Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 36
Ethan took a moment to sort through the information he had.
Rosie was the first to meet with disaster. His behavior shifted dramatically from what it had been, sparking concern among his family.
By now, it seemed clear that Mrs. Blackwood had gained control over him, though the details of how remained a mystery.
Next came Mrs. Bennett as the victim. Worried about her husband’s safety, she fell prey to Mrs. Blackwood’s threats and got taken away.
Finally, Bella followed suit. Mrs. Bennett’s departure brought Rosie back, at least on the surface fulfilling the deal, but Bella’s diary revealed this version of him as an imposter.
Mrs. Blackwood proved to be a cunning deceiver, skilled at pinpointing weaknesses and exploiting vulnerabilities to achieve her goals.
That explained how the young and naive Bella got tricked into coming to this world.
The sequence made sense overall, yet gaps lingered.
Mrs. Blackwood almost certainly belonged to the Blackwood family, with command over the castle, and she’d dragged Rosie’s family here.
The question was, why?
If she could control Rosie so easily, why resort to deception for Mrs. Bennett and Bella? With her almost supernatural abilities, snatching a couple of people should have been effortless.
Or did it require their consent?
What had she forced Rosie to do under her influence? Why bring his family later, and what happened to them once they arrived?
A gut feeling told Ethan that uncovering these pieces would reveal the castle’s full secrets.
Still, he frowned, realizing he’d explored every accessible room, and the clues ended there. How could he dig deeper?
Had he missed something?
The first floor held the hall, dining room, kitchen, and staff quarters.
The second had guest rooms plus those for Rosie and Mrs. Bennett.
The third featured Bella’s room, along with the music room, game room, and library.
In theory, he’d covered them all, but something about the castle felt off.
Then there were the three keys from Butler’s room. He’d identified the ones for the master and mistress, but the unmarked one puzzled him still.
Lost in thought, Ethan recalled the meat-formed space mentioned in Mrs. Bennett’s handbook.
His eyes widened in realization.
He’d figured out the inconsistency.
Back in the kitchen, while swiping the fruit knife, he’d given the place a quick once-over, and now it hit him what was absent.
Food storage. The entire kitchen lacked any spot for ingredients.
That suggested the castle must have a pantry somewhere.
Recalling Albert’s words, he’d mentioned never seeing the chef in the kitchen, and no chef’s quarters in the staff area, which Ethan had confirmed himself.
The chef likely lived in a hidden spot, probably tied to the pantry.
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