Story 980: The Hollow Echo

The moment the door slammed shut, the manor shifted.

The walls breathed, expanding and contracting like the ribs of a dying beast. The air inside was thick—humid and pulsing with unseen movement. Shadows slithered along the ceiling, darting just out of sight.

Mira swallowed hard, gripping the cursed book at her hip. Something was watching them.

Zara raised her machete. “Tell me this place isn’t alive.”

The Forsaken Girl stood in the center of the grand hall, her frail figure framed by flickering candlelight. "The manor is old," she murmured. "It listens. It remembers."

Elias scoffed. "Great. A house with a memory." He gestured to the rotting wallpaper and warped wooden floors. "I’m guessing it's not a happy one."

The girl ignored him, her hollow eyes settling on Mira. "If you want to find Draven, you must follow the voices."

Mira stiffened. "What voices?"

Then she heard them. A whisper, just beneath the skin of reality.