Elise tried to remember since when Ian had became another person instead. She was on her way to the second floor when she met Ian who turned out to be someone else whom she doesn't know. If it was asked when was the time this man had started the trap it would be at that time. 

Then what about Ian currently? Where is he?

"Where is Ian?" Elise suddenly felt herself dizzy as the things that doesn't add up now proof that there was someone else the dark sorcerers targeted and it was not her but Ian! She raised her hand, and the black icicles pierced the man's stomach. "I asked where is he!" 

The man looked at her with a smile, "He is with you right now."

Like magnetic force, Elise's brows pulled together, "What?" but the man didn't answer and instead he had only stared at her with an eerie smile.

Meantime, on the first floor, Ian walked with Elise together, seeing the red moon, the Elise who had no cross on her neck stared at the moon with a complex look. "I'm worried," she said, "It feels like everything had turned red. Whatever I see everything is red."

"I told you there is nothing to be worried about," Ian smiled while looking at her, his eyes filled with warmth and gentleness. He reached out his hand to touch the side of her cheeks. "We are here now and if anything happens, you can call Jett again. Can you call him now?"

Elise looked at him and slowly shook her head, "I am afraid I won't be able to call him now."

Ian's eyes slowly traveled to her and he nodded, "Why so?"

Elise opened her pursed lips, "I—"

"I am joking my love, I know that you are currently not stable," Ian answered instead of her. "Thomas from earlier was pointing his finger at you did you noticed that?"

"Yes," Elise pulled her brows together. "I don't understand to whom he was pointing at."

"Whom?" Ian raised one of his eyebrows. "I was thinking that he was pointing his finger to a particular spot."

Elise showed him a smile, "He was pointing his finger to me and I thought he was trying to mention something about me. Where do you think he pointed his fingers at?" She then questioned, veering his attention away from the previous slips up.

A wistful hum escaped from his lips, "Somewhere on the East wing. For now I don't hear any sound of fight going on anywhere and Maroon seemed to have come back. We should find out the method of how these dark sorcerers came into our mansion."

"That means the answer might be there," suggested Elise and Ian answered her with a nod.

The two of them left the corridor which led to the skeleton of Thomas and made their way toward the Eat Wings. Coming there, Ian noticed the door that connect to the garden outside had been broken. Opening the broken door by turning the knob, he then went outside, seeing puddle of bloods filling the green field of the garden. 

Elise who stepped after him let out a gasp, "What happened here?"

Ian turned to look at her before seeing the blood, "This is their punishment for trying to trespass our Mansion. Do you remember about the carving on the ceiling? It triggers death to the people who tries to break into the house and I had made sure that the effect is four times worse than before."

"There seems to be a lot of blood," said 'Elise', and her face looking paler in gradual time after seeing the blood and the chunks of clotted blood and if one took a better look they would notice that instead of blood, in truth it was the organs of the dark sorcerers who had laid their lives by going over the boundary of White Mansion. 

"How many people have died here?" She then asked.

"Considering the number, it must have been at least thirty and most are dark sorcerers. It appears the one who could enter are only those monsters and the dark sorcerers who came inside using the body of their allies as their shield," Ian noted.. even though he wasn't here on the time when it happened, she could picture it clearly happening.

"May they rest in peace..." whispered Elise while Ian made his way toward the garden where the flowers that Maroon planted which was White Chrysanthemums had grown in magnificent full bloom. Under the blood moon, however, the white color of the petals turn red as if rain of blood had changed it colors.

Walking over the stoned path, he reached the end of the garden and he raised his hand, muttering a small whisper. 

Elise who stood behind him slowly had her smile fell. Her eyes settled on his back, precisely on the location of his heart. The red moonlight gave shade to the only accessories she currently wore which the wedding ring.

"Ian, I had been wanting to ask you something," said the woman who had taken the appearance of Elise while looking at the wedding ring on her ring finger. "Do you ever regret killing anyone. Have you ever felt guilty? Just for once?"

Ian pulled his palms together as he activated the barrier and slowly he shook his head. "I have never."

"Why?" Was the very quick inquiry coming from 'Elise'. "There must be one or two people who was innocent and whom you have killed. Just for once. Only a little or maybe a tiny bit—"

"And is this the question you had been wanting to ask that you went so far by taking the appearance of my wife?" Ian interjected his words. With calm eyes, he turned his body and looked at the fake Elise. "You underestimate me. I might not know who you are on the first moments we met but since the time you opened your mouth, I can immediately tell that you are not her."

'Elise's' eyes widened, "Ian, what are you-" on the next moment, Ian had caught the woman by her neck and slammed her to the nearest pillar. 

"Shut the fuck up. I hate it the most when someone tried to speak using my beloved wife's appearance. State your true name now. If you are honest I would be lenient and kill you quickly," Ian narrowed his angered eyes slowly. The gentleness he played had been long gone from his demeanor. "Considering you have been beside Elise for years; this is my last spare of kindness for you." 

***

A/N: sorry for being late, my lovely readers! I was sure I had put a timer so the chapter would be updated but for some reason it didn't worked >