. It only occupies half of the sheet. 'Dear guests, I hope you're enjoying this project. Keep the few, simple rules in mind and everything will be fine. Remember: backing down in this critical moment isn't an option. Hold on and keep fighting. Yours truly, T.'

T? Are they someone related to Mr. Unknown? The question pops in my mind from time to time as I carefully stuff the letter in the pocket of my jeans and start cleaning the now empty floors of the attic, as well as the skylight.

Meanwhile, Anton has successfully completed an inventory of items in the boxes. He has an intuition, but I'm not sure if it's correct. "I think this is stuff previous participants in the project lost or forgot here. Let's reorganize it." He's joined by Lindsey, who's done with the garbage, and Brianna.

Meanwhile, Kat and I dust the walls and corners, finish cleaning and start taking the trash out. "How about we move onto another room?" she asks.

"That sounds a great idea. Let's go back to the attic floor and see what more we can work on, then we go down. The inventory is going to take them a bit, so it's just the two of us for now." We take this duty in stride as we return inside. Kat finds a sort of storage room where paint and wallpaper are stocked along with brushes.

"Look, Silla! We can do the walls, as well. I'll move this stuff outside and clean the room, okay?" I go to check on her and give her a thumbs up. Meanwhile, I take a look at the power room to see if everything is okay. The most I can do here is to sweep the floor.

When I'm almost done with it, however, I hear something tapping my shoulder. I turn to find... him. Mr. Unknown. I mean to ask him the question about the mysterious T's letter, but he speaks first. "Enjoying yourself, I see," he says in an unreadable tone.

He gives me an uneasy look that would make me jump out of the room in fear under another circumstance. Instead, I keep my cool and stare into his years. I hiss. "I'm enjoying myself, thanks." He takes his hand off my shoulder and leaves as quietly as he came in. So much for freedom! Is he planning to pop up more often?

When I'm done with the power room, I leave it and start cleaning the floor in the hall, as well as the flight of stairs. Too bad we don't have wax—they're in dire need of it. As I'm halfway through, I hear Anton's voice calling me from the attic. "Silla! Come here, there's something you have to see."

I leave my broom behind and reach Anton in the attic, where he, Brianna and Lindsey have found another copy of the Bible. He, in particular, jokes. "Maybe the owner is a devout Christian."

I shrug. "They could be. Anyway, why the Bible? Is there anything I should know involving it?"

Lindsey points at me to open it. This means they've found something beyond the Ancient and New Testament. A small paper slips out of the book. I pick it up and read it aloud. 'Pay attention, we're watching you!'

The more hints I find, the more I start to doubt the freedom that's offered in this project is real.