Rheas

Part 5: The Underground Room

The scented aroma of cooking that pierced sharply into Devian's nasal cavity had managed to awaken him that morning. It had been ten years since he had last enjoyed the scent. Since her mother died ten years ago, Devian has decided to move into her current home and live alone.

It was a luxurious mansion consisting of only one main room and one guest room. The area of the house is almost ten hectares, giving it space to organize a gymnastic, as well as a mini library in his home.

A house that is too big if only lived alone. There is only one large sofa in the living room facing directly towards the kitchen. There are no television or other entertainment rooms. There is only a large swimming pool in the backyard that is usually used to drive away fatigue.

Plus one secret room in the basement that is always locked. No one could get in there including the maid he paid every week to clean his residence.

Devian arranges a different maid each week. No one should ever enter his house more than once. Therefore, it was only natural that Rhea never saw the face of the maid who last tried to help her. Whether he was still alive after the incident or he had disappeared mysteriously like what he feared.

“The kitchen was never used, I don't even know if the gas still works.” Devian's voice sounded wrong. He walked silently towards Rhea who was still busy with a hot frying pan in his hand.

“It seems that you have never used it. I spent almost three hours washing all the dishes and cutlery. There are only two glasses that look clean, it looks like it was my glass this morning and also something you used to use.”

“Oh yes, one more.. Do you also not know if this is an electric stove.”

Uhuk..Uhuk!!

Devian choked when he was about to drink a glass of water that he had just filled.

He stared blankly at Rhea as he always did. But strangely, he did not look angry at all. He also doesn't seem disturbed. From his neutral point of view Rhea could see if the young man continued to observe his cooking and enjoy the aroma that was sticking out of the almost finished cooking steam.

“I'm looking for her from your secretary. He told me that your habit in the morning is to drink a glass of warm lemon water and your favorite food sweet spicy fried shrimp.”

“The lemon water is on the table, you can drink it now. If for the warehouse, it might take ten minutes.” Rhea who sounded very familiar.

He tried to be normal with Devian. The attitude he showed now was the attitude as if they had known each other for many years. And luckily Devian was also being pretty sweet today. So maybe there will be no violent scenes, right?

“If I may suggest, you should stop calling someone here. I can handle everything myself. I'll clean up the whole house until you get home, and prepare dinner. You don't need to feel distracted, I'll try to act as reasonably as possible and not cross the line.”

Rhea's words this time sounded quite haughty in Devian's ears. He made a mistake by fishing for a sleeping lion. Not that Devian is not distracted, he just waits for the right momentum and acts when needed.

“Don't you think you'll be safe just because I'm quiet baby.” Devian's whisper in Rhea's ear.

He managed to make Rhea shudder. Especially when his sturdy body was standing firmly behind Rhea with one hand that he slipped through Rhea's waist to turn off the stove that was burning. As if he was hinting at something to Rhea, that ‘ia should know where the real place is’.

“Rhea just nodded and turned on the stove again to finish her meal. After serving all, Rhea headed to the main room to prepare Devian's clothes complete with her briefcase.

The man made no comment. He only showed a cynical look, while continuing to enjoy the dishes served by Rhea with a very unpleasant expression in the eyes.

“You want me to keep eating at home? With your cooking skills only limited to this?” Devian screeched and slammed his spoon onto the empty plate that was in front of him.  He seemed to comment on something that was not even in line with his heart.

“Ciih, you said just that, but you spent it all.” Rhea quipped after Devian's back disappeared from behind her bedroom door. Rhea cleaned the kitchen and dining table while Devian went inside her room and prepared.

Devian looked at him with a threatening look. Rhea knows what that means. She was not allowed to interfere in her husband's personal affairs. But Rhea is not his name if he will remain silent.

Rhea looks for a crack to get all the cameras in her house to die after Devian's departure. He watered all the plants and directed the water deliberately towards the electrical switch. Surely he did all of that after careful consideration.

He removed all electrical contacts that might still be on and started to run the action. The goal is only one, a mysterious door behind the kitchen that is always locked.

He caught Devian going in there several times. He's sure there'll be a lead there. Moreover, Devian always forbids maids and assistants to enter there. He was the one who spent more time in that room.

Click!!

Rhea's plan worked. Their house electricity went out. He is prepared with all the risks including if later Devian will torture him again because of what he did.

Such a luxurious house certainly has an automatic electrical switch that will block the incoming current automatically when an unexpected event occurs. And true, he had managed to prevent the occurrence of an electrical short circuit at the Devian residence. But that's not the point.

He still has to carry out his main mission. He broke into the key of the secret room with his hairpin until it opened. The door leads to the basement. To know that the mansion had a basement alone was quite surprising. Especially when he saw some lights with low power still installed and lit there.

“Lamp here is not dead? Are there any surveillance cameras here too?” rhea began to feel fear.

There's nothing in that basement. There were only a few paintings, and also statues lined up around the walls. But strangely, he was sure he had even seen some of the paintings in his dreams. He felt as if he was repeating all the events in his dream or maybe he had entered and witnessed all the paintings himself before.

One of the paintings was a painting with blood ink that always frightened him. Dreams that always repeat in his sleep, as if it was all a clue or memory that he should never forget during his life.

Rhea was startled and staggered back when the blood inked painting was right in front of her. His body kept retreating as if it wanted to escape. But his heart seemed not to be in line with his body. His eyes were still glued to the painting without blinking, until he realized that his footsteps had been on a piece of cloth covering a large painting on the other side of the wall.

Half of the painting was open to make Rhea more curious and remove the remaining fabric.

It was a painting that contained a portrait of his childhood with his mother. His curiosity was so high, even that curiosity managed to defeat his own fear and make him slowly forget himself. He was completely unaware that someone was standing right behind him.

“Rhea what are you doing?” ask Devian.

Rhea flinched, she accidentally pushed the painting away and there was a big door behind it. Rhea chose not to flinch. He did not reprimand Devian and steadied his heart to continue to step in.

The room was dark enough that he could not see clearly that there was a staircase right in front of him. His body fell and rolled down the stairs to the bottom.

“Rhea don't!” peeked Devian, but the girl had rolled around like a soccer ball being kicked powerfully down the stairs.

Rhea's body landed exactly where she had wanted to know. It was a carcass belonging to Daffa's body that had started to rot.

“Jeez what is this?” Rhea shaking.

He did not dare to glance, but of all the smell and gloom of the room he occupied. He knows what place it is.