"BLONDE LIKE HONEY"

The early morning hours still lingered as Aurora and Max left the old wing. The weight of the previous night's experience stayed with them, but now there was something more: a growing urgency to uncover the truth. Aurora felt like time was running out, as if something was about to happen—something that would prevent them from turning back.

Max, silent, held her hand firmly. He was as affected as she was, but his face showed determination. They would not let the hotel defeat them. Not the strange presence that surrounded them.

"We need to find answers," Max said, breaking the silence as they walked down the narrow corridor. He seemed aware that the weight of the previous night still hung over them. "But we have to be careful. Something isn't right here, and I don't want you to get hurt more."

Aurora nodded. With every step, the feeling of being watched intensified. The hotel, with its endless corridors and heavy atmosphere, seemed to have its eyes on them, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. She felt she was not alone, and it wasn't just the sense of being watched. It was something deeper, something older, as if the building itself were alive, watching their every move.

Max suddenly stopped, staring at the long hallway ahead of them. Aurora noticed there was something different in the air. The atmosphere felt dense, as if time had slowed down, and the silence, once comforting, now felt oppressive. They were no longer alone. Not like before.

"There's something here," Max murmured, his eyes fixed on a door ahead. The door didn't look particularly special, but somehow, his gaze was drawn to it, as if it were the only focal point in the emptiness around them. "Let's go."

Aurora, hesitating, followed Max toward the door. Her heart raced in her chest, and she didn't know if it was fear or something else that made her feel so tense. She knew this path would lead them deeper into the mystery, and perhaps there would be no turning back.

Max tried the doorknob, but it was locked. He frowned, looking at the handle with a concentrated expression. "Looks like someone doesn't want us to go in," he said with a tense smile. "This only adds to the mystery. Let's see what we can do."

Aurora looked around, trying to feel the presence of whatever was surrounding them. The energy in the air was growing stronger, as if the door was the key to a hidden truth.

Max started to force the doorknob, and then, at his touch, the metallic sound of the door creaked open slowly, revealing a small, dark room, lit only by a dim light in the corner that barely pushed back the shadows.

Aurora swallowed hard. The smell of mold and age mixed in the air, and the feeling of being watched grew stronger with each passing second.

"It all started here," Max murmured, stepping cautiously into the room. "Look."

Aurora moved closer and saw what he was pointing at: on the opposite wall, a large painting was covered by a cloth. Aurora, with her heart racing, felt a shiver run down her spine. It was as if that painting held the key to the entire story. But what did it hide?

Max pulled the cloth away with a sharp motion, revealing the painting. Aurora nearly fainted at what she saw: the woman from the portrait, with the same intense, glowing eyes, now with a darker, more furious expression. She was no longer just in the painting; it felt as though she was watching Aurora and Max, as if she were alive.

"She's here," Aurora said aloud, her voice trembling.

Max stared at the painting, now more serious than ever. "No, she hasn't found us. She's been waiting for us."

They both stood in silence, staring at the woman's image, as the air around them seemed to vibrate, as though the room itself were breathing. The fear surged in Aurora, but something else, an invisible force, seemed to push her forward, urging her to take another step.

She moved closer to the painting, her hands trembling, and lightly touched the frame. Suddenly, the painting shook. The woman's image seemed to distort, her eyes glowing even brighter. Aurora felt a chill run through her body. Something had changed, something was about to happen.

"Max," she whispered, "I feel like we're getting too close."

Max stepped closer to her, holding her hand tightly. "I think we're getting close to understanding everything. But we need to go all the way. We can't stop now."

Aurora looked at the painting once more, the woman's eyes locked on hers, as if she was being called. The fear grew with every passing moment, but so did the determination to find out what had happened there. Something was happening in this hotel, and they needed to uncover what it was before it was too late.

"I know, Max," she said, her voice now firm. "We'll find out what happened here. Together."

As they left the room, Aurora couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The battle was just beginning, and the forces within the hotel would not let go so easily.