Chapter 3 THE HIDDEN TRUTH

Chapter 3

The sound of her footsteps echoed down the long corridor, each step bouncing off the cold marble floor. Aria Stone had expected the Thorn Estate to be unsettling, but nothing had prepared her for the oppressive weight of the silence that seemed to fill every room, every shadow.

It was the middle of the afternoon, but the house felt as though it were trapped in perpetual twilight. The thick velvet curtains in every room-red, black, and deep purple-kept the light from touching the stone walls. The scent of incense, old wood, and something... almost metallic, hung in the air. The house felt like a living thing, a great beast with secrets hidden in its very bones.

Her mind kept returning to Lucien's words from earlier: The curse that haunts this place. The curse that haunts my family.

Aria hadn't expected the words to linger in her mind the way they had. She had seen plenty of places with strange histories, but this-this felt different. There was something personal about it. Something connected to her.

She paused as she reached the library doors, where the faint sound of someone reading echoed from within. She hesitated for only a moment before pushing the door open, stepping inside.

Lucien stood by the window, his back to her as usual, but there was something different in the way he held himself now. His usual cool detachment was gone, replaced by a subtle tension that seemed to ripple through him. He hadn't noticed her entrance.

"Lucien?" she called softly, unsure if she should disturb him.

He didn't turn, but his voice reached her, quiet and almost... sad. "The curse doesn't simply affect my family, Miss Stone. It's tied to this land. And now, it's tied to you."

The words hit her like a slap. She froze in place, her heart skipping a beat.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. The confusion was clear in her tone.

Slowly, Lucien turned, his expression unreadable as he studied her. There was something behind his eyes-something deep, ancient, and weighed down with guilt. "It's not just a bloodline that carries the curse," he explained, his voice quiet but intense. "It's the land itself. The estate. This place... is where it all began."

Aria took a step toward him, drawn in by his words. "What began?"

Lucien hesitated, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face before he spoke again. "It started long before my ancestors came to Blackwood. Before the Thorn family even existed. This land was once the home of a powerful coven of witches. They were bound to the moon, to the very fabric of the earth itself. But power, as always, comes with a price. And one day, they made a bargain."

Aria frowned. She had heard rumors of witches in the area, but never anything concrete. She'd thought it was all just myth, some sort of local superstition.

"A bargain?" she asked, stepping closer, the floor creaking under her feet.

Lucien nodded, his gaze drifting to the ancient tome that lay open on the table before him. It was the book she had noticed yesterday, the one with the strange symbols on the cover. He seemed to be contemplating whether or not to continue.

"They made a deal with a creature of the night," Lucien said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "A creature that could grant them eternal life, in exchange for their souls. But the price was greater than they could have imagined. The land itself was tainted. The curse was born. It was bound to the moon. And with each passing year, it grew stronger."

Aria felt a cold shiver run down her spine as the implications of his words sank in. She had come here to take photos, to document the mysterious Thorn Estate and its enigmatic owner, but this... this was something far beyond what she had imagined. Something far darker.

"And the curse?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What does it do? To you? To your family?"

Lucien's eyes darkened as he looked at her, his jaw tightening. "It binds us to the moon, and to the land. Every full moon, the curse draws power from us, from our blood. It controls us. It forces us to obey the will of the creature that started it all."

"The creature that granted the witches their power?" Aria's voice was barely audible as she spoke.

Lucien nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving her face. "It's not just a myth, Aria. It's real. It's called the Lycan. And it has lived in these woods for centuries."

Aria's breath caught in her throat. The Lycan. She had heard the whispers-stories told in hushed voices around campfires, in the dark corners of local bars. The Lycan was a creature of legend, a being of immense power, half-man, half-wolf. A beast born under the full moon.

But now, standing in this room with Lucien, Aria realized that it wasn't just a tale. It was a reality. And the Lycan wasn't just a story-it was the key to the curse that haunted the Thorn family.

"What does it want?" she asked, barely daring to speak the words.

Lucien's eyes flickered with something that could have been fear. "It doesn't want anything, Miss Stone. It needs something. It needs the blood of those bound to it. It needs a sacrifice."

Aria swallowed hard. "A sacrifice? Who?"

Lucien took a deep breath, and for a moment, he looked as though the weight of the world was pressing down on him. "It needs the blood of the firstborn of the Thorn family. My family."

Her mind reeled. "But-what does that have to do with me?"

Lucien was silent for a long moment, and when he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost regretful. "It has everything to do with you."

Aria's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

Lucien's eyes softened for a moment before hardening again. He stepped closer to her, the air between them thick with tension. "Because you're the one who can stop it. You're the one who can end the curse. The moon has chosen you, Aria. Your bloodline is tied to this place, to this curse. And it's why you've been called here."

Aria recoiled, her mind spinning. "I don't understand. How could I-why would I-be tied to this?"

Lucien's expression faltered for the briefest moment. He seemed to struggle with the words. "Because you're not just anyone. You're the last of the witches who once lived here. Your family... they were part of the coven. And your bloodline holds the key to breaking the curse."

The room seemed to spin around her as the weight of Lucien's words crashed over her. Witches? Bloodlines? The curse? She wasn't sure if she believed him-or if her mind was simply refusing to accept the reality of what he was saying.

"But how can I break it?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Lucien looked at her, his face solemn. "I don't know yet. But we'll find out. Together."

Aria felt a sense of dread and wonder building inside her. She had always believed she was just a photographer, a documentarian. But this... this was something else entirely. Something far beyond what she could have ever imagined.

And yet, deep inside, something stirred-a flicker of recognition, as though this destiny had been waiting for her all along. Waiting for her to remember.

And now, the truth was finally coming to light.