★ＨＡＵＮＴＥＤ ＭＡＮＳＩＯＮ★

★49

Tayla felt her heart skip a beat at Jaxon's blunt observation. The air in the room suddenly thickened, and a heavy silence fell over them. Jaxon's expression was serious, his eyes 

narrowing as he continued.

**"Think about it. This house is old, and we've heard the stories about it being haunted. That portrait has to mean something. It's like a reminder of the people who lived here before us."**Amber shivered, pulling her arms around herself as if to ward off an unseen chill. **"You think they... died here? In this house?"** Jaxon nodded, his voice low and steady. **"It's possible. A family portrait wouldn't just be left behind like that unless something happened. We're living in their home now."**

Tayla felt a mix of dread and intrigue bubbling up inside her. She looked down at the photograph, the smiles of the family now feeling more like ghostly visages than happy memories. **"So what do we do? Just ignore it?"**

**"I don't think we can,"** Jaxon replied, his tone serious. **"We need to know more about them. If we're going to live here, we should at least understand the history of this place."** Amber glanced at the key on the table, her brow furrowing. **"Maybe the key is part of that history? It could lead to something important."** Tayla picked up the key again, turning it over in her hands. **"Let's look around the house. There might be a locked door or a hidden space where we can find more clues."**

**"Right,"** Jaxon said, determination in his voice. **"We need to figure this out. But let's be careful. If this family did die here, we don't want to stir up anything that could come back to haunt us."**

Tayla nodded, the weight of the moment pressing down on her. They had already encountered strange occurrences, and the idea of a restless spirit lurking in the shadows sent a shiver down her spine. **"Okay, so let's split up,"** Jaxon suggested. **"Amber, you take the upstairs. Tayla, check the basement. I'll look around here on the first floor. We'll meet back in an hour to share what we find."**

As they prepared to head off in different directions, Tayla couldn't shake the feeling that they were about to uncover something significant. With one last glance at the portrait, she steeled herself for whatever lay ahead, gripping the key tightly in her hand.