"If we get caught, we tell the truth."

"We both agree to lie," Maya finished, her voice a conspiratorial whisper.

Eli stared at her, unsure whether to laugh or protest. Maya was always like this—brimming with mischief, her green eyes flashing with a blend of excitement and danger. But this time, they weren't just playing pranks or sneaking out past curfew. This was different. It was bigger.

"Come on, it'll be fine," she said, reading the doubt in his face. "It's just a shortcut. We go in, we go out. No one will even notice."

The "shortcut" she referred to was the old Frost Manor, a crumbling mansion on the outskirts of town. No one went there anymore, not since the night twenty years ago when the entire Frost family had vanished without a trace. There were stories, of course—whispers of ghosts, of curses, of things far worse. But to Maya, it was just another adventure.

Eli sighed, feeling the familiar tug of her persuasion. "Alright," he conceded, "but if something goes wrong, we stick to the plan."

"Of course," she grinned, pulling him along. "Just a quick peek. In and out."

The sun was setting as they reached the rusted iron gates, the sky turning a bruised shade of purple. The mansion loomed ahead, its windows like dark, hollow eyes watching their every move. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying wood. Even the trees seemed to lean away from the manor, as if trying to escape its shadow.

Maya pushed open the gate, and it groaned in protest. The path to the front door was overgrown with weeds, the once-manicured garden now a wild tangle of thorns and dead flowers. They walked in silence, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet of leaves that blanketed the ground.

At the front door, Maya hesitated for the first time. She glanced at Eli, her bravado wavering for just a moment, but then she steeled herself and pushed open the door. It creaked loudly, echoing through the empty halls.

Inside, the air was colder, and the smell of rot was stronger. Dust coated every surface, undisturbed for decades. Faded portraits lined the walls, the eyes of long-dead Frosts seeming to follow them as they moved deeper into the house. The floorboards creaked under their weight, the sound unnervingly loud in the silence.

Eli tried to shake off the feeling of unease gnawing at him, but it clung to him like a shadow. "Maybe we should just go," he suggested, his voice trembling slightly.

Maya shook her head. "We've come this far. Let's just find one interesting thing and leave."

They wandered through the house, peeking into rooms filled with dust-covered furniture and forgotten memories. In one room, a grand piano sat silent and still, its keys yellowed with age. In another, shelves of books stood untouched, their spines cracked and faded.

It wasn't until they reached the grand staircase that they found something truly strange. At the top of the stairs, a door stood slightly ajar, a faint light spilling out from within.

"Who's that?" Eli whispered, his heart pounding in his chest.

Maya shook her head, her eyes wide with fear and curiosity. "No one lives here," she murmured, but the doubt in her voice was clear.

They crept up the stairs, each step feeling like an eternity. When they reached the door, Maya hesitated again, her hand hovering over the handle.

"We should go," Eli said, more urgently this time.

But Maya, ever the brave one, pushed the door open.

The room beyond was a stark contrast to the rest of the house. It was clean, almost pristine. A small fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows on the walls. In the center of the room, a table was set for two, complete with silverware, plates, and two steaming cups of tea.

And sitting at the table was a woman.

She looked up as they entered, her face calm and untroubled by their intrusion. Her eyes, however, held a depth of sorrow that made Eli's breath catch in his throat. She smiled faintly, gesturing to the empty chairs across from her.

"I've been waiting for you," she said, her voice soft and melodic, yet laced with an undercurrent of something dark.

Maya, always the bold one, found her voice first. "Who... who are you?"

The woman tilted her head, as if considering the question. "Does it matter? I've been alone here for so long... I simply want some company."

Eli felt a chill run down his spine. "We should go," he repeated, grabbing Maya's arm.

But the woman's gaze pinned them in place. "Please, stay a while. You might find the truth isn't so frightening after all."

Maya, as if under a spell, slowly sat down at the table. Eli, feeling the weight of the woman's stare, followed suit, his mind screaming at him to run, but his body betraying him.

"Good," the woman said, her smile widening. "Now, let's begin."

The doors slammed shut behind them, and the fire roared to life, casting long shadows that seemed to dance and writhe on the walls. The air grew thick, and the room seemed to close in on them.

Maya reached for the cup of tea in front of her, her hand trembling. "This is... this isn't real," she whispered, her voice wavering. "It's just a dream."

The woman laughed, a sound that was both beautiful and terrifying. "Oh, it's very real, my dear. And now that you're here, you can't leave."

Eli's heart pounded in his chest. "We... we should have left when we had the chance."

Maya met his gaze, her eyes wide with fear. "What do we do?"

He swallowed hard, remembering their pact. "We tell the truth," he said, his voice shaking. "No matter what happens, we stick to the truth."

The woman's smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating look. "Are you sure about that?"

Maya hesitated, glancing between Eli and the woman. "We... we both agree to lie," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

The woman's eyes narrowed, and the room grew darker, the shadows closing in around them.

And then everything went black.

When Eli opened his eyes, he was lying on the cold, hard ground outside the manor. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a pale light over the crumbling ruins. Maya was beside him, unconscious but breathing.

He shook her awake, his heart pounding. "Maya! Maya, wake up!"

She stirred, blinking up at him in confusion. "What... what happened?"

Eli helped her to her feet, his mind racing. "I don't know. But we need to get out of here. Now."

They stumbled away from the manor, neither of them looking back. As they reached the gates, Eli glanced at Maya, his heart heavy with dread.

"We tell the truth," he said, his voice firm. "No matter what happens, we tell the truth."

Maya nodded, her face pale and drawn. "We both agree to lie," she whispered, a shiver running through her.

And as they left Frost Manor behind, Eli couldn't shake the feeling that the truth—and the lie—had become one and the same.