Shattered reflection

Chapter 13: Into the Heart of Darkness

The Hargrove mansion loomed in the distance, its silhouette cutting through the dense fog that clung to the forest. Mia's heart pounded as she and Jake approached the decaying structure, every step feeling heavier as the weight of what they were about to face pressed down on them.

The mansion had once been a grand estate, a symbol of the Hargrove family's wealth and influence. Now, it was nothing more than a crumbling ruin, overtaken by time and nature. Vines snaked up the sides of the walls, and the windows were cracked or broken, giving the place an eerie, abandoned look. But despite its dilapidated state, the mansion still exuded an undeniable presence—a sense of something watching, waiting.

"This place gives me the creeps," Jake muttered, tightening his grip on the flashlight in his hand.

Mia nodded, her eyes fixed on the darkened windows. "It's like the shadows are alive here," she whispered. "I can feel them."

She wasn't exaggerating. The air around them felt thick, almost suffocating, as if the very atmosphere was drenched in the energy of the past. This was where it had all begun—the place where the Covenant of Shadows had performed their rituals, where Lucien had summoned the darkness that now haunted them.

As they reached the front entrance, Mia hesitated, her hand hovering over the rusted doorknob. A chill ran down her spine, and for a brief moment, she considered turning back. But she knew there was no going back. Not now. Not with the ritual looming so close.

"We have to stop them," she said, more to herself than to Jake. "If we don't, the shadows will consume everything."

Jake gave her a firm nod. "We're in this together. No turning back."

Mia took a deep breath and pushed open the door. The hinges creaked loudly, echoing through the empty halls of the mansion. Inside, the air was stale, and the smell of decay was overwhelming. Dust coated every surface, and cobwebs hung from the ceiling like a funeral shroud.

The hallway stretched out before them, lined with broken furniture and old portraits. Mia's gaze fell on one of the paintings—a portrait of a man she recognized immediately. Lucien Hargrove. His cold, piercing eyes seemed to follow her as she moved past, sending a shiver down her spine.

"This place is a nightmare," Jake whispered, his voice barely audible in the heavy silence.

Mia couldn't disagree. The mansion felt like a tomb, filled with the ghosts of the past. But they had to press on. Somewhere within these walls, the Covenant was preparing for their final ritual—the one that would unleash the full power of the shadows.

They made their way through the halls, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of dust on the floor. Every creak of the old floorboards made Mia jump, her nerves on edge. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, that the shadows were closing in around them.

Finally, they reached the grand staircase that led to the upper floors. Mia hesitated at the base of the stairs, her heart pounding in her chest.

"This is it," she whispered. "This is where it all started."

Jake gave her a steady look. "And this is where it ends."

With that, they began to ascend the staircase, their footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness of the mansion. As they reached the top, Mia's eyes were drawn to a set of double doors at the end of the hall. They were massive, made of dark, polished wood that seemed out of place in the otherwise decaying structure. The doors were adorned with the same strange symbol they had seen in the journal, the diary, and the ledger—the mark of the Covenant of Shadows.