Sinister Inheritance

Chapter 5: Vessel

Suddenly, the room seemed to stretch around me, shadows gathering, twisting like living things. I could feel a presence, powerful and malevolent, pressing in from every side. My heart thundered, but I steeled myself, refusing to yield to fear.

"I know you're here," I whispered, my voice steady but laced with tension. "I won't run from you."

The air grew thick, colder. Then, slowly, I felt it—a tingling at the edge of my consciousness, like icy fingers creeping into my mind. A pressure built behind my eyes, tightening until a sharp pain made me gasp. My knees buckled, and I clutched the edge of the table, the room blurring as I struggled to keep my balance.

A voice, deep and menacing, slithered into my thoughts. "You are his blood. You carry his sins." The voice filled my head, swirling, echoing, until it felt like my own thoughts.

"No," I choked out, clinging to the faint remnants of my own will. "I'm not like him."

But the voice only laughed, cold and hollow. "Your father opened the door, and you will walk through it. This is your inheritance, Helen."

A wave of darkness crashed over me, pulling me under. I could feel my body stiffening, my limbs no longer my own. My hands lifted, fingers curling as if directed by an unseen force. I tried to scream, but my throat tightened, my voice trapped as the presence seeped deeper, spreading through me like poison.

Memories that weren't mine flooded my mind—images of the manor in its early days, bathed in candlelight and shadow; figures in dark robes gathering in secret chambers, chanting in ancient tongues; my father's face, younger, twisted with an intensity that bordered on madness.

"You seek the truth," the voice whispered, blending with my own thoughts until I couldn't tell where I ended and it began. "Then see what he saw."

A new vision seized me. I was in a vast, echoing chamber, beneath the foundations of the manor. My father knelt before an altar, surrounded by symbols drawn in blood. His face was pale, his eyes wide with desperation as he chanted, calling on forces he barely understood. I felt his fear, his exhilaration, the thrill of power surging through him as he struck the deal that would bind our family to this cursed place.

The darkness laughed, louder now, feeding off my horror. "You carry his blood, Helen. You are bound to finish what he began."

"No!" I cried, fighting to claw my way back to myself. But my limbs felt foreign, heavy, as if they were sinking into the floor.

With one last surge of defiance, I closed my eyes, reaching deep within me, searching for any shred of my own will. "This... is... my life," I whispered, forcing the words through the fog. "You can't have it."

The pressure in my mind lessened, just slightly. I seized the chance, clinging to the flicker of myself, pushing back with all the strength I could muster.

And then, with a sudden rush, I broke free, collapsing to the floor, gasping for air. The cold seeped away, leaving me shivering, my body feeling bruised and hollow.

Elias was there, his face pale as he knelt beside me. "Helen... Are you alright?"

I nodded shakily, though I wasn't sure if it was true. Inside, I still felt traces of the darkness, lingering like a stain on my soul. The spirit was still there, watching, waiting, its words echoing in my mind: "This is only the beginning, Helen. You are mine."

"The spirits... they tried to possess me," I whispered, my voice shaking. I could still feel the icy tendrils in my mind, like faint scars that hadn't fully faded. My hands trembled as I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to ward off the lingering chill that seeped through my bones.

Elias's face softened with concern as he knelt beside me. "They're testing your will, Helen. They sense your strength and want to bend it, to make you one of them."

I shuddered, the memory of the voices filling my head making my stomach twist. "But I don't understand... Why me? I didn't ask for any of this."

Elias reached out, gently taking my hand in his. "The spirits see you as part of their world now. Your father bound you to this place with his actions, his choices. But you're stronger than he was, Helen. I see that."

I met his gaze, the conviction in his eyes steadying me, if only a little. "You don't understand, Elias. It was as if... as if they were inside me, twisting my thoughts, my mind."

A flicker of sadness crossed his face. "I do understand, Helen. I know how they can creep into your soul, make you doubt what's real." He took a breath, his grip firm. "But you don't have to face them alone. Whatever horrors this place has in store, we'll face them together."

I swallowed, trying to calm my fraying nerves. "Then help me. Help me find a way to push them back."

Elias nodded, a determined glint in his eyes. "We'll start now, Helen. We'll learn everything we can, uncover every secret. And when the time comes, the spirits will see that you are not a victim—they'll see the strength of Helen Ackerman."

A spark of resolve flickered within me. Maybe, with Elias by my side, I could face the darkness—and finally break the hold it had over my family. I also needed to focus on finding Edwin. On top of that I needed to protect my soul from being taken.