Chapter 1 The beginning

"The trees seemed to twist and writhe in the flickering moonlight, their branches grasping towards the crumbling mansion like skeletal fingers. The once-grand estate loomed before us, its windows shattered, its doors hanging crookedly on hinges that seemed to scream in the wind. The air reeked of rot and decay, and I could feel the weight of history bearing down upon me - the history of bloodshed, of terror, of unspeakable horrors committed within those walls....

The mansion had stood vacant for decades, its grandeur and beauty slowly being consumed by the passing of time. It was a place of dark legend, a house of horrors where a serial killer had claimed the lives of countless victims.

The killer, known only as "The Butcher," had been a master of his craft. He had stalked and slaughtered his prey with ease, leaving behind a trail of blood and terror. But in the end, it was not the police or a brave victim that had brought him down. It was his own hand, for The Butcher had taken his own life rather than face justice.

The mansion, once a symbol of wealth and power, had become a haunted monument to The Butcher's crimes. It was a place to be avoided, a place where people whispered of ghostly apparitions and unexplained occurrences.

But for a group of friends, the mansion represented something entirely different. It was a place of possibility, a place where they might find the treasure they so desperately sought.

The group consisted of five friends: Alex, the de facto leader; Emily, the researcher; Jack, the thrill-seeker; Sarah, the skeptic; and Matt, the believer. They had all been friends since college, and over the years, they had shared countless adventures together.

This adventure, however, was different. This time, they were on the hunt for gold and treasure, said to be hidden deep within the mansion's walls.

"I'm telling you, it's in there," Alex said, his eyes shining with excitement. "The Butcher was a wealthy man, and he didn't spend all of his money on killing people. He stashed it away, waiting for the perfect moment to retrieve it."

"But what makes you think it's still there?" Sarah asked, her brow furrowed in skepticism.

"Because The Butcher died suddenly," Emily replied, consulting her notes. "He didn't have time to retrieve his treasure, and the police never found it."

The group fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. They knew the risks of breaking into the mansion, but the potential reward was too great to ignore.

Finally, Jack spoke up. "Alright, let's do it. Who's ready to get rich?"

The group cheered, and with that, they set their plan in motion.