Chapter 5: "The House That Keeps Its Wounds"
"The grandest house is not necessarily the safest place."
Morning arrived with warm sunlight.
Yet the warmth could not drive away the shadows of the previous night's events.
The bedroom door opening on its own.
Wet footprints in the hallway.
And Nicholas's warning, still echoing in Tania's head.
"Don't open that door."
Tania went downstairs to the dining room, her eyes still puffy from lack of sleep.
Her parents were already seated at the long dining table as usual.
Adrian Wijaya Kusumawardhani was busy reading economic news on his tablet.
Diana Kusumawardhani enjoyed a cup of coffee while checking her social-event schedule.
Neither of them mentioned what had happened the night before.
Neither of them noticed how pale Tania looked.
"Morning," Tania said softly as she pulled out a chair and sat across from her parents. She tried to offer a faint smile, though the exhaustion from spending the night unable to close her eyes still lingered in her gaze.
"Morning," Diana replied briefly, lifting her face from her coffee cup. Her eyes traced her daughter's face for a moment before her brows drew together slightly. "You look pale. Didn't you sleep well?" Diana asked gently, her voice full of concern.
Tania was silent for a moment before slowly nodding.
"I heard a strange sound on the second floor last night," Tania said carefully, fiddling with the spoon in her hand. Her fingers trembled slightly. "Did you hear it too, Mom?" she asked hopefully.
Diana slowly shook her head.
"No," she replied shortly, setting her coffee cup on its saucer.
Adrian remained focused on his tablet screen.
"It was probably just the wind," Adrian said flatly without looking up. His voice sounded calm, as though the incident was not worth worrying about.
"It wasn't the wind, Dad," Tania said softly, looking at her father. Unease began to fill her eyes. "I heard someone knocking on my door," she continued, her voice more serious now.
Adrian finally set his tablet on the table.
His gaze shifted to his daughter.
His expression remained calm.
"And then?" Adrian asked briefly, folding his hands on the table. His expression was unreadable.
"When the door opened..." Tania said in a whisper. She paused, drawing a deep breath as though she could still clearly recall what had happened the night before.
"There was no one there," Tania continued quietly. Her lips pressed tightly together after she said it.
The room suddenly fell silent.
Diana and Adrian exchanged a brief glance.
"You're still in shock from the accident," Diana replied gently as she reached for her coffee cup again. Her faint smile tried to ease the tension. "Sometimes an overly tired mind can make us hear things incorrectly," she continued in the same soft tone.
"I'm not hallucinating, Mom," Tania shot back. Her voice was firmer than usual. She stared at her mother, her eyes filled with both conviction and disappointment.
Adrian let out a long breath.
"If that will make you feel better," Adrian said calmly, folding his hands on the table, "I'll ask the security guards to patrol more often tonight," he continued, his tone sounding like a final decision.
"That's not what I meant..." Tania said softly. Her shoulders sagged as she realized she was not being understood.
"There's no need to discuss it anymore," Adrian cut in calmly. Though his voice did not rise, his tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Tania lowered her head.
She knew...
There was no point in continuing the conversation.
That afternoon, the house fell quiet again.
Her father left for the office.
Her mother attended a charity event.
Most of the servants were busy with their own work.
Tania decided to walk around the house.
For some reason...
After what had happened the night before, she felt that the house was hiding something she had never known about.
The long hallways were filled with various old paintings.
Some were portraits of the ancestors of the Wijaya Kusumawardhani family.
Their gazes seemed to follow her every step.
Tania stopped in front of a large painting.
A man around fifty stood proudly in a black suit.
Beside him stood a beautiful woman in a white kebaya.
In front of them were two small children smiling toward the painter.
"I wonder who they are..." Tania murmured softly, tilting her head. Her gaze followed the small writing beneath the frame, curiosity filling her eyes.
"Arjuna Wijaya Kusumawardhani and family. 1987."
Tania frowned.
The name felt unfamiliar.
Even though she knew almost her entire family tree by heart.
As she was studying the painting...
"Looking at the family collection, Miss?" Mr. Surya greeted her warmly from behind. A faint smile touched his face, though his eyes looked cautious.
Tania quickly turned around.
"Oh, Mr. Surya," Tania said with a friendly smile. "I just realized this house has so many old paintings," she continued, turning her gaze back to the painting.
Mr. Surya shifted his gaze to the painting as well.
"Yes, Miss," he replied, nodding slowly. "Most of them have been here since the house was first built," he continued respectfully.
"What about this one?" Tania asked, raising a hand to point at the family painting. "I've never heard of Arjuna."
Mr. Surya suddenly fell silent.
The smile on his face slowly faded.
His gaze grew uncertain.
"Miss..." Mr. Surya murmured softly, lowering his head. His fingers clasped together uneasily. "I'm sorry... I'm not authorized to tell you about that," he continued in a whisper.
Tania frowned.
"Why not?" Tania asked in confusion, staring intently at Mr. Surya's face.
Mr. Surya drew a slow breath.
He tried to smile.
But the smile looked forced.
"It happened a very long time ago," Mr. Surya replied quietly, avoiding Tania's gaze.
"That's exactly why I want to know," Tania replied gently with a small smile. "Besides, I'm part of this family," she continued, her tone persuasive.
Mr. Surya let out a long breath.
"There are some stories..." Mr. Surya began carefully. He fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "...that are better left in the past," he continued, his voice growing softer.
"What kind of past?" Tania asked curiously. Her brows drew together as her curiosity grew.
Mr. Surya only shook his head slowly.
"I'm sorry, Miss," Mr. Surya replied in a whisper, lowering his head again.
He then bowed politely.
"If you don't need anything else, please excuse me while I get back to work," Mr. Surya said respectfully, taking a step backward.
"Wait—" Tania called out instinctively, reaching out as she tried to stop the old man.
But before Tania could finish, Mr. Surya had already turned and walked away, his pace slightly faster than usual.
Tania could only watch the old man's back slowly disappear at the end of the hallway.
His reaction...
It was far too strange.
Her curiosity led Tania toward the hallway in the east wing of the house.
She had not visited that part in a long time.
Unlike the luxurious, brightly lit main section of the house, this hallway felt much quieter.
A thin layer of dust clung to several windows.
An old hanging lamp swayed gently in the wind.
Dozens of family photographs hung along the walls.
Tania examined them one by one.
Birthday photos.
Wedding photos.
Vacation photos.
But...
Something was strange.
In one of the large frames...
The spot where a photograph should have been was empty.
Only the backing paper remained, beginning to yellow.
"Why was the photo removed?" Tania murmured softly, raising a hand to slowly wipe the dusty frame. Her eyes were filled with both confusion and curiosity.
The torn marks at the corners showed that the photograph had been deliberately pulled out.
It had not been damaged by age.
The longer she studied the hallway...
The more empty frames she found.
As if...
Someone had erased part of the family's history from this house.
"It can't be just a coincidence..." Tania murmured softly. Her brow furrowed as her mind began filling with various possibilities.
At the end of the hallway...
Her attention was drawn to an old wooden door.
The door was different from all the others.
Its color was dull.
Its brass handle had rusted.
A thick iron chain with an old padlock hung above the handle.
The layer of dust on the floor showed that the door had not been opened in a very long time.
Tania stepped closer carefully.
"What room is this...?" Tania murmured softly to herself, staring at the old door without blinking. Her curiosity gradually overcame the unease in her chest.
She tried turning the doorknob.
It did not move.
It was firmly locked.
"Strange..." Tania murmured, softly rubbing the cold surface of the door. Her fingers left marks in the layer of dust clinging to it.
Suddenly...
The hurried sound of footsteps came from behind her.
"Miss Tania!" Mr. Surya called, slightly out of breath. He looked panicked, and his footsteps stopped several yards from the old door.
Tania turned in surprise.
"What is it, Mr. Surya?" Tania asked, confused, looking back and forth between him and the old door in front of her.
Mr. Surya stopped a few steps from the door.
His face looked pale.
His gaze remained fixed on the old door.
"Miss... don't come to this part of the house again," Mr. Surya said anxiously. His voice trembled, and his fingers clasped tightly together.
"Huh? Why not?" Tania asked in confusion, glancing at the old door again. Her brows drew together, sensing that something was being hidden from her.
"It's just an old storage room," Mr. Surya replied quickly. He tried to smile, but it looked extremely forced.
"If it's just a storage room, why is it locked with a chain?" Tania asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Her gaze bore straight into Mr. Surya's eyes, as though trying to force the old man to tell her the truth.
Mr. Surya fell silent.
His gaze looked uneasy.
He swallowed before finally answering.
"It hasn't been used in far too long," Mr. Surya replied briefly, shifting his gaze to the floor.
Tania narrowed her eyes.
"Mr. Surya..." Tania said softly. Her voice was calm, but her sharp gaze remained fixed on the old man. "You're lying, aren't you?" she asked without looking away.
Mr. Surya looked startled.
His eyes widened for a moment.
"I..." Mr. Surya stammered. His lips moved, but the words seemed stuck in his throat.
"You look scared," Tania continued softly. Her expression remained calm, but her curiosity had grown even stronger.
Mr. Surya swallowed again.
"I'm only following orders," Mr. Surya replied in a whisper, lowering his head. His shoulders sagged slightly.
"Whose orders?" Tania asked quickly. Her voice was firmer than before.
Mr. Surya slowly shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Miss," Mr. Surya replied in a whisper without daring to raise his face.
"'I'm sorry' again," Tania replied, letting out a long breath. Disappointment began to mingle with irritation on her face. "Since when has this house been full of secrets that even I'm not allowed to know?" Tania continued bitterly.
Mr. Surya fell silent.
His gaze slowly shifted toward the old door.
He stared at it for several seconds.
Then he lowered his head again.
"Believe me..." Mr. Surya said in a trembling whisper. Fear, difficult to hide, showed in his eyes. "There are some doors that are better left unopened," he continued emphatically.
The words made the hair on the back of Tania's neck stand up.
Mr. Surya gave a brief bow to take his leave.
Then he turned and hurried away, as though he wanted to get as far from the place as possible.
This time...
Tania did not try to stop him.
The hallway fell silent again.
Only she remained...
And the old door, firmly locked.
Tania slowly reached out her hand.
Her fingertip touched the wooden surface, which felt cold.
That was when...
"Knock..."
A soft knocking sound came from behind the door.
Tania froze.
Her breath caught.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the old door without blinking.
Several seconds passed.
Then...
"Knock... Knock... Knock..."
The knocking sounded again.
Clearer.
Closer.
As if...
Someone was knocking from inside the room.
Even though...
According to Mr. Surya...
The room had been empty for decades.