Blackwater Val

Emma Hartley stepped out of the cab, her gaze drifting over the towering silhouette of the mansion before her. Blackthorn Manor loomed large against the dimming afternoon sky, its dark stone walls weathered by the salty sea air and the passage of time. It stood on a cliff overlooking the ocean, which stretched out behind it like a vast, unwelcoming expanse. The wind howled across the landscape, carrying with it a faint, briny scent. Emma shivered, pulling her coat tighter around her body. The place was even more intimidating in person than it had been in the photos.

She stood there for a moment, staring at the mansion's pointed gables and leaded windows, many of which appeared to have been abandoned for years, coated in dust and grime. The manor exuded an air of neglect, a coldness that had nothing to do with the brisk autumn breeze. She hadn't expected it to feel so... lifeless. It was hard to believe that her grandmother, a woman she barely remembered, had lived here for decades in solitude.

What were you hiding here, Grandma? Emma wondered as she glanced up at the highest window, where the curtains seemed to shift, though she knew there was no one inside.

The cab driver impatiently cleared his throat, breaking her from her thoughts. "You sure this is the right place, miss?" he asked, eyeing the mansion warily. "This house gives me the creeps."

Emma nodded, though she couldn't shake the unease creeping into her chest. "Yes, this is it. Thank you."

The driver didn't wait for any more words. He hauled her bags out of the trunk, muttered something under his breath, and hurried back into the car. With a brief wave, he drove off down the long, winding road that led back into town, leaving Emma alone with the mansion and the whispering wind. The loneliness settled in immediately.

Forcing herself to move, Emma grabbed the handles of her suitcases and approached the massive front doors. As her boots crunched over the gravel path, she tried to push away the strange sensation creeping over her skin, as though something-or someone-was watching her. She paused just before the door, the key her lawyer had given her clenched tightly in her hand.

Blackthorn Manor had been left to her after her grandmother's sudden death, an event that had surprised everyone in town. The old woman had been reclusive for years, but her death had sparked a lot of whispered rumors. No one had known her well, least of all Emma, who had barely any relationship with her. Now, for reasons Emma still didn't understand, the estate belonged to her.

Taking a deep breath, she inserted the key into the lock, turning it with a soft click. The door groaned as it swung open, revealing a dark, cavernous hallway beyond. Dust particles danced in the fading light filtering through the narrow windows, casting faint shadows along the walls.

Emma stepped inside, her footsteps echoing through the quiet space. The air inside was heavy with the scent of musty wood and stale air, as if the house had been holding its breath, waiting for someone to return. She set her bags down by the entrance, her eyes adjusting to the gloom as she took in the grand foyer. The ceiling soared above her, adorned with intricate moldings and a massive chandelier, its crystals dull from years of neglect. A staircase wound its way up to the second floor, the banister smooth and dark, polished by time.

Her heart thudded a little faster as she ventured deeper into the house. The weight of the mansion's somehow pressed down on her, filling her mind with questions she had no answers to. Why had her grandmother lived here all alone? And why had she left the entire estate to Emma, of all people? They hadn't spoken in years. What had she expected Emma to do with all of this?

The place felt impossibly large, cold, and indifferent. She could hear the wind rattling against the windows, the distant crash of waves against the cliffs below. But there was something else-a sense of anticipation, a strange undercurrent that hummed beneath the surface, like the house itself was alive, waiting to receive her.

Emma was drawn toward the drawing room to her right. The door creaked as she pushed it open, revealing a grand room filled with heavy furniture draped in white cloths. The fire had long since gone cold in the hearth, but above it, an enormous portrait of her grandmother stared down at her, eyes sharp and unforgiving even in paint. Emma felt a chill run down her spine as she stepped into the room, her gaze never leaving the portrait.

You don't belong here, the painted eyes seemed to say. Leave while you can.

Shaking off the unsettling thought, she walked toward the fireplace and examined the room around her. Despite the dust, the furniture beneath the coverings looked elegant, untouched by time. It was as though the house had been waiting for someone to return, waiting for her.

A small table near the window caught her eye, and she wandered over to it. On its surface, there was an envelope, yellowed with age. Her name was written on it in spidery handwriting she recognized from old birthday cards-her grandmother's.

Emma's breath hitched as she picked up the envelope. Her fingers trembled slightly as she tore it open. Inside was a single sheet of paper, folded neatly. She unfolded it, eyes scanning the brief message:

"Welcome home, Emma. Be careful what you seek. The shadows here do not rest."

Her heart skipped a beat. She turned the paper over, looking for more, but there was nothing else. No explanation, no comforting words. Just that cryptic warning.

Be careful what you seek.

Emma swallowed, the words sinking in. What had her grandmother meant by that? Did she know something Emma didn't? Had she uncovered something in this house that made her afraid?