Amara was still standing in front of the old mirror, holding the letter she had just turned over. The last sentence written on it kept circling through her mind.
"Find me before they return."
What did it mean?
Who did "they" refer to?
And why did that shadow always appear to show her something?
Dika was still trying to open the shed door, which had suddenly locked itself. He pulled the handle again and again, but the door still wouldn't budge.
"I think the door's jammed," Dika said, trying again.
Amara didn't answer. Her eyes were still fixed on the letter.
"You realize something, don't you, Dik?"
"Realize what?"
"The shadow has never attacked me."
Dika stopped trying to open the door.
"What do you mean?"
"Last night, it pointed at this box. Now it's pointing at the letter. It's like it wants me to find something."
Dika looked at the mirror in front of them.
"I still don't like the way it appears."
"I'm scared too."
Amara gripped the letter tighter.
"But I feel like it's asking me for help."
A few seconds later, they heard the door lock click.
Click.
The shed door opened by itself.
Dika immediately stepped back.
"Okay, that definitely wasn't because the door was jammed."
Amara walked out carrying the wooden box and the letter.
They went downstairs to the living room without saying much. Their minds were filled with the same questions.
Who was Alina?
What did she have to do with this house?
And why had the shadow chosen Amara?
When they reached the bottom floor, they saw Rina putting away some old things.
"Where have you two been?" Rina asked.
Amara was slightly startled.
"Upstairs, Mom."
Rina looked at the wooden box in Amara's hands.
"Is that from the shed?"
"Yeah."
Rina's expression changed immediately.
It was only for a moment, but Amara noticed.
"Do you know this box, Mom?"
Rina fell silent.
"Why did you open it?"
The question only made Amara more curious.
"Because I found it."
Rina stepped closer.
"Amara, there are some old things that are better left alone."
"Why?"
Rina didn't answer.
Dika, standing beside Amara, watched her too.
"Mom, do you know about Alina?"
Rina's face changed immediately.
"Who told you that name?"
Amara and Dika exchanged a look.
"So you do know?"
Rina drew a long breath.
"Alina was a child who used to live in this house."
"Whose child?"
Rina stared at the photograph in Amara's hand.
"The daughter of the owner who lived here before your grandmother."
Amara slowly sat down.
"Then what happened to her?"
Rina looked hesitant.
"There are a lot of stories about Alina. But not all of them are true."
"Which part is true?"
Rina was silent for a long time.
"Alina disappeared."
The living room immediately fell silent.
"Disappeared?" Amara repeated.
"Yeah. No one knows where she went."
Dika asked quietly,
"Was that a long time ago?"
Rina nodded.
"More than a decade ago."
Amara looked at the photograph again.
The girl in it looked very young.
"But why does a shadow keep appearing?"
Rina turned toward her at once.
"A shadow?"
Amara fell silent.
She had just realized that she had never told her mother about it.
"Mom..."
Rina stepped closer.
"You've seen something?"
Amara hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"I saw someone in the mirror."
Rina's face went pale.
Dika watched her reaction too.
"You know something, don't you, Mom?"
Rina walked over to a chair and sat down.
"When your grandmother was still alive, she told me she'd seen the same thing."
Amara was startled.
"Grandma?"
"Yeah. Your grandmother said there was someone who often appeared in this house."
"And then?"
Rina stared at the floor.
"Your grandmother believed the shadow wasn't trying to scare anyone."
"Then why didn't she ever tell anyone else?"
"Because no one was willing to believe her."
Amara looked at the letter in her hand.
"Mom, who was Alina, really?"
Rina shook her head.
"I don't know everything."
"But you do know something."
Rina fell silent.
Amara kept waiting for an answer.
"There's one place that might explain everything."
"What place?"
"Alina's family's old house."
Dika immediately asked,
"Is it still there?"
Rina nodded.
"It is. But it's been empty for a long time."
Amara stood up.
"I'm going there tomorrow."
Rina looked at her at once.
"Don't go alone."
"I'm not alone. Dika's coming."
Dika, who had been drinking, immediately choked.
"Why me again?"
Amara looked at him.
"You're a good friend, right?"
Dika sighed.
"That line always comes right before I get dragged into trouble."
Rina smiled faintly for the first time.
But before the mood could lighten, they heard a sound from upstairs.
Something fell.
Crash.
Everyone immediately went silent.
Amara stared at the staircase.
Dika slowly stood up.
"Is someone up there?"
Rina looked worried.
"That's impossible."
Amara started walking toward the stairs.
"Amara, wait."
But Amara kept going up.
Something made her feel like she had to see what it was.
When she reached the shed, its door was slightly open.
Even though they had closed it earlier.
Amara pushed the door open.
Inside, everything was still the same.
Except for one thing.
The old mirror was now facing the door directly.
And there was new writing on its surface.
Not written by hand.
Not in ink.
The words had appeared like condensation.
"Don't believe everything you hear."
Amara froze.
Dika, who had just reached her, read it too.
"What does it mean?"
Amara didn't answer.
Because for the first time, she was beginning to feel confused.
If the shadow was telling the truth...
then who was hiding something?
And why did this house seem determined to make Amara choose whom to trust?