第3章 The House

# Chapter 3: The House Thomas's quarters were small but adequate — a bedroom, a bathroom, and a tiny kitchenette. The walls were papered in a faded floral pattern, and the windows looked out over the garden. As he unpacked, he noticed something strange about the house. The rooms seemed to shift slightly when he wasn't looking directly at them. Doorways appeared where none had been before. Corridors extended beyond what the exterior suggested. "Old houses settle," he told himself. "That's all." But the feeling of being watched persisted. That evening, he explored the manor's main floors. Grand staircases led to rooms filled with dust and shadows. Portraits of stern-faced ancestors lined the walls, their eyes seeming to follow him as he passed. In the library, he found a collection of gardening books, some dating back centuries. One volume caught his attention — a handwritten journal belonging to the original Blackwood, the manor's founder. The entries described the garden in extraordinary detail, including plants that Thomas had never heard of. "The Nightshade Rose," one entry read, "blooms only under moonlight and requires blood to sustain its roots. Plant it wisely, for it feeds on more than water."