The morning sun barely pierced
through the dense forest canopy as
Emma navigated her car through the narrow, winding road. The trees
loomed overhead, their twisted
branches casting eerie shadows
across the hood of her car. The
woods felt alive, whispering secrets
Emma didn’t want to hear.
Max sat upright in the passenger
seat, his golden eyes scanning the
surroundings. His ears perked at
every rustling leaf, every crack of a
distant branch.
“We’re almost there,” Emma
whispered, gripping the steering
wheel tightly. Her heart raced as the
path finally opened to reveal a pair of towering, wrought-iron gates.
The gates were ancient, covered in
rust and vines, but the symbols
engraved on them were unmistakable. The same rune-like markings from Buddy’s collar gleamed faintly in the dim light. Emma shivered, a chill crawling up
her spine.
As if sensing her arrival, the gates
creaked open on their own.
Max growled low in his throat, his
posture tense, ready to defend her.
Emma glanced at him. “Stay close.”
She drove through the gates, her tires crunching over gravel. The manor stood at the end of the long
driveway, shrouded in mist.
It was enormous, its gothic architecture looming like a sinister
guardian of forgotten secrets. Its
dark stone walls were cracked and
weathered with age. Towering spires
pierced the sky, and broken windows revealed tattered curtains flapping in the wind like ghostly hands. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decay.
Emma parked the car and stepped
out, her footsteps echoing in the
stillness. Max followed, his eyes
darting from one shadow to the next.
The front doors of the manor were
ajar, swaying slightly as if beckoning
her inside.
With a deep breath, Emma pushed
the doors open wider. They groaned
under her touch, revealing a grand
hallway bathed in shadows. Dust floated in the air, disturbed by their
entrance. The walls were adorned
with faded portraits, their eyes
following her every move.
A large chandelier hung from the
ceiling, its crystals dulled by layers
of dust. Cobwebs clung to every
surface, and the wooden floorboards
creaked beneath her steps.
Max growled again, his gaze fixed on
the far end of the hallway.
“Hello?” Emma’s voice echoed
through the cavernous space.
As she moved deeper into the
hallway, she ran her hand over the
walls, tracing the intricate carvings
of strange symbols etched into the
wood.
Suddenly, her fingers brushed
against a spot that felt different –
smoother, like it had been recently
polished.
Emma leaned closer to inspect it,
wiping away a layer of dust. What
she uncovered made her heart skip a beat.
It was the same emblem from
Buddy’s collar.
Her pulse quickened as she pressed
the emblem, and a hidden door in the wall clicked open with a soft groan Max barked, standing guard beside her.
Emma stepped through the door
cautiously, her eyes adjusting to the
dim light filtering through a small,
stained-glass window.
And then she saw it.
Emma’s breath caught in her throat
as she peered through the walls and
was shocked seeing….