Lena sat back in the crooked armchair of the Vindica Mansion, legs and arms both crossed, her expression unreadable. There came a soft rustling of old documents and forgotten letters, rummaged by Ace, her cousin.
Lena scanned the documents in her hand warily, forgotten tales and well-kept secrets dawning like sunrise. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered why she was here: to solve the centuries-old mystery that haunted Mandrake Town. Ace had already been on the verge of giving up, but Lena reassured him not to, for if this mystery could be solved by anyone—ANYONE at all—it was them.
She thought of her 10-year-old sister, Ava, back at home, her bright amber eyes lighting up every room, her wide smile and laughter seeming contagious to her otherwise gloomy self. How she wished she’d go back home and give her the biggest hug of her life, promising to never leave for any mission again. Lena smiled softly to herself, vowing to solve this mystery as soon as possible, once and for all.
Both searched every nook and cranny of the old mansion until time blurred. No matter how hard they tried, they could neither dot the I’s nor cross the T’s. The information was too vague and cryptic to even decipher. After what seemed like an eternity, Ace collapsed on the couch, muttering incoherently under his breath, utterly defeated and exhausted. Lena, ever the quiet one, gazed at the twinkling stars outside the window, her expression cautious—for they knew—they both knew—THEY were still out there.
Watching…
Waiting…
It was barely the beginning…
BY: Maryam Ganaie G8 Diamond (Batch 2025)