HOUSE OF SHADOWS: SHADOWS WITHIN [ON EDITING]

To: The Storyteller
From: Maeve "Evie" Stone

Dear Storyteller,

I never imagined my life would change so completely when I accepted the restoration project at Ashwood Manor. Do you remember the article about it? The haunted house with the enigmatic billionaire owner? Well, let me tell you the whispers didn't even scratch the surface.

The manor itself is alive. I know how that sounds, but every creaking floorboard and flickering candle seemed to echo secrets, some about him, the brooding man who owns the place, and some about me.

It started with a series of strange dreams.

Labyrinths.

Mirrors.

A shadow I couldn't escape.

And oh, when I met him at first, I didn't trust him. I wasn't sure I trusted myself around him, either. But as we uncovered the manor's past together, the walls between us and within ourselves began to crumble.

This isn't just a story about a haunted house, though it has plenty of that. It's about confronting fears...my fear of commitment, of loving and being loved, and his fear of forgiveness. Together, we unraveled the labyrinth that held Ashwood in its grip, freed the ghosts of the past, and built something entirely new.

I wish you could visit. He and I are planning an exhibit to share the journals and artifacts we discovered. It's our way of honoring those who came before us and making peace with the past.

I thought I was going to Ashwood to rebuild walls. Instead, I rebuilt myself.

Hoping you come visit soon. You won't believe it until you see it.

With love,
Evie