The knock on the door woke Charlotte up from her restless sleep. She jumped upright, her heart still racing from the scattered mirror's events. The whispers were gone, but the memory of her reflection's scary smile remained like a ghost in her mind.
"Charlotte," Jack's voice came from the other side. "We need to talk."
Pulling herself together, she opened the door to find Jack standing there, his face unusually serious.
"What is it now?" she asked, her voice mixed with both exhaustion and irritation.
"There's something you need to see," Jack said, his tone serious. "Something that will explain... everything."
Jack led Charlotte through the mansion's very long corridors to a part of the estate she had never seen before. The air became very cold as they climbed down a spiraling staircase, the walls were designed with cobwebs and blinking candles.
"How far does this place go?" Charlotte asked, her voice sounding loud in the narrow space.
"Far enough to hold and keep secrets no one was meant to find," Jack replied.
At the bottom of the stairs was a large iron door, rusted with age. Jack pressed his weighty hand against it, and the door creaked open, showing a very big underground chamber.
The room was dimly lit by shining symbols designed into the stone walls, their patterns delicate and scary. At the center was an ancient altar surrounded by carvings that were so detailed they seemed to be alive in the fluctuating light.
Charlotte stepped closer, her eyes wide and filled with surprise. "What is this place?"
"This is where it all began," Jack said, his voice heavy and filled with regret. "The Hargrove family's curse was born here."
Jack pointed to the carvings, which show scenes of a shadowy figure standing before a group of people. The figure's form was uncertain, and changing, but its eyes burned like fire.
"Centuries ago, the Hargrove family was nothing," Jack began. "They were farmers, struggling to survive. One night, the family grandfather, Arthur Hargrove, entered into the woods and came across... it."
"It?" Charlotte asked, her eyes fixed on the carvings.
"A shadowy entity," Jack explained. "It promised him wealth, power, and a legacy that would last for generations. All it required was an agreement."
Charlotte frowned. "An agreement for what?"
Jack hesitated. "A sacrifice. The entity demanded that every few decades, a chosen member of the Hargrove family would be offered as a sacrifice to it and in exchange for continued wealth and prosperity."
Charlotte's stomach turned as she looked disgustingly at the carvings. Immediately everywhere became darker, indicating rituals with hooded figures and a bloodied altar.
"So that's the curse," she murmured. "And it's still going?"
Jack nodded firmly. "The entity keeps its end of the bargain as long as the family fulfills their own obligation. If the ritual is broken... everything falls apart."
Charlotte turned to Jack, her mind racing. "How do you know all of this?"
Jack's expression darkened. "Because I was there."
Charlotte's breath seized in her throat. "What are you talking about Jack?"
"I'm connected to the curse, just like you," Jack said. "Centuries ago, I was chosen by the entity to be its guardian. My job is to ensure the rituals are completed, no matter the cost."
"Guardian?" Charlotte repeated, ridiculous. "You mean you've been alive this whole time?"
Jack nodded. "Immortal, yes. But it's not a gift, it's a punishment to me. I've watched countless Hargrove heirs being sacrificed and accepted the fate, and I've been powerless to stop it."
Charlotte's hands changed into fists. "Then why help me? If you're supposed to make sure the ritual happens, why are you trying to stop it now?"
Jack hesitated, his eye facing the ground. "Because you're different. For the first time in centuries, I believe there might be another way."
Charlotte wasn't sure she trusted Jack, but there was no denying the weight of his words. She turned back to the carvings, checking them for more clues. Her eyes landed on a particular section—an image of a cracked mirror.
"That's the artifact I found," she said, pointing to it.
Jack nodded. "The mirror is one of the keys to the ritual. It connects this world to the entity's realm. It's how the chosen one is marked."
Charlotte shook to her bones hearing that, also remembering the whispers and the way the mirror had glowed.
As she moved closer to the altar, she saw something briefly while looking around. On the surface of the stone were different names designed deep into the rock.
She shifted inward, her heart went off immediately when she saw her own name.
"Charlotte Hargrove," she read aloud, her voice shaking.
Beside her name was a date.
"Why is there a date here?" she asked, her pulse quickening.
Jack moved beside her, his jaw tightening. "Because that's when the ritual is supposed to happen."
Charlotte's blood ran cold. The date was only a week away.
Charlotte stumbled back from the altar, her mind spinning. "This can't be happening. There has to be a way to stop it."
Jack placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression serious. "There is, but it won't be easy. The curse has existed for centuries. Breaking it will require more than just defiance—it will require sacrifice."
"Sacrifice?" Charlotte repeated, her voice shaking. "I believe that's what we're trying to avoid?"
Jack sighed. "Not all sacrifices are the same. The entity thrives on fear and blood. If we can find a way to weaken it, we might stand a chance."
"And if we don't?"
Jack's silence was answer enough.
Charlotte's thoughts turned to Evelyn. If what Jack said was true, they were both connected to the curse in ways they couldn't escape.
"We need to tell Evelyn," Charlotte said. "She deserves to know the truth."
Jack hesitated. "Are you sure? She's been hiding things from you, too. You don't know whose side she's really on."
Charlotte shook her head. "It doesn't matter. If we're both part of this, we need to work together. if we are divided, we don't stand a chance against them."
Jack didn't argue, but his expression remained guarded.
As they ascended back to the mansion, the temperature dropped sharply. Charlotte's breath formed clouds in the air, and an eerie silence filled the hallway.
"Something's wrong," Jack said, his voice low.
Before Charlotte could ask what he meant, the shadows in the corners of the hallway began to writhe. They grew larger, and darker until they took on humanoid forms with glowing eyes.
"Run!" Jack shouted, pushing Charlotte forward.
The shadows lunged, their movements fluid and unnatural. Charlotte bolted down the hallway, her heart pounding.
Jack stayed behind, his body glowing faintly as he faced the shadows. With a flick of his hand, he sent a burst of light toward them, temporarily scattering their forms.
"Go!" he yelled over his shoulder.
Charlotte didn't need to be told twice. She ran very fast toward Evelyn's room, praying she wouldn't miss her steps and fall to the ground.
Bursting into Evelyn's room, Charlotte found her sister sitting by the window, her face faded and her breathing was very slow.
"Evelyn!" Charlotte cried, rushing to her side.
Evelyn looked up at Charlotte, she looked afraid as well. "They're here, aren't they?"
Charlotte nodded while holding Evelyn's hand. "We have to fight this. Together."
Evelyn's eyes shifted to the journal on her desk. "The answers are in there. But they're not what you think."
Before Charlotte could ask what she meant, the room plunged into darkness. The shadows had found them.
"Stay behind me," Charlotte said, her voice trembling.
The shadows moved forward, their forms twisting and joining until they became a single, very big figure. Its shining eyes fixed on Charlotte, and its voice echoed in her mind.
"The chosen one," it said, its tone dripping with malice.
Charlotte's grip on Evelyn tightened as the figure raised an arm, its shadowy claws reaching for them.
The last thing she saw was Jack bursting into the room, his body glowing brighter than ever before the darkness consumed them all.