James woke with a start, his breath catching in his throat as he screamed, the terror from the dream still gripping him. His body jerked upright, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked around, disoriented, only to realize that he was back in his own bed. The daylight pouring in through the window was an eerie contrast to the horrors of the night before. He had barely escaped.

Still shaking from the nightmare, he turned toward the window and gazed at the neighbor’s house. To his surprise, everything was quiet and still. The house looked completely ordinary, like nothing had ever happened. But the sense of dread lingered in his mind, gnawing at him.

His phone rang, breaking the silence. It was the group.

“James,” the voice on the other end was cold and calculating. “We’ve been watching. We know what happened last night.”

James felt his pulse quicken. They knew. They knew everything.

The voice continued, explaining the history of the house, the strange mechanisms inside, and the twisted mind of the neighbor. They told him that the neighbor was an expert in alchemy, time manipulation, and forbidden sciences, and that anyone who ventured into his house never returned the same, if they returned at all.

James was in shock. Could it be that someone had infiltrated the house before him? The group mentioned a prior attempt, where a man had gone into the basement, only to be caught by the neighbor. The last thing they had heard was the man’s muffled cries as he was dragged away into the shadows. "What did he do to him? Did he... kill him?" James muttered aloud to himself.

The more he thought about it, the more his mind raced. He needed answers. He couldn't just let it go. He rummaged through his things until he found the hidden camera that clipped onto his shirt button. It was time to find out what was really going on.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to do. He couldn’t back out now. He grabbed the camera, then stepped out of his house and made his way toward the neighbor's place. The sun was still high in the sky, but the ominous feeling hadn't left him.

He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He tried again, this time louder, but still, no one came. Five attempts, and no one answered. Just as he was about to give up and turn away, a sound from behind made him stop.

The neighbor appeared from the back of the house, stepping into view as if he had been waiting for him. His eyes were cold, unwavering.

“What were you knocking for?” the neighbor asked, his voice calm but menacing.

“I—I just wanted to introduce myself,” James stammered, his heart pounding in his chest. He wasn’t sure if his voice betrayed his fear, but he tried to sound casual.

The neighbor didn't look surprised. “I don’t do introductions. I don’t like new neighbors. Especially ones who try to pry into my business. I know what you're doing. I know you're just like the rest, trying to figure out what I’m doing here. But let me make it clear — don’t come near me. Don’t try to sneak around. Or else…” His voice trailed off, leaving the threat hanging in the air.

For a moment, they stared at each other, silent. The tension was unbearable. After what seemed like an eternity, the neighbor finally spoke again, his tone softer but still edged with suspicion.

“Wait… I know you from somewhere… but I can’t quite place it…”

James froze, a chill running down his spine. He felt it too. The neighbor looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember from where.

“I think you’re mistaken,” James replied quickly, hoping to deflect the question. “I must be someone else. Goodbye.”

Without waiting for a response, James turned and quickly walked away, his mind racing. The neighbor was definitely suspicious, and now, James had a sense of unease creeping into his gut. The man knew something.

As he walked back to his house, James’s mind kept swirling with questions. Who was that man? What was he hiding? And what had happened to the other intruder, the one who had been caught before him?

The day passed in a blur, but when night finally fell, James knew it was time. He couldn’t wait any longer. His curiosity and fear pushed him forward. He had to get inside the house — to the basement. He had to know what the neighbor was hiding.

James grabbed his tools: a set of lockpicks, the hidden camera, and a flashlight. He made his way across the street, his pulse quickening with every step. The house loomed ahead, dark and silent, as if waiting for him.

When he reached the door, he hesitated. His heart was pounding in his chest, and the whispers of dread still echoed in his mind. But the promise of answers — and the money — drove him forward.

He carefully worked the lock with his picks, and after a few tense moments, the door clicked open. He stepped inside, holding his breath.

The house was still, eerily quiet, but the air felt thick, oppressive, as if it were filled with something unnatural. The dark walls and furniture loomed around him like silent witnesses to some twisted ritual.

And then, from the corner of his eye, James saw something move.

A shadow darted past him, swift and silent, like a distorted creature, neither dog nor rat. His blood ran cold, but he couldn’t let fear stop him now. He had to press on.

Moving carefully, trying to make as little noise as possible, James crept deeper into the house. He had to find the basement. But as he reached a hallway, something caught his attention — a lift, leading down. It was blocked off with chains, and there was a lock in place.

His stomach sank. This was it. The basement. The key to everything.

The lock required a keycard, a password, and a crowbar to remove the boards blocking it. The neighbor had gone to great lengths to keep whatever was down there hidden.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind. "The key is where you can’t see it… The crowbar is where you can’t hear it… The code is where you know it…"

The whispers felt like they were coming from all around him, twisting his thoughts. His head pounded as he tried to make sense of the voices. What did they mean? Why were they speaking to him?

He pulled out his notebook and jotted down the clues, hoping they might lead him to the answers. But as he was writing, he heard it — footsteps. Familiar footsteps. The ones from his dream.

Panic surged through him, and in his haste to hide, he knocked over a mop that had been leaning against the lift. The chain rattled loudly, the sound echoing through the house.

The footsteps grew louder. The neighbor was coming.

Before James could react, the neighbor appeared, looming at the end of the hallway. His eyes burned with fury as he bared his teeth.

“I warned you,” the neighbor growled. “Don’t mess with my business.”

James bolted, trying to get past him, but the neighbor was faster, and in a split second, he grabbed James by the arm, yanking him to the floor. The force of it sent James tumbling, his head spinning.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” the neighbor hissed. “Now you’re going to learn what happens to those who don’t listen.”

James fought back, but his body was sluggish, his movements growing weaker as the neighbor tightened his grip.

And then, the world went black.