Episode 3: The Mark Beneath the Floorboards
Aarav sat by the old fireplace, the ancient pendant heavy around his neck. Maya had just finished reading the last page of Eleanor Blackthorn's diary.
"They opened the gate," she whispered.
"But something came through that wasn't supposed to."
The wind howled outside. The manor groaned, as if remembering.
The Blood-Stained Page
Maya laid the diary open in front of Aarav. One page stood out — stained dark red, the ink still legible:
"To stop the Hollow Man, the mirrors must be sealed... but Ambrose hid them. He said one day, his blood would finish what he started."
Aarav's hand trembled.
"His blood... that means me."
Maya nodded slowly.
"You're a descendant. You're part of this — whether you like it or not."
Suddenly, the floor beneath them creaked — once, then again, sharper.
"There's something under the floorboards," Maya said. "Something old."
What Lies Below
They moved the rug and pried open the rotting wooden planks.
Beneath the floor was a small stone compartment, sealed with iron. Carved onto its surface was the Eye of Thorns — the same symbol on the pendant.
Aarav hesitated, then opened it.
Inside was:
A folded letter, signed by Ambrose Blackthorn A small shard of black glass, humming with cold energy And a hand-drawn map of the manor, with seven X-marks drawn in blood-red ink
Maya picked up the glass.
"This… this is a shard from one of the mirrors."
Suddenly, the room grew freezing. Candles flickered violently.
And a voice — not Maya's — whispered behind Aarav:
"He watches… still."
The Watcher Awakens
Aarav turned.
In the cracked mirror above the fireplace, a tall figure now stood — faceless, in a dark coat, with bleeding hands. The same figure from his nightmares.
Maya grabbed his hand.
"That's the Hollow Man."
"Who is he?" Aarav whispered.
"Not who — what. He's what's left when a soul is bound by the gate for too long. A guardian… or a hunter."
The mirror cracked.
The figure moved — but only inside the reflection.
"He doesn't walk in our world… yet," Maya said.
"But each time we disturb a mirror, the walls get thinner."
🕯️ A Countdown Begins
On the back of Ambrose's letter were seven words, each one burned into the page:
SEVEN TO OPEN.
ONE TO BLEED.
BLOOD MOON CALLS.
Maya looked at the moonlight through the window — the red tint growing brighter.
"We have seven nights, Aarav," she said quietly.
"After that, the gate opens. With or without us"