Whispers of Midnight

library, Damien's words still echoing in her mind. Some doors, once opened, can never be closed. She couldn't shake the

ace: to unearth the secrets buried within this manor, to write a story that would uncover the truth of Damien's family and the tragic disappearance of his sister, Lila. But th

l than any of them could understand. She wasn't sure what she was dealing with, but she knew that there was

were closing in on her. The sense of isolation was palpable, and for the first time since she had arrived, she felt a real sense of uneas

on with Damien. His cryptic words had been meant to discourage her, to make her back away from whatever it was sh

had made up her mind-she wasn't going to let Damien or anyone else stop her from uncovering the tru

alked to the desk, where a stack of papers lay, the remnants of the research she had begun earlier that day. Her fingers brushed over the pages as sh

ppearances of several members of Damien's family, the cryptic symbols she had seen in the old book in the library-they all seemed to be

ather, Lord Edmund Blackwood, the founder of Velvet Manor. Below him were the names of his children, including Damien's grandfather, who had inherited t

Lila's name was marked with a question mark, a sign that her disappearance was shrouded in mystery. Beneath Lila's name was ano

Had there been someone in the Blackwood family line who had disappeared bef

ournal entry from Lord Edmund himself. The entry was dated nearly a hundred years ago, and it read: The key to the manor'

t, something hidden within the family, and he had gone to great lengths to protect i

er. She had to find out more, eve

ghts. She stood up quickly, her heart racing as sh

ce low, almost urgent. "I

asked, her voice t

g about our conversation earlier," he said, his gaze never meeting hers. "About the book in the library and the forbi

mind. I'm not backing away from this. Whatever happened to Lila, to y

ace than you realize. The manor was built on dark magic, ancient rituals... things that go beyond anything you've ever e

"What are you saying? That your famil

I've seen things-heard things-things that can't be explained. The manor is... it's not ju

hat Damien was saying. "So what do we do

er in the eye. "We need to find the key. The

ught in her throa

Heir is. But I do know that we're running out of time. If

ruth had just become far more dangerous. But there was no turning back n