episode 3

Chapter 6: A Shadow of Doubt

As Anya continued chanting, a shiver ran down her spine. The energy in the room, despite the initial surge of relief, felt… off.

 It was like a calm before the storm, a stillness that hummed with a dangerous undercurrent.

Instinctively, she cast a protective shield around the house and its occupants, a shimmering barrier of energy designed to deflect any malevolent forces.

But as she did so, a chilling realization dawned upon her. This wasn't just a random haunting something deeper, something more insidious, was at play.

Anya stopped chanting, her eyes fixed on Alexander. He was still weak, but the immediate danger seemed to have receded.

 Yet, a lingering unease clung to him, a shadow that seemed to seep into his very being.

"Mr. Thorne," Anya said, her voice grave, "I need to ask you something."

Mr. Thorne, still shaken by the events of the evening, looked at her, his eyes filled with concern.

"Anything, Miss Frost. Anything at all."

"Has there ever been any… any untoward incidents in your family's history?"

Anya asked carefully, "Any accidents, any… deaths?"

Mr. Thorne hesitated. "Accidents? Well, there was Alexander's father. He died in a plane crash. A terrible tragedy."

"And his mother?" Anya asked.

"She passed away from a long illness," Mr. Thorne said, his voice softening. "A broken heart, I think. She never really recovered from losing her husband."

Anya felt a knot tightening in her stomach. Something didn't feel right. The deaths, while tragic, seemed too… convenient.

The Thorne family, with their vast wealth and influence, were undoubtedly targets for those with ill intentions.

"I believe there's more to this than meets the eye," Anya said, her voice firm. "I suspect this is not simply a random haunting. It's… connected to Alexander."

Mr. Thorne looked at her, his eyes wide with apprehension. "Connected to Alexander? But how?"

"I don't know yet," Anya admitted, "But I need to investigate further. I need to stay here, to investigate deeper into your family history, to uncover the truth."

Mr. Thorne, recognizing the seriousness of the situation, nodded. "Of course, Miss Frost. Stay as long as you need. We will do everything we can to assist you."

Anya knew she had a long and arduous road ahead.

The truth, she suspected, was buried deep within the Thorne family's past, a dark secret waiting to be unearthed.

And she, with her unique abilities, was the only one who could uncover it.

Chapter 7: Whispers from the Past

Anya was given a spacious guest room in the sprawling mansion, a room that exuded an air of quiet elegance.

As the evening settled, she dined alone, her mind preoccupied with the unsettling events of the day.

She focused on her meditation, seeking guidance from the spirit world.

 Suddenly, a voice, faint but distinct, pierced through the stillness. "Help me… help me…"

Anya continued her meditation, trying to ignore the voice. It persisted, growing stronger, more desperate. After three hours, she finally opened her eyes, startled.

Standing before her, bathed in the moonlight filtering through the window, was a woman of ethereal beauty, her face etched with sadness. She wore an elegant gown, the fabric shimmering faintly.

"Who… who are you?" Anya asked, her voice trembling slightly.

The woman extended a hand, her gaze filled with a haunting sorrow. "I need your help," she pleaded.

Anya hesitated. "Why should I help you?"

The woman's eyes widened. "Because I am the reason your… your young friend is suffering."

Anya felt a jolt of recognition. This was Alexander's mother. The woman who had died, leaving behind a void in her son's life.

Driven by a sense of duty, Anya began to delve deeper. She spent the next few days exploring the mansion, searching for clues, piecing together the fragments of the past.

 She discovered that Alexander's mother had been brutally murdered when he was just a child.

Through a series of chilling revelations, Anya uncovered the horrifying truth.

The woman had been attacked in her own home, her son, a toddler at the time, witnessing the horrific scene. In a desperate attempt to protect him, she had hidden him inside a large wardrobe.

The killers, however, had discovered the child. In a fit of rage, one of them had struck the young boy with a heavy rod, causing him to lose his memory.

The trauma of witnessing his mother's murder, coupled with the head injury, had erased those crucial years from his mind.

The woman, her spirit bound to this place, was trapped, unable to move on, haunted by the guilt of not being able to protect her son.

 Her lingering presence, filled with grief and despair, had inadvertently created a void that attracted malevolent entities.

Anya, piecing together the fragments of the past, felt a profound sense of sadness. The young boy, now a successful CEO, carried the weight of this tragedy within him, unaware of the horrors he had witnessed as a child.

            EPISODE END

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