Outside couldn't be more welcoming.
Gilbert dashed out of the mansion, arms outstretched, yelling, "WE'RE FREE!"
Everyone followed him. They couldn't agree more. Elizabeta slowly lifted her hand, touching the sunlight. She smiled. So this was the feeling of being free and being filled with happiness for someone else, for herself. For a few moments, it seemed unreal and she felt as if she was living, breathing and standing in a long-awaited fantasy.
Feliciano was laughing, full of contagious joy. Alfred looked comically relieved as he flopped himself on the ground, ignoring Arthur's yelling. Francis and Antonio were cheering with Gilbert. Ludwig, Roderich and Elizabeta savoured freedom and Arthur faced skyward, his eyes closed and wearing a wistfully happy expression. Lovino just grinned. As he shoved his hands into his pockets, he thought he felt something soft crumple in his left pocket. He fished it out, surprised to find a photograph. He beckoned to the others.
"Hey, jerks! I think you guys should get your asses over here and see this!"
The others gathered around Lovino, surprised to see the photograph in his hands. The photograph was black and white, further yellowed with age. It showed six people in a familiar room, which was actually the drawing room in the mansion. Seated on the piano chair, was a man who looked like he was in his late-twenties, his grin broad. Crowding around his were five teenagers, who looked around 18 to 20 years old. They were smiling and laughing at the camera. They were wearing butler and maid uniforms. They all looked achingly familiar. They were…
"…the beings who died in the mansion as humans," Elizabeta breathed.
Suddenly, all the pieces fell into place. The reason why they were in the mansion in the first place, the reason why they stayed in the mansion was answered. Everything became crystal clear.
"Well, although I totally understand those guys now, wasn't it a pity we didn't stay 13 nights in that mansion?" Alfred enquired. The others nodded.
"A bit of a pity…" Arthur agreed. He glanced at his watch, which was the sort that displayed both the time and date. His breath was stolen and he paled slightly when he saw the date.
"What's wrong?" Antonio asked curiously.
"T-today is 14th March…" Arthur answered. "13 days after we all first set foot in the mansion, counting the actual day we first entered it."
"T-that can't be right," Roderich murmured. "It was the second day when those beings showed themselves, wasn't it...?"
Gilbert shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't care. All that I care now is that we're free!" he smirked. "Come on! Race you back to my house, where we'll play Truth or Dare!"
"BRUDER! I didn't give you permission!" Ludwig scolded as he chased after the already-running Bad Touch Trio.
"Eh? Wait for me, Ludwig!" Feliciano called as he and the scolding Lovino ran after Ludwig. Alfred broke into a grin.
"Race you!" he yelled, breaking into a sprint. Arthur dashed after him, shouting, "Slow down, you git! You had a one-second headstart, which is not fair! Come back here!"
Soon, all ten humans were well clear of the once-haunted mansion, which was at the end of a grey, dead wood. The mansion stood there, looking as innocent and mysterious as ever, leaving a few mysteries unanswered.
No more pain, no more fear, no more of them
What used to be just a place where souls cry and weep
Is now just another building
But even so, mysteries still lie and linger about
Not needed to be answered
A/N: This is the official end to the storyline *cries*. The next chapter is a compilation of all the 'poems' at the end/start of each chapter. So, as I promised, I will give an intro to my OCs.
Alosis/Lust Eater- My OC for Singapore. His human name is Aloysius Lee Wen Dong. He's actually a really lazy guy who loves eating as much as cooking. His full description is at the link at my profile.
Saerel/ Shadow Mirage- My OC for Malaysia. His human name is Sazali Muhammed. SHUT UP, it's not his finalised name yet! He's actually really strict and can't stand Singapore's Singlish although he sometimes himself, but only by accident.
Diean/ Screw Hunter- My OC for Laos. He has no human name yet, nut I'm calling him Lang for the time being, so name suggestions are open. He's actually fowl-mouthed and really protective of ASEAN and his siblings. He's actually Cambodia's good friend.
Kougar/ Black Blade- My OC for Cambodia. He has no human name yet, like Laos, so name suggestions are open for him too. He's actually gentle and he addresses himself as 'boku', as opposed to the 'ore'/'watashi' the other male ASEAN nations use. He's always the one to help Laos out of trouble.
Maria/ Dream Finder- My OC for Portugal. Yes, she's the only one to have her human name retained for this story. She has no last name yet, so last-name suggestions ONLY are open for her. She's friendly, kind and has killer kicks, which she uses on people who annoy her *cough* Netherlands *cough*.
Father- Random OC used for this story.
