We began our journey to Nightfall Manor. At the mansion's entrance, I spotted a doll, but it was wearing my clothes. As I stared at it through the car window, the lady pulled me back and whispered, "Stay hidden, Theo!"
"What is that?" I asked.
She explained, "They are tricking the curse with that doll. It's dressed in your clothes and made with your hair and the soil from your footprints. For blood, they used animal blood."
I froze and looked at her in shock. She continued, "It's okay for now, but if the curse realizes it's being tricked, you will become a target again, Theo."
I finally understood why I had felt safe before, but now that feeling was gone. I hoped all of this would end well. I looked over at Jax; he had already gone pale. He's always been afraid of blood.
Jax was driving while I sat in the passenger seat, with the lady in the back. It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't asked her name. "What's your name?" I asked.Jax shot me a blank expression, his face saying, 'Are you serious?' I felt awkward and went silent.From the backseat, she finally replied, "Ruby."
It was a silent ride to the manor, taking us half a day to reach it. As I stepped out, pulling my hoodie up to cover my face, I looked at the building. I had expected it to be rundown and dirty, but the manor was spotless.
"We kept it clean," Ruby said, walking past me and heading inside.
Jax let out a deep sigh and pulled me closer. "We'll find the truth and then get the hell out of here, okay?" He let out a small, nervous laugh.
A butler approached us and bowed. "This way, Master."
It hit me then—I was the owner. When I stepped inside, it didn't feel like a manor at all; it was more like a palace. It was massive. As we walked, the butler explained the staff layout: "There are five maids, two cooks, two gardeners, five security guards, and myself, sir. Fifteen staff members in total."
The butler showed me to my room. Jax was in the room to my right, and Ruby was to my left. Before me, Ruby's father had taken care of the manor, but he died recently in an accident. Ruby had taken over his duties six months prior to my arrival.
Ruby knocked on my door and said she wanted to talk. "There is a family journal in this manor," she whispered. "It will tell us what we need, but it is hidden. We have searched the manor recently, but we can't find it. Grandma Agatha can't enter the manor, so she couldn't help us look."
"Why?" I asked. "Why can't Grandma come inside?"
Ruby looked hesitant. "Without the owner of the house present, no one from the Nightfall bloodline can ever enter. But now that you are here, they can enter the premises—and the curse has found out, too. Be safe, Theo. Do not open any door at night, even if you hear your name being called."
It was almost nightfall. As we both looked out from the balcony, Ruby leaned in and repeated, "Never."
The butler knocked. I said, "Come in."
"Dinner is ready, sir," he announced.
After dinner, Jax and I planned to stay in the same room. Jax closed every window and pulled all the curtains shut. We fell asleep, but in the middle of the night, a sudden, heavy silence woke me up. I shook Jax awake. We stayed perfectly still as a single knock sounded. It was a clear, sharp sound that seemed to echo through the hallway.
Then, the knocking started everywhere—on the door, on the windows, all at once. It was so loud we had to cover our ears. Just as suddenly as it began, it went silent. We thought it was over until we heard a woman's voice.
"Open up, please... I'm scared. Please open the door."
Jax started to move toward the door, but I grabbed him and held him back. I remembered Ruby's warning: Never.
"Never," I whispered to him. "Don't do it."
Jax looked at me and gave a nod. The two of us stood near the door, shoulder to shoulder.