In early 1900s England, Helen Ackerman unexpectedly inherits her family's sprawling estate-a legacy that should have gone to her brother, Edwin. But as the shadows gather, Helen realizes her inheritance comes with a chilling mystery: Edwin has vanis...
I felt sick from my attempted possession. My head still had the cold feeling, like I was being submerged underwater. I could barely breathe. The constant whisperings in my head were starting to drive me insane. I knew I needed to push on for my brother, and to cleanse this house from the evil that lurked there.
"Are you sure you're alright, Helen?" Elias inquired, concern etching over his face. "I'm as well as I can be," I replied, forcing a weak smile. "But I can't stop now. This house won't cleanse itself, and Edwin...he needs me."
Elias studied me, his dark eyes filled with unease. "You're braver than most. But bravery alone won't protect you from what's coming."
I nodded, gripping the cold, worn edge of the table to steady myself. "Then tell me what will. I can't keep letting these spirits tear at my mind."
Elias sighed, stepping closer. "The rituals will only grow more dangerous. The spirits sense your fear, your doubt. They'll exploit it, twist it. You must steel yourself against them."
"I'll do whatever it takes," I said firmly, though my voice wavered under the weight of my determination. "Tell me what I need to do next."
He hesitated, as though battling an internal conflict. Finally, he spoke. "The spirit of Cedric may hold answers, but invoking him again risks more than possession. You'll need protection—a talisman, a barrier between their world and yours."
Elias pulled a small, intricate pendant from his coat pocket. It was carved from obsidian, with a symbol I didn't recognize etched into its surface. "This will help shield you. But it's not infallible. The power of this house runs deep."
I took the talisman with trembling hands, the cool weight of it grounding me. "Thank you. I'll do what I must."
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"Just remember, Helen," Elias said gravely. "This house has a will of its own. It's not just the spirits you're fighting—it's the darkness that feeds them."
I felt fear gnawing in the back of my mind, and I looked at Elias with suspicion, "How do you know all this?"
Elias hesitated, his gaze darkening like a storm gathering on the horizon. "I've seen what this house can do," he said, voice low and measured. "I know because I've witnessed it before."
I narrowed my eyes, my grip tightening around the talisman. "Witnessed what? Possession? Death? What aren't you telling me?"
He sighed, stepping closer, the candlelight casting shadows across his solemn face. "Your father, Cedric Ackerman, wasn't the first to dabble in dark magic. This house has drawn others—wanderers, scholars, fools—all seeking its secrets. Most never made it out."
I swallowed hard, my pulse racing. "And you? How do you fit into this?"
His expression softened with something almost like regret. "I came here once, long ago, for answers. Like you, I thought I could control it, bend the darkness to my will." He looked away, as if the memory pained him. "But the house... it always takes more than it gives."
