Sofia's POV:
I hurried down to where the box was and quickly dropped the remote inside. I stood in front of it, trying to act normal, my eyes fixed on the doorway as I waited to see who was coming.
I squinted, trying to make out the person, but I couldn't recognize them until they got closer.
"I've been looking for you everywhere," Adam said with a worried look. "One of the guards said you mentioned wanting to check around."
I brushed my hair back with my fingers, forcing a small smile. "Yeah, I said that."
"I didn't know you were here until I saw Keith standing outside this house. That's why I came in," he added, stepping closer.
Panic tickled the edge of my thoughts. Did he see anything? Did he hear something? I pretended everything was fine. "Oh, I just came out for some fresh air. I was bored inside," I lied casually.
Adam looked around, his eyes scanning the place. He spotted a chair and sat down heavily, his body sinking into it like he hadn't rested in days. He looked tired… but still carried that intimidating presence like some powerful beast in disguise.
"How's Grandma? Is she feeling better now?" I asked quickly, trying to change the subject.
"She's doing much better. In fact, she's back home. But the nurse will still come around for the next few days to monitor her," he replied.
Then, his eyes narrowed slightly. "How come Grandma loves you so quickly? She even brought you here." He stood up from the chair and stepped toward me.
I tensed. My back was still facing the box—I couldn't let him see it.
He tilted his head and tried to peek around me.
I shifted to block his view, but the way I did it only made things look more suspicious.
"Can you please move?" he asked, reaching out gently as if to push me aside.
I froze.
He paused, studying me closely. Then he suddenly turned, pretending to walk away—but spun back around and looked directly at the box. My heart skipped.
It was too late.
I had stepped aside a little too much. The box was visible now. His eyes locked onto it.
"How do you open this?" he asked sharply, shoving me gently aside and reaching into the box. He pulled out the remote.
He knew. I could see it in his eyes.
"I—" I started, but he cut me off.
"Grandma showed you, didn't she?"
If Grandma found out I lied, she might get upset. I sighed and told him the truth—everything that happened, from the beginning.
He listened, eyes fixed on me. Then, he asked quietly, "Why are you here, Sofia?"
I hesitated, then decided to tell him the truth. "I just wanted to know more about you."
He stared at me for a moment. Then he turned. "Come with me."
I followed him slowly, my nerves on edge. I didn't want to go back in there—it was always so dark, and I didn't know what he wanted to show me. I stopped halfway.
"Can we go see Grandma first? I really want to check on her," I asked gently.
"You'll see her after this. I promise," he said firmly and kept walking.
I didn't have a choice. I followed.
This time, as we stepped inside the memory room, the lights turned on brighter than before. I wondered if it was because of the remote. Adam walked ahead, and I trailed behind, eyes roaming the strange hall.
We reached his door. He used the remote again, and the door clicked open. The room inside was pitch black.
Then he pressed a button, and the light came on.
I blinked.
Everything in the room—the lights, doors, even the temperature—seemed to respond to the remote. My curiosity peaked.
"Does this same remote work for the other rooms?" I asked, still amazed.
He chuckled, shaking his head lightly. "Yes, but each function is different. You have to press it in a certain way for each room."
I pretended to understand. "Okay… I get it."
But he clearly didn't believe me.
He walked over and held the remote in front of me. "See? Each button has the first letter of a name—everyone who lives or has lived here."
"You need to be careful with it," he said, locking eyes with me.
I nodded, slowly beginning to understand.
Then he reached for something—a photograph on the shelf. He handed it to me.
"That's my sister. Kaida. She was born before my brother. She died trying to give birth to her first child."
I stared at the photo, heart heavy. "But… Grandma never mentioned her. And there's no memory room for her either."
He took the photo back, his eyes clouding. "That's because Grandma never really valued daughters. Kaida lived with our uncle in another town. I didn't even know about her until two years after she died."
"What about her baby?" I asked quietly.
"They couldn't save the baby… and to make it worse, her husband died two weeks later. He couldn't handle the grief."
My throat tightened. I had so many questions, but I didn't want to dig deeper into his pain.
Then, he looked away, his voice low. "My parents died in a car accident."
I felt a knot in my chest. So much loss.
I stepped closer and rested my hand gently on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Adam. Don't think about it, okay?"
He gave a faint nod. "I've been alone with Grandma for a long time now. I guess I'm used to it."
I swallowed. "What happened to your brother?"
"Grandma said it was a heart condition. The doctors confirmed it. But none of us ever had such a disease in the family."
"That's… strange," I murmured, my brows furrowed.
He shrugged. "It happened. It's in the past. At least now you know a few things about me. Let's go see Grandma."
We walked back downstairs. Keith was still waiting outside. When she saw us come out of the memory house, she bowed politely.
"I've been waiting for you," Grandma said as we stepped into her room.
I rushed to her side and sat gently on the bed. "How are you feeling now?"
But before she could answer—
Keith fainted.