Chapter I: Welcome to Horwich

It all starts when Aiden Rowell was nine years old. He used to have the perfect family and lived in the city of Hannover, everything seemed happy in Aiden's life until the day he turned ten years old he had stayed all day waiting for his father to receive his surprise, but he never arrived and later he knew the reason, his father had died in an accident when he was coming to pick him up. Aiden was left speechless as his mother shed tears of sadness for such a great loss, since then the young man's life changed forever. In order to support her son, Aiden's mother found a job as a secretary but this job required constant moves to various cities due to negotiations and the need for an employee.

For the last six years Aiden saw an uncertain future, as he lived constantly moving from city to city he had no fixed friends and as for the love of his life it was impossible to maintain a relationship because of this fact. At 16 years old, and even with these problems, Aiden was still a humble teenager, helping his mother with whatever she needed, but he wondered what his life would be like now, if he would have a clear future; one day his mother came home and told him:

-Aiden, I have some good news for you.

-The same as always, Mom, we're moving again so I'm not surprised.

-Wait, well if we're going to move but this time what do you think, they made me a permanent transfer-

-Aiden was happy, he looked down and Anais Rowell, his mother's name, hugged him.

-Calm down son, I understand why you're getting like this, but this time I promise you that everything will finally change, you'll make your life without interruptions without any more moves, I encourage you, help me pack-

Aiden happily responds: -Okay, Mom, I want to see what city we're going to.

-I'll tell you all about it on the way-

That's how Aiden saw that his life was going to change, but he never imagined that where he was going, his life would take a completely unexpected turn. On his way to that mysterious city, the young man had fallen asleep, dreaming about the day his father had died, and just before he left and had the fatal accident he told him: -son, promise me that no matter what happens you will be a strong man, don't shed any more unnecessary tears, the times when I am not protecting your mother, hold on to her but above all follow the path you believe in, the world is big and the future is uncertain, don't lose your calm one day you will find your way, your future", the boy answered, "I promise you daddy"; Suddenly he remembers the moment when his mother told him that his father had died and he was so sad that at that moment nobody could take it away from him and his mother's comfort was screaming at the top of her lungs "daddy". Aiden woke up, as if he had a nightmare, his mother looked at him and said:

-That dream again?

-Yes, I keep remembering those words my dad said to me and I won't let him down.

- and so far look at you, you're a strong man and you help me a lot-

-Yes, I'm keeping the promise; changing the subject to which city do we have to go? - Aiden looks at the brochures, while his mother answers him:

-His name is Horwich, although some of my colleagues told me that it was a very strange city, but that doesn't matter.

Aiden starts staring at the brochure, as if something was attracting him, like metal attracting the magnet, he felt as if something was calling him, he had a very strange feeling until his mom braked and told him they had arrived at it before he got out of the car this one asks him:

-Wait, and did you rent this house too? -

-No, this is the only inheritance your great-grandfather left me, when I knew he had left me this and in this city, I did not hesitate for a second to accept the permanent change... so, we hope we will see it-

When we saw the house from the outside, it looked a little old but not very different from the others, when we both entered, the house was not what it looked like on the outside, at first sight it was a big house, that someone had lived there not days ago, it looked impeccable and very clean, it had nothing old! After going through the whole house, Aiden started to take the move inside when he grabbed the last box that was very heavy, he thought about what the hell was in that box, suddenly when he started to walk the box broke and everything in it went to the floor, at that point a young woman with brown hair and green eyes approached him, she started to help him pick up the things by telling him:

-welcome and I was passing by, wasn't I? That box must have weighed a lot.

-yes, my mom is a little obsessive about her stuff-

-You're new around here, aren't you?

-Yes, my mother was just transferred to this city.

Finishing up the things the young woman says to him: -Sorry I have not told you my name, my name is Madysin Roshel I am your neighbor

With a look so subtle, deep and his face blushing Aiden answers him-I am Aiden, Aiden Rowell.

-since you are new, I will take you to know the city, but first come I will help you to carry these things-

-Okay-Still looking at Madysin's face

They enter the house and Aiden's mother asks him if he's late, he tells her that the box was broken but that things were left intact, Madysin is surprised to see the house, and then he introduces himself to the young man's mother:

-I am Madysin Roshel, I am your neighbor-

-My name is Anais Rowell, Aiden's mother. Thank you for helping my son.

-You don't have to thank me.

-Why don't you help me in the kitchen, I still have a lot of unpacking to do?

-mama, she's going to show me the city-

-don't worry Aiden, first let's help your mom finish unpacking you don't think, besides it's still early-

-It's okay Madysin, I'll go to my room, I'll fix it while you guys are in the kitchen-

Young Aiden goes to the room and arranges it, the first thing he notices is a painting of a shipwreck, this one came closer to see it and in the lower part of the painting there were some initials (LL.HW), surprised he doesn't give it much importance and continues arranging his things. It was three o'clock in the afternoon, when they had finished unpacking, Mrs. Rowell thanks Madysin for having helped her, the young man comes down the stairs and they both leave to see the city. As they walked through the park Aiden noticed a very old library, surprised he asks Madysin:

-Is it usual for such an old library to be found in a park?

-not really, no, I've asked myself the same thing, it seems a little strange-

After looking at her for a while, Aiden walks around the city with Madysin until half past six in the evening, when he notices that the city feels strange, somewhat lonely and gloomy:

-We have to go.

-but because there's still time for you to show me the rest of the city," Aiden replies.

-let's not go you don't understand, hurry-

They both run home and when Aiden arrives he asks Madysin for an explanation of what is happening, she explains that in Horwich there is only one rule that all citizens must follow: "after six thirty, it's curfew, no citizen is allowed to leave their homes"; young Aiden is surprised at such a rule and says that it is absurd a rule like that, that it didn't make sense, Madysin approaches him and gives him a kiss on the cheek and then leaves, telling him that he has no choice, since he lives in the city he has to live with that stupid rule, Aiden blushes a little, touches his cheek and accepting such a rule he enters the house.

In the house, Aiden goes to his room to what Mrs. Rowell stops him and says:

-How was your day with the new neighbor?

-Well mom, I knew part of the city and until five minutes ago everything was normal and bang that absurd rule.

-What rule are you talking about? -Aiden answers with arrogance

-says that from six thirty onwards, it is curfew and that no citizen may leave their homes-

- What a strange rule for such a beautiful town, don't you think?

-Yes, this city is very rare -

-well I have news for you, I already enrolled you in the high school of this city and you start tomorrow- Aiden bows his head, as if with a feeling of sadness and answers him:

-Mrs. Rowell puts her hand on her cheek and says

- Relax son, you can finally make the friends you've always wanted, and everything will be normal, so go to sleep tomorrow you have to get up early.

Aiden goes to his room, changes and before going to bed he sees the painting of the boat again, saying to himself: -Horwich... what a strange city, why do I have this strange feeling, forget it, I have to sleep-. He goes to bed to sleep, but after a while he wakes up because of a strange noise, he looks everywhere and goes back to bed without ignoring the noise, but after a while he hears a strange voice, this one said something like Horwich in a way like whispering, when hearing this the young man gets up and observes that there is a spirit in the lower part of his bed right in front of the painting, this one was strange, it was wrapped in black blankets, you could only see the blue sparkle in the eyes of that thing; Aiden is alarmed and starts calling his mother, she doesn't answer him, the frightened young man throws a pillow at her to make the spirit go away, but the pillow went through his body; with no options he asks the spirit - what do you want?- the spirit whispers the word Horwich again, however, this time it points to the painting, on seeing this Aiden asks himself, the painting? He gets up and goes to the frame, looks at it, then gives it two strokes and realizes that it's hollow, it looks like there's something inside this thing, so the young man picks up the frame from the wall, gives it two strokes again and notices what seems to be a very thin, almost invisible string sticking out of it, He immediately grabs and pulls, making a small door slide down, followed by a big flash that pushes Aiden to the bed and finally when he disappears he is very surprised to see what was in that secret compartment behind the painting.