Chapter 28

Sarah POV

The cold night air clung to my skin as I slipped through the underbrush, the distant silhouette of the Blackwood mansion looming like a dark sentinel behind me. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the soft rustling of the trees in the wind and the occasional snap of a twig beneath my feet. Every step felt heavy, as though the woods themselves were watching me, waiting for something to happen.

I couldn't afford to let fear hold me back—not when I had a chance to make things right, not when I could save those women. The faces of the two prisoners in the hidden chamber flashed before my eyes again, their vacant stares still burning into my memory. I didn't know who they were or what they had suffered, but I knew one thing for sure: they didn't deserve to die in the shadows of this cursed place.

The cold night wrapped around me like a shroud as I continued, the mansion growing more distant with every step. My heart beat loudly in my chest, not just from the physical exertion, but from the weight of what I was about to do. If anyone in the Blackwood family knew I was out here, I'd be dead before I had a chance to explain. But if I didn't act now, I might never get another chance.

The path was familiar to me now—beyond the stone wall, past the gnarled oak trees, and down the winding trail that led to the hidden chamber. I had walked it before, guided only by the faint echoes of a past I could never quite understand. Tonight, I walked it with purpose.

-

The moonlight barely pierced the dense canopy of trees as I walked toward the hidden chamber behind the mansion, my thoughts a storm of uncertainty and urgency. The weight of the women in the chamber hung heavily on my mind, the memory of their frail, exhausted faces etched into my memory. Every question that had spiraled through my head in recent weeks had led me to this moment. What was the Blackwood family's secret? Who were these women, and why were they locked away in such a place? What had they endured, and what did they know? The recognition in their eyes when they saw me had been the final push I needed. They knew me. I didn't know how, but they did.

It had been a restless night. I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't alone in my pursuit of answers. The more I thought about the chamber, the more certain I became that I wasn't meant to find it—that I wasn't meant to discover those women. But the deeper I dug, the clearer it became that I could not leave them to rot in that cold, suffocating place. They had to be freed. Even if I was putting myself at risk. Even if I didn't know what the Blackwoods would do to me if they found out.

The moment I had seen their faces, hollow from suffering, I had made my decision. I would save them.

But why?

Was it compassion? Or was it something deeper, something tied to the twisted history of the Blackwood family, something that tied me to them in ways I couldn't yet understand? I couldn't answer that fully, but I knew one thing: I couldn't walk away. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't act. If I didn't try to save them.

And so, under the cover of the night, I made my way through the shadowed paths leading to the chambers. The mansion, still and silent in the distance, felt like a prison, its towering walls suffocating me with their unspoken threats and secrets. But the forest, this wild, untamed expanse that surrounded the Blackwood estate, felt like an ally. For once, I wasn't moving through the labyrinth of the mansion's stone halls—I was moving in the shadows, in the places that no one could watch, no one could track. It was here, in the dark, that I could breathe.

But as I neared the entrance to the chamber, my mind raced. The questions clawed at me once again.

What would happen when I freed them? Would they even be able to speak? Or were they too broken—physically, emotionally, or mentally—to share anything of importance? I had seen their fear, but also their recognition. It was a small flicker in their tired eyes, a silent understanding that something had awakened in them. They knew me. But how? And why had they been locked away in the first place? What were the Blackwoods hiding?

I had to know.

As I arrived at the hidden entrance to the chamber, I hesitated for only a moment. It was a small, narrow crack in the earth, a door so well concealed that no one would ever think to look for it. But I had found it, and now it felt like my only option. The dim light of the moon glinted off the moss-covered stones as I moved closer, my heart pounding with each step.

I couldn't stop myself now.

I had already made the decision to free them, no matter what. They were trapped, and I had to do what I could to help them escape. This was bigger than just them. It was about my own unraveling mystery, the lies I had been fed, the truth I needed to uncover. I had come too far, seen too much, to turn back. And if I could help them, maybe I could finally unlock the answers to the questions that had haunted me since I first stepped into this mansion.

The cold stone door creaked open, revealing the chamber I had barely stepped into the other night. My heart tightened as I stepped into the gloom, the smell of damp stone and stale air thick in my nostrils. It was quiet, save for the ragged breaths of the women I had left behind.

They were still here.

I moved quickly, my hands trembling slightly as I reached for the nearest woman. She lay on the floor, her face pale and streaked with tears, her body emaciated from whatever they had subjected her to. I placed a hand on her shoulder, and she jerked slightly, her eyes snapping open. At first, she looked at me with confusion, but then her gaze softened, recognition blooming in her tired eyes.

It sent a chill down my spine.

I crouched beside her. "You're free now. I'm getting you out of here."

She barely nodded, too weak to respond, but there was a faint flicker of gratitude in her eyes.

I moved to the second woman, her condition equally as dire. She too opened her eyes, but it was the same recognition, the same strange knowing that passed between us. These women, these strangers—why did it feel like they know me?

But there was no time to dwell on it now. I had to move quickly.

I helped them both to their feet, supporting them as best I could. They were barely able to stand, their legs weak, their bodies trembling with exhaustion. But there was something in their eyes now—an urgency, a quiet plea for escape. They trusted me, and that trust was enough for me to push forward.

As I led them toward the exit, I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to Zeke.

Get the car ready. I'm bringing them out.

I hit send, my heart racing. Zeke would be my only chance to keep them safe. If the Blackwoods found out I had freed them, I wasn't sure what they would do. I couldn't risk it.

We had to move quickly.

With the women, I left the chamber, stepping into the cool night air. The sound of the forest was almost overwhelming—the rustle of leaves, the faint howl of distant animals. But in this moment, it was soothing. We were away from the stone walls of the mansion. Away from whatever horrors the Blackwoods had planned.

I wasn't sure what I was walking into, but I knew I couldn't go back now. I had saved them, and I couldn't let them fall back into the hands of the Blackwoods.

As we made our way to the clearing where Zeke was waiting, my thoughts swirled. What had the Blackwoods done to these women? What kind of experiments or rituals had they been subjected to? And why had they looked at me the way they had? Was I part of whatever twisted plan the Blackwoods had?

I couldn't stop now. I wouldn't.

We finally reached the car, and Zeke was there, his eyes scanning the woods nervously. Without a word, he opened the door for the women, helping them inside.

"Are they okay?" he asked, his voice tense.

"I don't know," I said, my voice low. "They're weak. They need help."

"i'll get them somewhere safe," Zeke promised. "Don't worry."

As the car pulled away, I felt the rush of relief flood through me. I had done the right thing. But even as the car faded into the distance, I knew this was only the beginning. The Blackwoods were dangerous, yes. But I had no idea how deep their reach went. How far they would go to keep their secrets hidden.

And what would they would do if they found out I freed these women?