"BLONDE LIKE HONEY"

Aurora and Max left the office, carrying the old notebook and lantern. The silence in the hallways felt increasingly oppressive, as though the hotel itself was aware of what they were about to do. Aurora clutched the diary tightly, while Max, more alert, walked by her side.

"We need to take the painting outside," Max said firmly. "We can't destroy it here. If what's written in this diary is true, things could get worse inside the hotel."

Aurora nodded, trying to steady her trembling hands. "But what if it's not enough? What if we end up releasing her instead of destroying her?"

"We don't have a choice," Max replied. "We've come too far to back down now."

They returned to the room where the painting stood. The air was even heavier, almost suffocating. As soon as they entered, Aurora felt a chill crawl up her spine. The painting remained in its place, but something about it had changed: the woman's gaze seemed more intense, almost alive.

"Let's cover it," Max suggested, grabbing the cloth that had previously concealed the painting. He threw it over the canvas decisively. "That way, she can't look at us."

Aurora hesitated before stepping closer to help. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them, even with the painting covered.

As they carried the painting through the corridors, Aurora broke the silence. "Max, I never told you this, but this place… it was never just a hotel to me."

Max glanced at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"When I bought this property years ago, it was abandoned. I found out it used to be an old hotel, with a history full of tragedies. I renovated almost everything but decided to preserve this wing. I thought keeping a part of the past intact was important—a way to honour its history. Now, I'm not so sure it was the right decision."

Max frowned. "Did you know anything about this part of the hotel? Any rumours or stories?"

"A few stories," Aurora admitted. "People said the place was haunted, that strange things happened here. But I never paid much attention. I thought they were just local legends. Now I see there might have been some truth to them."

Max nodded thoughtfully. "Preserving this wing may have been what kept this evil alive. She was trapped here all along, waiting."

When they reached the garden, where they had prepared a bonfire, the tension thickened. The wind had picked up, and the silence was broken only by the rustling of dry leaves.

"Put the painting here," Max instructed as he prepared the kerosene lamp. Aurora helped him position the painting near the flames.

She picked up the kerosene and poured it over the cloth covering the painting. But before they could ignite it, something happened. The cloth began to move on its own, as if something beneath it was pushing outward.

Max grabbed Aurora's arm, stopping her from stepping back. "Don't look at her," he said firmly. "That's what she wants. Just light the fire."

Despite her trembling hands, Aurora struck a match and watched the small flame flicker to life. She tossed the match into the bonfire, and the flames quickly spread across the cloth and the painting.

A scream erupted, echoing from what felt like the depths of the earth. Aurora covered her ears, trying to block out the sound, as the fire consumed the painting. The woman's features seemed to warp and twist as the flames devoured the canvas.

The scream ceased, leaving a profound silence in its wake. The painting was reduced to ashes, and the air felt lighter, as though a malevolent presence had finally been expelled.

"It's over," Aurora murmured, still staring at the ashes.

Max placed a hand on her shoulder. "I think so. The hotel feels… different. Calmer."

Aurora nodded, though her expression remained uncertain. "I just hope this was enough. Preserving that room was a mistake, and now I just want to make sure no one else suffers because of it."

They stayed there for a few more minutes, watching the flames die down. The sky was beginning to brighten, and the hotel in the distance appeared as nothing more than an old building—no longer cloaked in the oppressive aura that had surrounded it before.

"Let's go," Max said, taking Aurora's hand. "We've got a long day ahead of us."

Together, they walked back towards the building, leaving behind the ashes and the weight of the darkness that had plagued the place for so long. Now, the hotel finally had a chance to start anew.