Suddenly Sean turned around and smiled at Kaien when he saw him. More like smirking, if anyone could see closely from the other side of the gate. Kaien stopped, not too far and not too close to the gate. He felt like Sean was expecting him and he knew he was right.
“Hello Dr. Kaughan,” greeted Sean. He was not like the Sean that Kaien met on the first day. He tones much more friendly with a hint of dark in it.
“Hi. . . Sean.” Kaien's tone sound awkward.
“What brought you here today?” asked Sean with a smile.

Their meeting on the first day was short, but Kaien did not remember if Sean was this friendly on the first day. This definitely is not the same person. Who is this person? Is this. . . The real Sean? It was not like Sean from a few days ago was a fake. It was just today, Sean looked really different. Kaien was wondering if he made the right choice to come here, to meet Sean today.
“What brought you here today?” asked Sean again. His looks had changed into a hungry wolf.
Kaien jumped a bit and he said, “I. . . I. . . I just came to see how you do. And I want to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind.”
“I’m great. Thanks! Hehehe,” answered Sean, happy. “Sure, you can ask anything you want.”
“W-who. . . Who are you?” Kaien asked. He felt a bit regret asking the question like it was the most stupid thing to ask at that moment.
“Why did you ask?” was Sean’s response. “You said I could ask anything I want.”
“I didn’t say I would answer anything you ask,” said Sean, playful. “Do you wanna play? Hehehe. . .”
Kaien shook his head. He did not think it was wise to ‘play’ with Sean. Accepting Sean’s invitation was like accepting a dance with a devil. A wrong step and he could be dead. When he did not respond and just looked down and Sean said, “Ask again. Maybe I’ll answer this time. Hehehe. . .”
“I was wondering. . .” Kaien paused, thinking if he should ask the same question or ask a different one. “. . . How much does a ‘soul’ cost?”
“Oh my. Curious, aren’t you?” Sean smirked. “Be careful, curiosity kills the cat.”
“But, satisfaction brought it back,” answered Kaien, trying to remain calm.
“Hahaha! You are always the quick and smartest one! That’s why I like you,” Sean laughed out loud. “Fine! You want to know how ‘much’ is your ‘soul’?
“No, no. Not mine,” said Kaien, which made Sean shocked. “The others. . .”
“My, my! Still caring about others as always, aren’t you,” mocked Sean. “Do you realize your situation now? Are you mad?”

“I know. I guess I’m mad.”
“HAHAHAHA!” Sean laughed louder and louder. “But, my dear Kaien, this is not Wonderland and you are not Alice.”
Kaien did not respond. He stared at Sean with an empty stare.
“Hahaha! Come closer,” Sean asked Kaien to come closer to the gate, to him. But, when Kaien hesitated, he said, “Come closer. Closer. Don’t be scared. It’s not like you to be scared like that. Come closer. I’ll tell you a secret. You like it, don’t you?”
A bit hesitant, but Kaien wanted to know. He always wants to know everything, anything.
Slowly, he gathered his courage and walked closer to the gate. When their faces were only a few inches from each other, Sean whispered something to Kaien’s ear. Kaien just listened and then he nodded. When he was about to leave, Sean called him again.
“Watch out for the things that are lurking. Within the shadows of doubt. Hehehe,” Sean said with a riddle. Before Kaien could answer, he snapped, “You should get inside now. Don’t you think it’s getting harder to breathe now?”
Sean was right. Kaien was sweating more than he realized and he had a hard time to keep breathing too. He could not think properly and it had affected his judgement. He quickly turned around and walked back to the mansion. The faster he walked, the more he felt like he had been ‘pulled’ away. He could feel that there was something ‘dark’ behind him, and it’s getting closer. Kaien did not dare to look back. His heart beat so hard and so loud that he was scared it would burst out of his chest.
Kaien quickly ran into the mansion and quickly closed the door. He leaned his back to the door and he was panting heavily as though as he just walked for a hundred miles. His chest felt so hurt as though someone just squeezed his heart. He tried to catch his breath and calm down. Slowly he began to realize and understand what happened to those kids in the diary. They did not just ‘disappear’. They were all dead. If they stay, they will die. If they tried to leave this place, they would die too. Either way, they are still going to die, but never ‘left’.
So, how is he going to leave now?