Nathaniel descended the narrow, winding staircase, each step taking him deeper into the bowels of the estate, into the dark heart of his family’s hidden history. His lantern flickered as shadows danced along the damp stone walls, casting distorted shapes that seemed to twist and reach for him. The air grew colder, more stifling, with a faint scent of earth and decay—a place sealed off from light and time.
He had discovered the staircase entirely by accident. Or perhaps it had found him. A loose stone in the library wall had caught his attention, and as he pulled it free, he uncovered the hidden passageway, dark and silent, waiting for him. It was almost as though the house itself was guiding him, revealing one dreadful secret at a time.
As Nathaniel moved down the steps, he thought he he
