The estate was scarily quiet, its usual sound of activity replaced by an unfriendly quietness. Charlotte sat in her room, holding the cracked mirror artifact tightly. Since returning from the hidden chamber with Jack, she couldn't forget the feeling that something was watching her every step and every day.
The whispers had started again—soft and disturbing at the beginning, but growing louder with every hour that passes. The artifact seemed to vibrate lightly in her hands, as though it was alive.
Charlotte placed the mirror on her desk and stared at it, her mind racing. What did it want? What was she supposed to do with it?
A sudden soft air went through the room, making the curtains shake despite the windows being shut. The whispers grew louder, and Charlotte felt a serious heartbeat in her chest.
Then the shadows appeared.
They started in the corners of the room, small and twisting, like ink spilled on the floor. But they grew rapidly, stretching and twisting until they formed human shapes with shining, vicious eyes.
Charlotte froze, her breath seized in her throat. She backed away slowly, her hands shaking.
"What... what do you want?" she stammered.
The shadows didn't answer. They moved as one, sliding toward her with an unnatural grace.
Charlotte grabbed the mirror and held it out like a shield, hoping it would do something—anything—to stop them. The artifact shone faintly, and for a moment, the shadows hesitated.
But then they moved forward again.
The door to Charlotte's room opened in a rush, and Evelyn ran in hurriedly, holding a heavy candlestick like a weapon.
"Get away from her!" Evelyn shouted, swinging the candlestick at one of the shadowy figures.
The shadow recharged, hissing like steam escaping from a kettle. Evelyn grabbed Charlotte's arm and pulled her toward the door.
"Run!" Evelyn shouted and pushed her away.
Charlotte didn't need to be told twice. Holding onto the mirror tightly, she followed Evelyn into the hallway, the shadows moving very close to them as they ran.
They ran down the corridor, the shadows kept chasing them relentlessly. Evelyn led Charlotte to a small sitting room and slammed the door shut behind them. She kept a chair under the doorknob, her chest moving very fast as she tried to catch her breath.
"They've been after me too," Evelyn said, her voice shaking.
Charlotte looked closely at her, with her eyes wide open. "What are you talking about?" Charlotte asked.
"Since I came back to the estate, those shadows have been following me," Evelyn said. They attack when I'm alone, but I've been able to chase them away, I haven't been successful totally but barely at times."
Charlotte's mind raced. "Why didn't you tell me?" charlotte asked.
"I didn't know you would believe me if I told you I have been seeing shadows following me ever since I came back, and I absolutely didn't believe you were not involved in all this somehow also, not until recently," Evelyn said.
Charlotte's heart broke into pieces. "Involved? Evelyn, we're both involved in this curse somehow. Whatever's happening, it's targeting both of us."
Evelyn nodded. "Then we need to find out what they're after before it's too late," Evelyn said.
The door kept shaking seriously as the shadows tried to find a way inside the chamber. The room became colder, and Charlotte noticed ice appearing along the edges of the windows.
"They're looking for something," Charlotte said, her voice low.
Evelyn frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I think they're after this," Charlotte said, holding up the cracked mirror.
Evelyn's eyes became wide open. "That's the artifact from the woods, isn't it?"
Charlotte nodded. "It started shining when the shadows appeared, and the whispers kept leading me back to it. Whatever this is, it's connected to the curse."
Evelyn's expression darkened. "If they want it, it's probably because it's powerful. Maybe it's the key to breaking the curse—or completing it."
Charlotte kept shaking at the thought.
The whispers, which had been very small, suddenly increased and remained very loud. Charlotte covered her ears tightly trying to avoid the noise, but they became louder and more dangerous.
"Do you hear that?" she asked with her voice shaking.
Evelyn kept shaking her head. "Hear what?" Evelyn asked.
"The whispers," Charlotte said. "They're calling me... they want me to go back to the hidden room."
Evelyn grabbed her shoulders. "Charlotte, don't listen to them. They're trying to manipulate you."
"I don't think I have a choice," Charlotte said, with her voice very low. "If we don't find out what's happening, the shadows will keep coming and the next time, we might not escape from them like this."
Evelyn hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. But I'm coming with you."
The shadows finally broke through the door, their forms spilling into the room like smoke. Evelyn grabbed Charlotte's arm, and they bolted for the hallway.
The estate seemed to shift around them, the corridors twisting and changing as though the mansion itself were alive. The shadows pursued them relentlessly, their whispers blending into the voices of people around.
"Which way?" Evelyn shouted.
Charlotte's instincts took over. She turned down a narrow hallway and found the staircase leading to the hidden chamber.
"This way!" she called, pulling Evelyn along.
They reached the iron door, and Charlotte pressed her hand against it. The door groaned open, revealing the chamber's eerie glow.
The whispers reached a fever pitch as Charlotte stepped inside, the cracked mirror pulsating in her hands. She turned to Evelyn, her face pale.
"They want me to place the mirror on the altar," Charlotte said.
Evelyn's eyes opened widely. "You can't. What if it triggers the ritual?"
Charlotte hesitated, torn between fear and the sense that this was the only way to find answers. Before she could decide, the shadows filled the chamber, surrounding them completely.
The largest shadow stepped forward, its glowing eyes locked on Charlotte.
"Choose," it said, its voice like thunder.
Charlotte's heart pounded as she held the mirror tightly. She looked at Evelyn, then at the altar, knowing that whatever choice she made would change everything.
The shadows closed in, and the chamber suddenly went into total darkness.