The mansion was like nothing Sonic hade ever seen, a red glossy carpet rolled down the first set of stairs into the main hall, the actual floor itself was covered in a beautiful tile that looked like some kind of marble. The pillars that traveled up along side the stairs where modeled after those found in ancient Greece, to him, this place was beauty and wonder like he hade never seen. To his left was a huge set of double doors that looked like they where big enough to hold an elephant in, at least to the three foot high creature that was now slowly striding towards them in a slow trance. As he carefully brushed his gloved hand over the surface of the oak doors, he couldn't help but whisper "Wow."
Although the word would have been inaudible to human ears his dark double could hear them quite well as he examined the two sets of doors on the other side of the hall, and replied with a joking smile " That's the understatement of the week"
In truth Shadow couldn't have been less interested in his counter part if he tried. Instead he was more interested, no, fascinated with the doors on his side of the hall, for he could almost feel some kind of pull urging him to see what lie beyond. When he took a step forward he could swear that he felt some kind of darkness that had been buried in his heart for longer than he could remember. The darkness pulled at his mind to open the door, to set it free, and fulfill his curiosity of what lie behind its cold wooden frame. He was now just inches from the door, and the darkness felt as if it was screaming at him to grasp the metal handle for all he's worth and PULL! Pull like his life depended on it, and let the darkness consume him, let it carry him away into a place of eternal peace, a place that could lie just beyond the door. As he laid his hand on the cool metal of the doorknob, a jolt of energy coursed through him, and now the darkness felt too strong, to strong to resist, to strong for him to feel fear of what may lie beyond the void known as the door. And yet, he hesitated, just for a moment, a light shone through the darkness, and begged him to stop, to think of the people who still needed him, the girl Hope, Knothole, and even the humans who despised him so much, but it was just for an instant, and when the light was consumed in the darkness, a fire was lit in his eyes, a fire some would call, lust. Others would call it rage, but most, would call it madness. With the fire blazing, he slowly began to turn the knob, and with every milometer that that knob moved the darkness, and the fear, grew with in him. Just as the door was about to be opened, a hand fell upon his shoulder, and with a slight jump he awoke from his trance.
" SHADOW! Hey, are you doing ok?" Sonic asked with a puzzled expression on his face.
" Yeah, I think so." Shadow himself looked confused, and even as he spoke the darkness in side of him was burrowing itself into his heart. Waiting for its next chance to rise up and seize control.
"Come on, lets check out the upstairs." Sonic said with a soothing smile.
"Yeah, upstairs" a distant look occupied his face as Shadow tired to remember what he was doing so close to this door, as he marched up the stairs following Sonic. He could feel that the answer was at the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn't remember! The answer was gone now, just like the darkness, and the flame that had burned in his eyes. Shadow was wakened form his thoughts with a loud click.
"Hey, I think this one's opened." Sonic said, stifling a laugh as Shadow walked through, unsuspecting of what lay a head. The idiot, he's almost as gullible as Knuckles. What Shadow hadn't known was that he and Knuckles hade come back after he scoped the place out with Tails. It was spouse to be a test to see if he could scare Knuckles, and if he could he would then set his trap for Shadow. While they where exploring he and Knuckles had found a sword key that had let them up here and a stone and metal object that hade granted them access to the courtyard. Sonic hade decided to cut it short here and made Knuckles scream like a little, well, as Arnold would say 'girly pants'. Now he was back with Shadow walking through a u-shaped corridor, when they reached the other end they miraculously found another door that wasn't looked. After Sonic hade done some protesting he finally got shadow to go down stairs and into the L-shaped corridor that would lead them into the out side. As they hade drew closer to the turn in the hall Shadow said he could hear some kind of moaning, like when you have a really bad headache or a fractured rib. Sonic hade dismissed it as Shadow's imagination, but instantly regretted it. For when he turned the corner, everything he hade ever believed about magic, was dismissed in a whirlwind of fear.