Blood Ties

Pt.2

"It's not just the past. It's about debts that were never paid," he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "And if we're going to survive, we need to find out exactly what those debts were."

Eve swallowed, the weight of his words settling uncomfortably in her chest. Her gaze fell on the letters on the floor, the aged paper crinkling underfoot. Without thinking, she bent down and picked one up, carefully untying the twine that held them together. The first page was covered in a hurried, scrawled handwriting, the ink smudged from time and moisture.

"To those who carry the Harper and Ward names, beware: there are sins greater than betrayal and debts deeper than blood. The woods hold the truth, and the price of ignorance is steep."

Eve read the words aloud, her voice wavering. The silence that followed was almost suffocating. Gabriel's eyes met hers, a flicker of something vulnerable crossing his expression before it hardened again.

"This isn't just a warning," she said, more to herself than to him. "It's a confession."

Before Gabriel could respond, another sound broke through the storm—a faint rustling from the attic's far corner, where shadows gathered thick and deep. The hairs on the back of Eve's neck stood on end as the sound grew louder, a soft shuffle of movement that promised they weren't alone.

Gabriel tightened his grip on the knife, stepping in front of Eve as they both strained to see into the darkness. The wind outside picked up, howling as if to mask the whispers that seemed to come from the very walls.

Then, a figure emerged, small and hunched, shrouded in a dark cloak that seemed to absorb the weak light. An old woman stepped into view, eyes clouded and milky, but with a sharpness that sent a chill down Eve's spine. She raised a bony hand, pointing straight at them.

"Blood never forgets," the woman said, voice as cracked and weathered as the wood beneath their feet. "And neither will you."