Whispers of Midnight

hare-the story of his father-was not one she had expected. It was filled with sorrow, loss, and a darkness that seemed to seep into every word he spoke. But e

an who had greeted her at the door; now, he seemed smaller, more fragile, like someone who had borne the weight of too many untold stories.

stery. My father-he wasn't like other men. He was a man of ambition, yes, but also a man

rd slightly, her curiosity piqued. She had expected to hear about family riches, power struggles, perhaps

a heavy weight. "He was drawn to it for reasons that were never fully clear to me. There was something about this p

set everything in motion. "What did he find?" she asked, her voice barely a whispe

cerity of her question. He seemed to consider for a moment bef

romise or a curse, and Amara felt

was Lila. She was the daughter of the previous owner of Velvet Manor, a woman who had a beauty so striking,

a was so intense, so personal, that she felt as though she were intruding on a memory to

lace-resentment, longing, or perhaps even regret. "She was graceful, intelligent, and, most of all, untouch

was slowly enveloping the story. "And what happened to her

ether tightly. For a moment, the silence between them felt unbearable. Amara held her breath, waiting for hi

voice rough with emotion. "One night, she

ock. "Vanished? How

mething ancient, something as old as the house itself. "There are things in this world that can't be explained, Amara. Things

ieved that Lila had discovered its true nature, and that was why she disappeared. But he also believed that she hadn't

ad come here to write a memoir, to uncover the facts of Damien's life, but instead, she was getting

" she asked, her voice

Some people say that my father lost his mind in his quest to find Lila. That he became obsessed with the manor's mysteries, with the ghosts that

her pulse quickening.

eve that Velvet Manor holds the key to something much bigger than all of us. And I be

though the room itself was shifting around her. She wanted to ask more, to delve deeper

d Amara earlier stepped inside. He was the same tall figure, his express

, and he gave a slight nod.

s lingered on her for a moment, and in that brief instant, Amara felt as though he were sizing her

she asked, trying t

just a little. "Perhaps it's better if we continue th

it had taken on a life of its own-one that was beginning to swallow her whole. She had come here to write a

eful," he said, his tone no longer just a warning, but a plea. "T

e last time, and for the first time, she saw a flicker of something alm

aid, though she wasn'

she felt the weight of Velvet Manor pressing down on her. The ho