Possession Night

The night inside Blackthorn Manor grew unnaturally still. Every candle flickered as if struggling to breathe, and the walls groaned under some unseen weight.

Aarav lay on the cold marble floor, his body trembling as black veins crawled across his skin. Maya knelt beside him, clutching his hand.

"Aarav… you can fight this. Look at me!"

But his eyes—once warm hazel—now gleamed with crimson-black light.

Inside his mind, Aarav was trapped in a dark void.

Ambrose stood there, tall and cloaked in smoke, smiling like a predator.

"Your body is mine now, boy. She'll love me… even when I wear your face."

Aarav roared, his voice echoing in the void.

"I won't let you touch her!"

But chains made of blood-red mist coiled around him, dragging him to his knees.

Back in the real world, the sigil on Aarav's chest burned like molten iron. Maya gasped as she saw the symbol twist and change, turning into Ambrose's crest.

Suddenly, Aarav's hand shot out and gripped Maya's wrist too tightly.

"M-Maya…" he whispered, but his voice wasn't his own.

It was deeper. Darker.

"She smells… sweet."

Maya's heart pounded.

"Ambrose… get out of him!"

The seventh mirror shimmered, reflecting not Aarav, but Ambrose's true face—a skeletal smile and hollow eyes.

A whisper filled the room:

"If his blood won't open the mirror… yours will."

Before Maya could react, Aarav's possessed body lunged at her, pinning her to the floor. His grip was strong, his gaze wild.

"Stop fighting, Maya," Ambrose's voice echoed from Aarav's lips. "Once I take his heart, you'll be mine forever."

In a desperate attempt, Maya touched his face, her tears streaming.

"Aarav, I know you're still in there… You saved me before, remember? Save me again!"

For a flicker of a second, Aarav's real self fought through the shadows. His grip loosened, and he whispered hoarsely:

"Maya… run…"

But the black veins surged again, Ambrose pulling him deeper into possession.

Just then, somewhere deep within the manor, a midnight bell rang—three times.

The sound shook Ambrose.

"No… not now!" he hissed.

The seventh mirror cracked slightly, a faint glow leaking out.

Maya realized — something in the manor was resisting Ambrose's power.

"Whoever's helping us… I need to find that bell," she muttered, her mind racing.