The library's old records office was tucked away in the basement, a dusty, dimly lit room that smelled of aged paper and forgotten history. The shelves were lined with rows of worn books, leather-bound ledgers, and yellowed documents detailing the lives and legacies of the town's founding families.
Evelyn and Marcus entered the room with a sense of purpose, the photograph clutched tightly in Evelyn's hand. They had one goal: to trace the Wren family's history and uncover the connection between Claire, the Circle of the Crescent, and the Obsidian Relic.
The librarian, a kind but elderly woman named Mrs. Thompson, greeted them with a curious smile as they explained their request.
"You're looking into the Wren family, are you?" Mrs. Thompson asked, her voice filled with interest. "Not many people ask about them these days. They were once one of the most prominent families in town, but their history is… well, let's just say it's a bit murky."
Evelyn and Marcus exchanged a glance. This was exactly what they needed—a lead on the Wren family's past.
"Do you have any records on them?" Evelyn asked, holding up the photograph. "We found this in an old diary, and we think it might be connected to their family."
Mrs. Thompson squinted at the photograph, her eyes widening slightly as she recognized the faces. "Ah, yes. That's the old Wren estate. It burned down many years ago—quite the tragedy, if I recall. And that young girl… well, that's the Wren family's greatest mystery."
Evelyn's heart raced. "What do you mean?"
The librarian sighed, her gaze distant as she recalled the story. "The girl's name was Eleanor Wren. She was the only child of Thomas and Lydia Wren, a very wealthy and influential couple in their day. But Eleanor… she disappeared under mysterious circumstances when she was just a child. Some say she ran away, others say she was taken. But no one ever saw her again."
Evelyn felt a chill run down her spine. The girl in the photograph—the one who looked exactly like Claire—had vanished without a trace. Could Eleanor Wren and Claire be connected in some way? Could Claire be a descendant of Eleanor, or was there something even stranger at play?
"Do you have any records about Eleanor?" Marcus asked, his voice filled with urgency. "Anything that might explain what happened to her?"
Mrs. Thompson hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. "We do have some old documents from the Wren estate—letters, journals, that sort of thing. They're kept in the archive room. You're welcome to look through them, but I warn you, most of the records are incomplete. After the estate burned down, much of the family's history was lost."
Evelyn thanked the librarian, and together with Marcus, they made their way to the archive room. The room was even more cluttered and dusty than the rest of the library, filled with boxes of old papers and files that hadn't been touched in years.
They quickly located the box marked "Wren Family" and began sifting through the contents. There were letters between Thomas and Lydia Wren, discussing their travels and business ventures. There were also photographs of the estate before the fire, showing the grand house in all its glory.
But it wasn't until Evelyn came across a small, leather-bound journal that they found something truly significant.
The journal belonged to Thomas Wren, and the entries were filled with his thoughts and observations about the family's growing involvement with the Circle of the Crescent. Thomas wrote about secret meetings held at the estate, strange rituals performed in the dead of night, and the growing obsession with the Obsidian Relic.
As Evelyn read the journal aloud, Marcus leaned in closer, his expression darkening. "So the Wrens were part of the Circle from the beginning. They were protecting the relic, just like Margaret wrote in her diary."
Evelyn nodded, turning the page to the final entry. But what she read next sent a chill through her.
Thomas Wren wrote about a curse—a curse that had plagued the Wren family for generations. The curse was tied to the relic, and it had begun to affect Eleanor. She had started seeing visions, strange images of the future, and her behavior had become erratic. The family had tried to keep it hidden, but it became too much for them to control.
The final entry spoke of Eleanor's disappearance. Thomas wrote that she had vanished one night, leaving behind only a cryptic note. The note contained a single sentence: "The shadows have come for me."
Evelyn's hands trembled as she finished reading. "The shadows… it's connected to the relic. The Wren family was cursed because of their involvement with the Circle. And Eleanor… she must have been consumed by it."
Marcus's face was pale as he absorbed the implications. "But what about Claire? If she's a descendant of Eleanor, then she's part of the curse too. Maybe that's why she's so obsessed with the relic—she believes it's the key to breaking the curse."
Evelyn nodded slowly, her mind racing with possibilities. The photograph, the journal, the relic—it was all connected. The Wren family had been tied to the Circle of the Crescent for generations, and the curse that had plagued them was still at work. Claire's obsession with the relic wasn't just about power—it was about survival.
"We need to find Claire," Evelyn said, her voice filled with determination. "We need to stop her before she does something irreversible. The relic is dangerous, and if she uses it to break the curse, she could destroy everything."
Marcus agreed, his jaw clenched with resolve. "But how do we find her? The Order will be watching us. They'll know we're on to them."
Evelyn thought for a moment, then glanced down at the photograph in her hand. The Wren estate—the house that had burned down—was the key. If they could find the ruins of the estate, they might be able to uncover the final piece of the puzzle.
"We start with the estate," Evelyn said, her eyes blazing with determination. "The answers are there, buried in the shadows of the past. And we're going to find them."
Together, they gathered the photograph, the journal, and the rest of their notes. The mystery of the Wren family was unraveling before their eyes, and they were closer than ever to uncovering the truth about the relic, the curse, and the fate of Eleanor Wren.
But as they left the library and stepped out into the fading afternoon light, Evelyn couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The shadows of the past were closing in, and the stakes had never been higher.