Sera with the address and the keys, suggesting she visit whenever she felt ready. After the unsettling events at the will reading, and the constant feeling of bei
increasingly isolated, the scattered farmhouses giving way to stretches of untamed wilderness. As she neared the address, a sense
inst the overcast sky. The mansion was undeniably gothic in style, with pointed arches, gargoyles perched on the roof, and tall, na
a mournful groan. The grounds were overgrown and neglected, the once-manicured gardens now a tangle
under her feet. The air was damp and cold, carrying the scent of damp earth and dec
ker was shaped like a snarling wolf's head. With a deep breath, Sera grasped the knocker and st
ark and cavernous entrance hall. Dust motes danced in the faint light filtering through th
h a resounding thud, plunging her into near darkness. She fumbled for a light switch, find
taircase that swept upwards. Cobwebs hung like macabre decorations, and dust lay thick on every
usty books, and a drawing-room with a grand fireplace. Each room was filled with antique fur
felt empty, yet she had the distinct feeling that she was not alone. The silence was
, the air growing colder with each step. The upper floor was lined with bedrooms, each one more desol
finding them filled with old letters, bills, and other personal documents. These
ng woman with striking green eyes and a warm smile. On the back of the pho
exploration. At the end of a long corridor, she found a door
in the house. It was also remarkably clean, as if it had been recently used
ancient-looking books with leather bindings, strange artifacts made oe wooden chest and carefully lifted the lid. Inside, she found more artifacts: a tarnished
ling a message written in elegant
to bear. The truth lies hidden within these artifacts. They are the keys to unlocking the secrets of our family's past. B
chest, the cryptic message, the hidden room – it all pointed to something far more complex and dangerous than
d from behind her. A soft click, like a door closing. She wh
ming from within the walls themselves. It was too indistinc
of the mansion. She grabbed the parchment and the silver locket, stuffing them
distinct. She could hear footsteps echoing in the distance, though she saw no one. The
ld hear the footsteps getting closer, the whispers growing louder. She reache
ffer little comfort, the mansion looming behind her like a dark and ominous presen
mansion. From one of the upper windows, she saw a fleet