Soft, amber light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the dorm room, which revealed the walls that are adorned with photographs of smiling faces and postcards from far-off places, each picture carrying a story from past memories.
As the sun dipped below the horizon outside, the skies were painted in hues of orange and pink. The young woman at the desk closed her laptop, signaling the end of another long day of classes.
Just as the young woman was about to dive into her warm and comfortable bed, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the unfamiliar number on the screen. Curious, she picked it up.
"Hello?" she answered tentatively.
"Is this Sarah?" a voice on the other end asked.
"Yes, this is she," Sarah replied, her brow furrowing with confusion.
"I'm calling from the law firm of Blackwood & Associates," the voice continued. "I have some important news regarding your family's estate."
Sarah's pulse quickened with anticipation. She had never heard of Blackwood & Associates before, and the mention of her family's estate piqued her interest. Regardless of whether its a scam or a prank call.
"Go on," she urged, leaning forward in her chair.
"It appears that you have been named as the sole heir to the Von Valheim Mansion," the voice explained. "Your distant relative, Edward Von Valheim, recently passed away, leaving behind no other heirs. The keys and the property deeds to the mansion will be delivered to you by one of our associates shortly."
Sarah's mind raced as she tried to process the news. A mansion? She had no idea she had any relatives wealthy enough to own such a property, let alone leave it to her in their will.
"Is this some kind of prank?" she asked, a shred of doubt creeped into her voice.
"I assure you, it is not," the voice replied, its tone earnest. "Mr. Valheim's will has been verified, and the estate is yours to claim."
Despite hearing it repeatedly, Sarah remained a skeptic; she requires just one more nudge before fully accepting the information.
"Thank you," she uttered, her mind went empty in disbelief.
"Ah... I almost forgot, try to bring someone, if by any chance you're going to check the property," the voice continued dubiously. "I heard several reports that the mansion is haunted."
Sarah's skepticism only deepened at the mention of ghosts. "Haunted?" she repeated, her voice tinged with disbelief. "Surely you don't expect me to believe in such nonsense."
The voice on the other end chuckled nervously. "I understand your concern, Miss. But, it's better to be safe than sorry," they replied. "Just take care, alright? And good luck."
With a click, the call ended, leaving Sarah baffled. She placed her phone on top of the books resting on the table, yet in just three breath's time she grabbed her phone back knocking her books aside in the process.
Sarah hesitated, her hands quivered as her fingers hovered over the keypad of her phone. She needed confirmation, reassurance that this wasn't some elaborate hoax or case of mistaken identity. With a deep breath, she dialed her parents' number.
"Mom?" she said when her mother answered, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Sarah, dear, is everything alright?" her mother asked, concern evident in her tone.
"I... I need to ask you something," Sarah began, choosing her words carefully. "Do we have any relatives named Edward Von Valheim?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, broken only by the distant sound of her father's voice in the background.
"Where did you hear that name?" her mother finally replied with unease.
"It's... it's nothing, really," Sarah replied evasively, her heart sinking at her parents' reaction. "Just something I overheard."
She could sense the hesitation in her parents' response, and her father's voice just faintly before her mother spoke again.
"Yes, Sarah, Edward Von Valheim was your great-uncle," her mother confirmed, her voice strained. "But why do you ask?"
Sarah's mind raced as she processed the revelation. A great-uncle? She had never heard his name mentioned before, never knew he existed until now.
"Just curious, that's all," she replied vaguely, not wanting to reveal too much. "Thanks, Mom. I'll talk to you later."
With a sense of unease settling in the pit of her stomach, Sarah ended the call, her mind swirling with questions and doubts.
xXx
As Sarah drove along the country roads at night time, a dense fog enveloped the landscape, cloaking the surroundings in an eerie shroud. The dim glow of her Rover P6 headlights struggled to pierce through the mist, casting long, wavering shadows on the overgrown path ahead.
From the distance, multiple howls echoed through the night, sending shivers down Sarah's spine as she navigated toward her destination - a towering mansion placed amidst the mist-shrouded hills. Above the mansion, a full moon hung in the sky, its silvery light casting an ethereal glow over the scene.
As Sarah stepped out of her car, she saw several dead trees which gnarled and twisted loomed ominously as they surrounded the mansion, their skeletal branches reaching out like clawed fingers towards the sky.
The mansion stood before her, a colossal structure rising four stories tall. Rustic pillars with ivy greeted her at the entrance. She noticed that there was something out of place—a statue of a stern-faced man holding a cane in front of the staircase leading to the main door.
After glancing briefly at the manor's creepy entrance, Sarah murmured to herself, "There's no such thing as ghosts, Sarah. You can do this. Those are just tales Mom used to scare you with when you were a kid."
Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Sarah approached the imposing double doors. She took the key out of her pocket, in an attempt to unlock the door, and yet there was no keyhole. Bewildered, she tried pushing the double door, which worked surprisingly.
Slowly, the door creaked open revealing a foyer shrouded in shadows. The place was so dark that she couldn't make out anything. Fortunately, she had her phone with her and quickly activated its flashlight.
Determined to uncover the truth behind her unexpected inheritance, Sarah stepped across the threshold, her footsteps echoed ominously in the empty halls.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Her voice echoed through the empty space, unanswered.
"Hello? Can anybody hear me?" She continued to call out, hoping for a response.
As Sarah explored the mansion's maze-like corridors, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Every creak of the floorboards, every whisper of the wind, seemed to carry a sense of unease. Yet, her curiosity pushed her forward, and deeper into the mansion.
Sarah trudged down a long, complex corridor, her path unclear and shifting. Every room she entered seemed to morph, leaving her disoriented and alarmed. Eventually, her exploration led her to a library full of dust and spider webs on every corner. When she stepped inside, several candles lit up with blue colored flames as if anticipating her arrival… The soft light of the candles revealed dusty shelves lined with ancient tomes and scrolls at the far end of the library.
Intrigued, Sarah turned off her phone flashlight, and began to search over the yellowed pages, her fingers tracing the faded ink of the long-forgotten scrolls. She scanned through countless dusty documents, coughing in the process.
Amidst the dusty documents, Sarah's fingers brushed against an intricate scroll, the design beckoned her. Curious, she unfurled it, tracing the faded passages with her trembling finger. The scroll tells the tale of a man, defied against an authoritative force known as the council of [REDACTED], a rebellion that sent ripples through the unknown realms.
The man's audacious quest, fighting and struggling against the dictatorship of The Council, resonated with her own rebellious spirit, yet the consequences of his actions were omitted. The Council of the [REDACTED], decreed a punishment so severe, its nature obscured by cryptic symbols, one thing for certain, the man was doomed in the deepest depth layer of hell for eternal damnation.
"Damn," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Eternal damnation? That's some serious shit," She mocked.
After digesting the harrowing tale of the doomed man, Sarah's curiosity led her to another dusty scroll, the intricate design of its title "Arbiters - Standing Proud, Not Forgotten" piqued her interest. With delicate care, she unfurled the fragile parchment, wary of damaging it. As she read, the faded passages unveiled the mysterious role of the Arbiters, guardians of the ethereal realms.
Among the worn words, Sarah gleaned insights into their mysterious backgrounds and solemn duty. They were tasked with guiding souls and maintaining balance in realms beyond mortal comprehension.
"Guiding souls, huh?" Sarah muttered skeptically, her eyebrows furrowing in disbelief. "Sounds like a load of bull."
Despite her skepticism, the scroll painted a vivid picture of a world shrouded in mystery and intrigue, where the Arbiters stood as silent sentinels, ever vigilant in their sacred duty.
Within the intricate scroll, Sarah uncovered yet another tale, this one chronicling the legendary exploits of the greatest Arbiter. Revered for his courage and unyielding determination, he hailed from a lineage steeped in heroism, assuming the mantle of a solitary guardian. With steadfast resolve, he upheld the fragile fate in the ethereal world, a beacon of hope in a world plagued by uncertainty.
Multiple faded passages within the intricate scroll mentioned Sarah's last name which made her heart thump in excitement with each revelation, as her eyes traverse the ancient documents. The weight of her family's hidden legacy laid bare upon her, its significance unraveling before her very eyes. Her fingers trembled as she traced the name etched in history: Lawrence Von Silverwood – the greatest Arbiter in the world.
Startled, Sarah's hands trembled. "That name... matched my own last name... it can't be.. right?" She whispered, her voice barely audible amidst the echoing silence of the mansion's library.
In a moment of clumsiness, Sarah stood up, "damn it..!" She exclaimed, as she knocked over some books.
There, an unknown intricate lockbox revealed by the fallen books. Intrigued, she picked it up, her fingers tracing the intricate carvings adorning its surface. Suddenly, the key to the mansion began to emit a soft, ethereal blue light, casting a gentle glow in the dimly lit room.
Bewildered by the unexpected phenomenon, Sarah hesitated for a moment before cautiously inserting the key into the lockbox. With a soft click, the lid swung open, revealing a small pocket watch nestled within. Its golden exterior gleamed in the faint light, adorned with intricate filigree and delicate engravings.
As Sarah lifted the pocket watch, its intricate design caught the flickering candlelight, mesmerizing her with its ethereal beauty. "Wow, this is stunning," she murmured, running her fingers over its smooth surface. With a sense of reverence, she tucked the pocket watch into her pocket.
As Sarah ensured the pocket watch was safely stored, she scanned the dimly lit library, ready to leave. When she walked through the dusty corridors, a slight movement caught her eye. Her eyes strained, as she made out a figure of a young woman, surrounded by an eerie glow. "Wait, who are you?" Sarah called out, her voice echoing in the library's stillness. The figure turned, offering a warm and gentle smile before gliding deeper into the shadows, beckoning Sarah to follow.
Hesitant yet compelled, Sarah followed, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and curiosity. But as she drew closer, the silhouette seemed to shimmer and fade, like a mirage slipping through her fingers.
Undeterred, Sarah followed the ghostly apparition, entering and exiting several rooms in the process just to make sense of what she had seen. However, in the blink of an eye, Sarah found herself standing outside. The mansion's imposing facade loomed before her. Confused, Sarah ran her hands on the main door surface, trying to find how to open it, however the door was shut tight with no way to open it. It couldn't be pried, nor pushed, and was devoid of even a keyhole, nothing. Confusion clouded her mind as she looked down at her trembling hands, clutched several scrolls that recorded the tale of the poor man and the greatest Arbiter.
More importantly, the strange pocket watch that was stored inside her pocket is the one that drew her attention. She grabbed and took a quick glance at the watch, its intricate design gleaming in the moonlight. It was unlike any timepiece she had ever seen before, its gears and cogs emanating a blue light for several seconds before it fades.
With a sense of wonder, Sarah tucked the pocket watch back into her pocket, stealing one last glance at the imposing mansion before deciding to turn back.