ch5

# **Chapter 5: Beneath Blackwood Manor**

The cold air of the crypt wrapped around Claire like a shroud. The stone passageway ahead was narrow, the walls damp with centuries-old condensation. Behind her, Samuel Finch shivered, his breathing shallow.

Claire lifted her flashlight, the beam flickering across the sealed stone door at the end of the hidden passage. Ancient carvings covered its surface, symbols she didn't recognize, etched deep into the weathered rock.

"This is where they kept her," Samuel whispered.

Claire's fingers brushed over the cold stone. She hesitated.

If Eleanor Blackwood had never truly left the manor, as Samuel claimed, then what lay beyond this door could change everything.

She took a deep breath and pushed.

The stone groaned against her weight, resisting. Then, with a final shove, it gave way, revealing darkness beyond.

She turned to Samuel. "Are you ready?"

He nodded weakly.

Together, they stepped into the unknown.

---

The chamber beyond the stone door was vast. Claire's flashlight cut through the darkness, illuminating dust-filled air and crumbling stone walls. The room smelled of earth and decay, as if it had been sealed for decades.

In the center, a spiral staircase descended into the ground, disappearing into shadows.

Claire's heart pounded. "We have to go down."

Samuel hesitated. "What if we don't come back?"

Claire met his gaze. "Then at least we'll know the truth."

With that, she took the first step.

The stairs spiraled deep beneath the manor, the air growing colder with every turn. Claire's footsteps echoed in the vast emptiness, her grip tightening on the flashlight. Samuel followed behind, his breathing unsteady.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the bottom.

A heavy iron door stood before them, its surface marked with rust and age. Unlike the one above, this door had a keyhole.

Claire frowned. "Who locks a door underground?"

Samuel touched the metal. "Someone who doesn't want anyone getting in… or out."

Claire's pulse quickened. They had to find a way through.

Then she noticed something—a glint of metal half-buried in the dirt.

She crouched, brushing away the soil.

A key.

She says "who is this foolish to left the keys like this"

She picked it up, weighing it in her palm. It was old but sturdy, its edges still sharp.

Claire and Samuel exchanged a glance.

There was only one thing left to do.

She slid the key into the lock and turned it.

The door creaked open.

And beyond it, the truth awaited.

---

The room was silent.

Claire stepped inside, her flashlight revealing what the darkness had hidden for so long.

Chains. Rusted iron shackles bolted into the stone walls. An old wooden chair, its surface scratched and splintered. The remains of a bed, its sheets long rotted away.

And in the corner, a dress.

Claire's breath caught. The fabric was old but unmistakable—the same dark green dress Eleanor Blackwood had worn in her last known photograph.

Samuel stumbled back. "She was kept here."

Claire knelt beside the dress, fingers trembling as she picked up a single scrap of paper tucked beneath it. The ink had faded, but the words remained.

*"I am still here."*

The hairs on the back of Claire's neck stood up.

A whisper echoed through the chamber.

*"Help me."*

Samuel grabbed Claire's arm. "We need to leave. Now."

Claire hesitated. "But Eleanor—"

"Claire." His voice was urgent. "We're not alone."

A shadow moved in the corner.

Then, the door slammed shut behind them.

---

The darkness thickened. Claire spun, her flashlight beam cutting through the room. The iron door was sealed again, but they weren't alone.

A figure stood at the edge of the light.

Tall. Cloaked in black.

Watching.

Claire's pulse raced. "Who are you?"

The figure didn't answer.

Samuel pressed himself against the wall. "They were waiting for us."

Claire tightened her grip on the flashlight. "Did you keep Eleanor here?"

The figure took a slow step forward.

Then another.

Claire's heart pounded. Whoever this was, they had no intention of letting her leave with the truth.

"Run," she whispered.

She grabbed Samuel's hand, yanking him toward the door. The figure lunged.

Claire ducked, shoving Samuel aside as she swung her flashlight. The impact sent a shock through her arm, but the figure barely flinched.

They reached for her.

Samuel threw himself at the door, pounding against the iron. "Help!"

The chamber seemed to close in, the air thick with something unseen, something unnatural.

Then—

A voice.

Not Eleanor's.

Deeper. Stronger.

*"You should not have come."*

Claire felt something cold brush against her skin. A presence, watching, waiting.

The air shifted.

Then, the door burst open.

Samuel fell backward as light flooded the chamber.

Claire turned—just in time to see the figure retreat into the shadows, vanishing as if they had never been there.

Panting, she grabbed Samuel and pulled him through the doorway.

They ran.

Up the stairs.

Through the crypt.

Back to safety.

And as they emerged into the open air, the manor looming behind them, Claire realized the truth.

Eleanor Blackwood had never left.

But something else had taken her place.

And it wasn't done with them yet.

---

To be continued…

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A/N:Next chapter 11 apr. tommaro will be ch brakedown. save this book pls.vote with gems.