Estate of Echoes

The air hangs thick and heavy, a cloying sweetness clinging to your nostrils. It smells of burnt sugar and something vaguely...floral, but tainted. You can't quite place it. You awaken to find yourself seated on a velvet chaise lounge, an antique gramophone hissing softly in the corner. The room is opulent, bordering on grotesque. Gold leaf peels from the walls, revealing patches of faded, unsettling murals depicting scenes of grotesque revelry. Your head throbs. Memories flicker like faulty light bulbs – fleeting images of a grand ball, shimmering masks, whispered secrets, and then...nothing. You remember your name, vaguely, and the unsettling feeling that you don't belong here. A low chuckle reverberates through the room. A figure emerges from the shadows, their form obscured by the gloom, but you can make out the glint of something metallic in their hand. "Welcome," the voice rasps, a sound like dry leaves skittering across cobblestones. "Welcome to the Estate of Echoes. You are...expected." The figure approaches, slowly, deliberately. As they step into the dim light cast by a flickering candelabra, you see their face. It is a mask, crafted of porcelain, flawless and unnervingly still. Two black beads serve as eyes, staring into your soul with unnerving intensity. "You have been chosen," the masked figure continues, their voice barely a whisper. "Chosen to participate in a game. A game of secrets, of betrayals, of desperate survival. The rules are simple: uncover the truth hidden within these walls, and find a way to escape before the echoes claim you entirely." The figure extends a hand, offering you a tarnished silver key. "This," they say, "is your starting point. But be warned. The Estate holds many secrets, and some are best left undisturbed. Trust no one. Question everything. Your life depends on it." The gramophone skips, the hissing escalating into a jarring, dissonant chord. The masked figure steps back into the shadows, disappearing once more into the oppressive darkness. The key feels cold and heavy in your hand. The game has begun. And you, unsuspecting player, are already hopelessly lost. Where will you go first? What secrets will you uncover? The choices, and the consequences, are entirely yours.