Chapter 3 - The Heavy Oak Door Finally Yields To Brass
The polished mahogany floorboards creaked softly beneath Arthur’s heavy boots as he climbed the wide staircase.
Lily walked closely behind him, her small fingers clutching the edge of his tailored tweed jacket for dear life.
At the end of the long, shadowy hallway sat a heavy oak door reinforced with thick iron hinges and no visible lock.
Except for the tiny, intricate keyhole hidden beneath the ornate brass decorative plate near the doorknob.
Arthur knelt down on one knee, holding the small brass key that Lily had bravely carried in her pocket.
His calloused fingers aligned the delicate teeth of the key with the rusted aperture of the ancient lock.
With a soft, satisfying click, the internal tumblers shifted into place after years of deliberate, secretive disuse.
Elena stood gasping at the bottom of the stairs, clutching her designer pearl necklace as tears of fury spilled over.
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Arthur exhaled a slow, heavy breath, wrapped his hand around the cool brass knob, and turned it firmly.
The heavy oak door swung inward with a slow, eerie groan, revealing the pitch-black void hidden behind it.
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