Chapter 14: Evelyn’s Bargain

The sun went down below the horizon, displaying the estate in a golden glow that quickly turned to shadow. Charlotte sat in the drawing room, her thoughts mixing with everything she'd uncovered. The shattered mirror, the warning of the ghost, the journal's threatening pages—all of it felt like a weight she couldn't bear alone.

Her loneliness was disturbed by the sound of footsteps which kept sounding continuously. She looked up to see Evelyn standing in the doorway. Her sister's usually composed face was filled with tension, her arms were crossed tightly over her chest.

"We need to talk," Evelyn said, her voice dipped but filled with urgency.

Charlotte arranged her guard immediately up. "About what?"

Evelyn looked over her shoulder, to ensure they were alone, before moving into the room and closing the door after her.

"About the curse," Evelyn said with a whisper of her voice.

Charlotte's heart skipped a beat. "You've been avoiding this topic for weeks. Why now?"

Evelyn sighed, sitting deeply in a chair across from her. "Because I don't have a choice anymore. They've approached me—the cult."

Charlotte's stomach turned. "What do you mean 'approached'? What did they want?"

"They offered me a way out," Evelyn answered, her voice shaking. "They said if I help them ensure your... your role in the ritual, they'd free me from the curse."

Charlotte rearranged as though she was struck by lightning. "You mean they want you to hand me over to them?"

Evelyn's eyes filled with pain. "I didn't agree! I'd never betray you, Charlotte. But they made it clear—if the ritual isn't completed, we'll both suffer. The curse will consume us."

Charlotte looked at Evelyn, her mind shaking. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? How long have you been keeping this from me?"

"I didn't keep this from you because it just happened," Evelyn answered, her voice shaking. "I've been trying to find ways to stop them without putting you in danger, but it looks impossible. They're too powerful."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Charlotte snapped, standing from her seat. "You're acting like their victim, but you've been hiding things from me all along. Like that scar on your arm. What does it mean?"

Evelyn shifted backward, instinctively covering her arm. "It's nothing," she said quickly. Too quickly.

Charlotte's eyes narrowed towards her. "You're lying."

Before Evelyn could respond, the door gave a creak sound while opening. Both women turned to see Jack standing there, his expression unreadable.

"Interesting conversation," he said, stepping into the room. "Care to elaborate on this 'approach' by the cult, Evelyn?"

Evelyn's face hardened. "This is none of your concern, Jack."

"Oh, I think it is my concern, If you've been in contact with them, how do we know you're not already working for them?" Jack replied with a sharp tone.

"That's absurd!" Evelyn replied with a sharp tone. "I've done everything I can to protect Charlotte."

"Then explain the scar," Jack demanded, pointing to her arm. "It's a mark of their loyalty. I've seen it before."

Evelyn's eyes filled with fear, but she shook her head. "I'm not one of them. I swear."

Charlotte watched the exchange, her chest tightening with each word. She didn't know who to believe. Evelyn's pain looked genuine, but her evasiveness was impossible to ignore. And Jack—how could she trust him, knowing he was tied to the curse as its immortal guardian?

"This isn't helping," Charlotte interjected, her voice cutting through the tension. "We're wasting time-fighting each other when we should be figuring out how to stop them."

Jack's gaze softened as he looked at her. "You're right. But we can't ignore the possibility that Evelyn might be compromised."

Evelyn's jaw tightened. "If you really believe that, then maybe you're the one who shouldn't be trusted."

Before Jack could respond, a cold breeze swept through the room. The temperature dropped suddenly, and the lights kept shaking. All three of them froze as a low, deep sound sounded through the walls.

"What was that?" Charlotte whispered, her voice trembling.

The answer came in the form of movement. The shadows in the room began to shift, sliding across the walls unnaturally. They stretched and twisted, converging toward the center of the room like dark, living things.

"They're here," Jack said grimly, stepping protectively in front of Charlotte.

Evelyn backed away, her face pale. "The cult?"

"No," Jack replied. "Something worse. The curse's enforcers."

The shadows joined together into a big monstrous form, covering them with shining, devilish eyes. It jumped toward Charlotte, its inky curly nature trying to get her.

Jack moved quickly, pulling a blade from his coat that seemed to glow faintly. He threw it at the creature, causing it to rearrange with an unearthly scream.

"Stay behind me!" he shouted at Charlotte.

Evelyn grabbed a candlestick from the mantle and threw it at one of the curly creatures, but it passed through the shadows without harming them. "What do we do? We can't fight this!"

"We don't have to fight it," Jack said through his teeth. "We just have to get out of here."

Jack's blade flashed as he fended off another attack, giving Charlotte and Evelyn enough time to retreat toward the door. The shadows seemed to sense their intent, spreading across the floor to block their path.

"Charlotte!" Evelyn shouted, grabbing her sister's arm. "The hidden room—the mirror might still have power. It could stop them!"

Charlotte hesitated, the memory of the spectral figure and its cryptic warning fresh in her mind. But there was no time to argue. "Let's go!"

The three of them bolted from the drawing room, the shadows pursuing them with relentless speed. As they ran, the house itself seemed to twist and shift, doors slamming shut and hallways elongating.

They reached the hidden room just as the shadows closed in. Charlotte pushed the door open, and they rushed inside, closing the door hurriedly behind them.

The room was scarily quiet, the shattered mirror still lying in pieces on the altar. But as Charlotte stepped closer, she noticed something strange, the pieces of the glass were glowing faintly, vibrating in a synchronized way with her own heartbeat.

"What now?" Evelyn asked, her voice shaking.

Charlotte tried to get the largest piece, its surface shining with an extraordinary light. "I don't know, But I think this is the best chance we have." she replied.

As her fingers moved closer to the piece of glass, the whispers returned, louder than ever, covering everywhere in the room with their haunting sound.

And then, everywhere became dark.