Within Blackwood's Walls

The air grew colder, the silence more profound, as Sarah and Lila approached Blackwood Manor. The gothic structure loomed against the moonlit sky, a skeletal silhouette etched with centuries of secrets and whispers of despair. The wrought iron gates, twisted into grotesque shapes, stood ajar, an unsettling invitation into the unknown.

"Are you sure about this?" Sarah asked, her voice barely a whisper, breaking the oppressive silence. She turned to Lila, her flashlight beam dancing across her pale face.

Lila nodded, her jaw set with grim determination. "I have to be. We're doing this for Clara," she said, echoing Sarah's earlier sentiment, a fragile bond forged in shared purpose.