Rosewood manor (English version)

Echoes of the past

The clock in the hall struck midnight, its deep chimes echoing through the silent corridors of the  Rosewood Mansion.  Jonathan sat in the library, the glow of the candle casting shadows on the pages of an old magazine he found hidden behind a row of books...

Annabelle Rosewood watched him from across the room, her eyes reflecting the flicker of the candlelight.  She shared with him the beginnings of her family history, the tales of triumph and tragedy that were etched on the palace walls.

A: “I did not have any sisters... so my father had to marry another woman... her name was Florence... Flonch gave birth to four boys... and Elizabeth was my cousin... she was the only one who treated me kindly besides my mother.”  ...Until that day comes when I end everything with those in it...”   Annabelle said, there was a hint of sadness in her voice

“...It must have been hard to leave her...” he was saying as he turned the pages

"it is NOT your business!"  Her facial expression was literally emotionless

“...” He started to feel angry but he ignored the feeling

As Jonathan flipped through the pages, he found a faded photo tucked between the worn leather.  It was a picture of a big party, the Rosewood family in their finest attire, smiling for a moment frozen in time.  In the corner stood a woman, her features blurred, but her posture a little strange… There was no doubt – it was Lady Elizabeth Rosewood, the missing heiress.

“Why is it separate from the rest?”  Jonathan asked as he held the picture up for Annabelle to see.

Annabelle's gaze remained fixed on the picture, and for a brief moment there was a storm of emotion on her face...  "Elizabeth was always... different," she began in a whisper.

“She had a way of seeing beyond what most people could see, It was a gift from God, which was both a blessing and a curse...”

Jonathan's interest was piqued.  "Gift? You mean....she had some kind of second sight?"

Annabelle confirmed: “Exactly, she had a second vision. It was something good and bad at the same time. She had visions and premonitions of events that had not yet come. Some believe that this blessing was what led to her downfall... and this is my belief as well.”

The air in the library grew colder, despite the heater, and Jonathan felt a shiver run down his spine.  He looked again at his diary, where the last entry was scrawled in cursive handwriting:

*June 5, 1948. The visions grow stronger every night.  I'm afraid I'm running out of time.  He's coming for me.  The shadow that haunts....*

Jonathan read the words aloud, and as he did, the candle flickered violently, as if someone had blown on it forcefully, as if in response.  Annabelle suddenly stood up, her eyes wide with fear.  She said:

"STOP!! You should not talk about it any further. The palace does not like its secrets to be revealed."

But Jonathan was a man in need of knowledge and understanding.

"Who is he? The shadow mentioned here!?"  He pressed on, his journalistic instincts taking over.

Annabelle moved closer, her presence a warmth against the cold.  She explained:

“It is an ancient family legend, a dark entity linked to the Rosewood bloodline, and it feeds on our joys and sorrows. Elizabeth believed that he was after her, that he wanted to devour her essence...or more clearly, devour her.”

Jonathan realized that the secret of the Rosewood Mansion was more complicated than he had imagined.  It was a puzzle made up of pieces scattered across time, each waiting to be found and put back in its place...Does this puzzle even have a solution?!!  Jonathan's mind was full of endless questions.

As the night deepens, Jonathan and Annabelle search the palace archives, discovering letters, diaries, and artifacts that tell the story of a family blessed with wealth but plagued by the darkness lurking in the shadows.  With each discovery, instead of being a mystery, it became twenty mysteries. Whenever they reach a solution, they return to square one again..

But as they worked, they were unaware of the eyes that were watching them from the darkness, and the presence that their conversation had aroused.  The Rosewood Palace entity was awake, and it was hungry.

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