SHADOW OF THE HEIRESS

The whispers started again as soon as Charlotte stepped outside the mansion. They were faint but unmistakable, carried on with the cold breeze that shook the leaves in the woods. Each word was soft yet insistent, calling her name.

Charlotte shivered, pulling her coat tighter around her shoulders. The night air was chill, and the moonlight barely showed through the large numbers of trees. She should have been scared, but an unexplainable pull guided her feet forward. The whispers weren't just voices—they felt like a compulsion, a thread pushing her deeper into the unknown.

The mansion's lights faded behind her as she walked into the woods. The trees looked taller here, their twisted branches mixing like skeletal fingers. Each step brought a new sound: the crunch of leaves, the sound of an owl, the distant snapping of branches.

She stopped instantly. There, in a small clearing bathed in pale moonlight, stood an ancient stone altar. Moss-covered and cracked, it discharges an unnatural energy.

On the altar, there was an object that made her heart skip a beat, a cracked mirror, on its surface a dull, blue glow was shaking faintly on it.

Charlotte approached it cautiously, the whispers growing louder with every step. They weren't external anymore; they were in her head, moving through her thoughts. She knelt before the altar, her breath shaking as she stared into the mirror's cracked surface.

At first, the reflection was normal—just her wide eyes and pale face. But then the image changed. Shadows increased behind her reflection, and a figure emerged—a version of herself, misshaped and twisted, with empty eyes that stared back at her.

"Charlotte," the reflection mouthed, though no sound came.

Her heart pounded, and she stumbled back, nearly dropping the mirror. The whispers stopped awkwardly, replaced by the absolute silence of the woods.

"Charlotte!"

The sharp voice made her turn around, her mind continued racing. Jack stood at the edge of the cleared bush, his looks were a mixture of both relief and anger.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, walking toward her.

"I—I heard something," she stammered, pointing toward the altar. "The whispers led me here. And this…" She held up the cracked mirror. "It's from the journal."

Jack's eyes darkened as he looked at the mirror. "You shouldn't have come here. It's not safe."

Before Charlotte could respond, a low growl sounded through the air. Her blood turned cold.

The shadows around them seemed to shift, pooling together and forming shapes—humanoid figures that moved unnaturally, their limbs shaking like puppets on invisible strings. Their faces were featureless, where eyes and mouths were absent.

"Run," Jack said sharply, stepping in front of her.

Charlotte froze. "What are those things?"

"Cult members," Jack said, his voice serious. "But they're not themselves anymore. The curse has taken them."

One of the figures jumped, faster than Charlotte could react. Jack moved just as quickly, shoving her behind him and raising his hand. A burst of light showed from his palm, slamming into the creature and sending it flying backward.

Charlotte's jaw dropped. "What—what are you?"

Jack didn't answer. He was already moving, moving between the shadowy figures with an inhuman grace. Each time he raised his hand, another burst of energy reflected on the clearing, disorganizing the creatures.

But for every figure that fell, two more took its place.

"Charlotte, go!" Jack shouted, his voice tired.

Charlotte hesitated, holding the mirror to her chest. She wanted to run, but her legs could not move.

One of the creatures broke itself past Jack, its empty face turned toward her. It raised its claws, and she screamed while stumbling backward.

Jack got there suddenly, running at the creature and knocking it to the ground. He turned to her with heir faces close to each other.

"Listen to me," he said urgently. "You need to leave. Now. Get back to the mansion and lock yourself in your room. Do you understand?"

"But what about you?" she whispered while her voice was still shaking.

"I'll handle this." His eyes softened for a brief moment. "You're not safe here, Charlotte. Please, go."

Charlotte nodded, her throat tight. She turned and ran, her breath was in short gasps as she found her way into the dark woods. Behind her, she could hear Jack fighting, the sounds of energy blasts and inhuman growls echoing through the trees.

She held onto the mirror tightly by her chest to feel its cold surface. She didn't understand what was happening, but one thing was clear, this was no longer just about a family curse.

As she got closer to the edge of the woods, she fell hard over a tree root with the mirror slipping from her hand. She rushed to pick it up, but as her fingers touched its surface, a vision appeared before her eyes.

In the vision, she saw herself standing in the mansion's big hall, surrounded by the Hargrove family. They were all chanting, their faces blank and featureless. At the center of the room, the cracked mirror was present, shining with a serious light.

Evelyn stood next to the mirror, her hand resting on its surface. She turned to Charlotte, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"I'm sorry," Evelyn said in the vision. "This is the only way."

The vision ended awkwardly, leaving Charlotte trying to breathe. She grabbed the mirror and got to her feet, her legs kept shaking.

When she finally reached the mansion, she shut her door tightly and locked it immediately behind her. The silence inside was all she needed now, the whispers from earlier were replaced by total silence.

Charlotte leaned against the door, trying to catch her breath. Her mind filled with questions. What had she just seen? Was it a glimpse of the future? Or something else entirely?

She stood and tried to understand what had happened, she heard footsteps in the hallway. Her heart went off at the sound, and she turned to see Evelyn coming toward her.

"Charlotte," Evelyn said with a low voice. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you."

Charlotte hesitated, holding onto the mirror behind her back. "I was… outside. In the garden."

Evelyn's eyes reduced to only her. "Don't lie to me. I saw you running from the woods."

Charlotte's answered instantly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Evelyn stepped closer, her voice sharp. "You're hiding something. I can feel it. What is that in your hand?"

Charlotte backed away, and her holding of the mirror became more tight. "It's nothing. Just an old trinket I found."

Evelyn's eyes moved to the mirror, and her expression became darkened. "That's not just a trinket. That's part of the Hargrove legacy. Where did you find it?"

"I… I don't know," Charlotte stammered.

Evelyn's face turned with anger. "You have no idea what you've done, do you? That mirror is dangerous. It's tied to the curse."

Charlotte's breath went off. "You know about the curse?"

"Of course I do," Evelyn snapped at her. "And if your brain is still working, you'd stay out of it. But no, you won't because you want to be digging what is not your business."

Charlotte felt tears dropping from her eyes. "I didn't ask for any of this. I don't even know what's real anymore!"

"If you want to survive, you'll listen to me. Stay away from Jack. Stay away from the woods. And whatever you do, don't let the mirror out of your sight." Evelyn said to her in a hard voice.

"Why?" Charlotte whispered.

"Because they're coming for you," Evelyn said whispering to her,

Before Charlotte could ask who "they" were, a loud crash sounded from upstairs. Both women froze, their eyes meeting as they expressed fear.

"Stay here," Evelyn said, rushing toward the staircase.

But Charlotte couldn't stay put. Holding firmly onto the mirror, she followed Evelyn, her heart pounding as the sound of footsteps sounded from the dark hallway above.