The Blackwood Curse

Chapter 22

Sarah's POV

The mansion felt unnaturally still that evening, as if the very walls were holding their breath. The usual creaks and groans of the ancient house seemed muted, replaced by an oppressive silence that pressed against my chest. A tension had settled over the night like a shroud, one I couldn't shake no matter how I tried to distract myself.

I stood at the top of the grand staircase, half-hidden in the shadows, watching the Blackwoods below. They moved in hurried, tense motions, their voices low but sharp. The light from the chandelier reflected off Eleanor's necklace, the diamonds flashing like cold fire as she gestured emphatically toward Victor.

"The summons is clear," Victor said, his voice a deep, resonant growl that seemed to echo through the hall. "We have no choice. The time has come."

Eleanor's expression twisted, her carefully composed mask cracking. "It's too soon. Things aren't stable. She's-"

"It doesn't matter." Victor cut her off, his words sharp enough to draw blood.

"She" had to be me. Who else could they be speaking about with such urgency? My stomach churned, a mixture of dread and curiosity keeping me rooted in place.

Eren stood apart from the others, his hands clasped behind his back, his face unreadable. He hadn't spoken, hadn't even moved, but his presence dominated the room. His shadow stretched across the floor like a dark omen, and for a moment, I felt a pang of unease I couldn't place.

Axel, leaning casually against the wall, broke the tense silence. "We're wasting time. You all know what happens if we don't answer the summons." His tone was light, mocking even, but there was an edge beneath it, a bitterness that made my skin prickle.

"Then we leave now," Victor declared, and with that, the decision was made.

One by one, they gathered their coats and stepped out into the night, leaving without a backward glance.

I waited for the sound of the heavy doors to close before slipping down the stairs. The foyer was empty, the air still heavy with the tension they'd left behind. My heart raced as I hesitated at the door, my hand hovering over the cold brass handle.

I shouldn't follow them. Every instinct screamed at me to stay put, to lock the doors and pretend I hadn't overheard their cryptic conversation. But I couldn't. Not after everything I'd seen, everything I'd felt.

I stepped outside into the cold night air, the chill biting through my thin shawl. The full moon hung low in the sky, casting the sprawling estate in an eerie silver light. The Blackwoods were already disappearing into the woods, their lanterns bobbing in the distance.

I followed them, keeping to the shadows, my breaths shallow and quiet. The fog curled around my feet, thick and cloying, muffling my footsteps as I moved deeper into the forest. The trees loomed overhead, their bare branches twisting like skeletal fingers against the sky.

I kept my distance, but not too far. The faint sound of their voices guided me, though the words were lost to the wind. My mind raced with questions. What could be so urgent, so secretive, that they had to sneak away in the dead of night?

The forest seemed endless, the twisting path winding deeper and deeper into darkness. My heart pounded against my ribs as I stumbled over roots and fallen branches, but I didn't stop. I couldn't.

Finally, the trees thinned, and I found myself at the edge of a clearing. At its center stood a crumbling stone structure, its ancient facade covered in moss and ivy. It exuded an aura of foreboding, as though the very ground around it recoiled from its presence.