Chapter 1

March 16, 2010

"Ethan, Andra, dinner's ready." Mrs. Lori DuMonte peeked at her daughter's room. They have their music sheet and piano out, practicing for another song.

Of all the things that she achieved in her life, her children are her greatest achievements. They grew up to be responsible, honest, and most importantly, they always have each other's back. Andra, her eldest, is a loving sister who always protects his younger brother, Ethan.

Unlike other children who would prefer the company of other kids their age, her children always prefer the company of each other. They love to read, and trade knowledge with each other. Andra has a wonderful voice, and Ethan is great with piano. They don't even need a musical teacher to help them. Each other is always enough.

"Come on, Ethan. Dinner time." The twelve-year-old Andra said to her eight-year-old brother with a smile.

"Stop." Their mother commanded, almost a whisper. Her pleasant smile faded when they heard thuds downstairs.

"Mom?" The young Andra asked her mother, a hint of fear in her voice.

"Andra, remember that secret door I told you about? I need you to take your brother, and hide. Don't come out unless it's me, your father, or Uncle Barry that opens the door. Do you understand?" Lori said to her daughter with authority.

Andra looked at her mother's eyes, and in her young mind, she can see that she was scared. "Come, Ethan. Stay quiet, and everything is going to be okay."

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March 16, 2021

Ten years, and it still hurts. The scared look on her mother's face was the last memory Andra had of their mother. It must have been hours before someone called their names, their Uncle Barry. Since then, he was the only family they have left. They were not blood-related, but Barry Connor took care of them like his own children.

"Mom, Dad, how are you? Ethan is in college now, and I'm sure that you guys would be proud of him. He grew up to be a great man. Although, he still doesn't have a girlfriend until now. Mom, I think losing you at a young age did something to him. I hope you guys are here." Andra sat on the trimmed grass near her parent's gravestones.

"Did you really think that you could visit our parents without me?" She smiled when she heard her brother's voice behind her.

"I told you that I will leave the house early, yet you woke up late. How did you get here? Did you walk?"

"Uncle Barry picked me up, sister. Your concern is much appreciated." Ethan said sarcastically as he sat beside his sister.

"What do you remember about them?" Andra's eyes watered as she remembers all the good memories they had.

"I remember Mom's delicious dishes, her voice whenever she sings, and the two of them dancing on our living room while you sing their theme song. I remember how happy they are whenever they dance together."

"I remember that. Mom would giggle whenever Dad would carry her in his arms. It's too bad that they died too early."

"They didn't just die, Andra, they were murdered." Every time the topic about their parents' death comes up, Andra can feel the anger in her brother's voice. "Anyway, I have to go to Valencia. We have this research paper for our history subject, and I have to interview someone for my paper."

"Okay, do you need me to come with you? You know I can help you."

"No, I'll be fine."

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The following day, Ethan traveled to Valencia alone. Their history professor decided to make their research paper as an individual effort. As Mr. Vargas said, everyone should work for their grades. So here he is, on the road, alone. He needed this. Every year, during their parents' death anniversary, he would feel this kind of anger inside him. He may be young when their parents were murdered, but he knew what happened.

Valencia is a two-hour drive away from Soul County. A beautiful rural town with rich history. One specific part of the town's history is its famous Doctor back in the eighties. He was at the peak of his career when he suddenly disappear. No one knew if he was still alive, and there were many theories from different resources.

Many said that Dr. Lucas Solomon is still alive. That he was sometimes seen in his manor. But, every time the police comes to his house, it's always empty. Valencia Police Department treats Dr. Solomon's disappearance as a cold case. They never found his body, and there are people who claim that they've seen him, and it was the most mysterious case of the town.

"Excuse me, Sir. I'm looking for the Solomon Manor. Could you point me in the right direction, please?" Ethan asked the street sweeper politely.

"Go straight ahead. You will see a right turn, it's a dirt road. Kind of hard to miss." The street sweeper responded.

"Thank you so much, Sir."

Andra was kind enough to lend their car to him. She doesn't want her little brother to use public transportation because traveling publicly in their region difficult. Ethan always loved his sister, and he never disobeyed her, not even once. Their relationship as siblings is a strong bond, and nothing can destroy it. He trust his sister's instinct, and because of that, he never experienced being in any kind of harm.

"Whoah, that is the creepiest place I have ever seen in my entire life." Ethan exclaimed when he saw the Solomon Manor.

It is an old ancestral home, with high ceilings and Victorian exterior. He realized that maybe, back in the day, it would have been a marvelous site. But now, after being left unattended, the beauty of the property has disappeared. His eyes scanned the whole surrounding, and when he turned around...

"What the hell?" The dirt road behind him had disappeared. "Okay, what in the world just happened?"

The disappearance of the dirt road gave him a reason to doubt going into the manor. It's like something is whispering inside him that he should turn back. But, he has a research to finish, so he called his sister instead.

[Hey, are you okay?] Andra's worried voice greeted him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why? Is everything okay?" He asked in return.

[Everything's fine. I just got this weird feeling when I saw your name on the caller id.]

"Well, I just experienced the weirdest thing, sister. There's this dirt road that leads towards the property I am researching about, and it just disappeared. I can't see it now."

[Okay. Ethan, go home. I mean it.]

"I'll be fine, Andra. I'll just call you again, okay?"

[Be safe, little brother. Call me if you need anything.]

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Despite the loud pounding of his heart against his chest, Ethan entered the manor. It was like entering a time capsule. Everything was left the way they were all those years ago. But now, they are all covered in spider webs and dust.

The sudden drop of temperature intensified the creepiness of the place. With his every step, the floorboards creek, and each sound echoes around the house. With each noise sending goosebumps all over his body.

"Okay, here I am. There's no turning back now."

With his phone in hand, video ready, Ethan roam around the house. He recorded every inch, every appliances, and furniture no matter how covered they are with dust and dirt. There were picture frames as well–family photos of the Solomons.

"Jesus!" His phone almost fell from his hand when he saw this guy behind him. The man was wearing a worn out suit, and he looked pale. "What the—"

The man was there one minute, and then he was just gone the next. Ethan can feel the wind blowing getting colder and colder. Confused, scared, he doesn't know what to feel anymore. But, the loud pounding of his heart almost swallow the noise around him.

"Hello? Dr. Solomon, is that you?" There he is again, by the hallway going to the kitchen. "Okay, I'm out of here."

But, whoever that man is, he won't let Ethan leave. Before he could even reach the door, it closed on its own. Like instinct, he dialed his sister's number, but she's no longer answering. He has no choice, but to leave her a message.

"Fine, you don't want me to leave? I'll stay. What do you want from me?" After mustering every courage he has, he finally walk towards the apparition of the man. Just like the first few times, he disappeared.

"What do you want from me!" Ethan yelled out of frustration. It's like he's losing his mind. There's this flashes of images, and it's making his head spin. As soon as the images come, they would vaporize immediately. The only thing he could make out of those images is that some people were murdered.

"Help us." A voice of a man whispered in the air. He was standing by the wall near the kitchen, then he disappeared.

That is when he realized that the man was trying to tell him something. On his way towards the spot where he saw the man standing, there's an old, steel candelabra. He used it to break the wall, which he realized is thin.

"Holy—!"

Behind the wall, there were four skeletons. Two are young, and two are old. On the floor, there were letters carved using a scalpel. Ethan is not an expert, but just by looking at the skeletons, they must have been hidden inside the small space for decades.

"Ethan! Oh, my God!" He immediately called the Valencia Police Department to report what he found out. Finally, the mysterious case of Dr. Lucas Solomon was finally solved.

Without his knowledge, Andra heard his voicemail immediately. She wasted no time and traveled to Valencia to get her brother. Barry volunteered to come with her because he was also worried about Ethan.

"What happened?" Barry asked him.

"I don't know. I came here to research the Solomon case, then I called you about the dirt road. I wanted to back out, but I needed this research paper so I still went inside. Then, the most confusing and out of this world thing happened." Ethan almost whispered the last part.

"What do you mean?" It's Andra's turn to ask question.

"I saw Dr. Solomon's ghost. He told me where his body is, where they were hidden."

Barry stepped back when he heard what Ethan said, and it made Andra turn to him. Her eyes were full of questions, but a police officer approached them. The whole investigation made them all busy, and the siblings lost their chance to question Barry, especially when he left saying he has to attend some important things.