In a remote area where time seemed to stand still, a mysterious mansion of a family that time had forgotten stood tall. Deep within this gigantic house, David, the oldest member of his now nearly extinct family, was trapped among shadows and echoes of a dark past. Surrounded by darkness, David recalled how he ended up at this point and the unsettling rumors he had heard. His very own grandchildren, greedy for money, eagerly awaited his demise to inherit the hidden fortune. In a bid to thwart their ill intentions, he rummaged through ancient books and journals, and stumbled upon a story about the Lord of the Lanterns, an ancient spirit that his family had summoned in the past. With fear coursing through his veins, he decided to summon this mysterious being. Following the ritual, at noon, under a lone lamp, David recited the age-old words, lit a candle, and with a sigh of desperation, extinguished the flame with his mouth.
After the ritual, the mansion fell into a bone-chilling silence. His grandchildren vanished, and he was left alone. The light, which had once comforted him, now turned against him. Every beam of light that touched him seemed to be watched over by the Lord of the Lanterns, who observed him from all angles. The light, once illuminating, became sinister. One day, while walking in the garden, a sunbeam sneaking through the trees brushed his skin, and he felt as though a thousand needles were piercing him. Immense terror enveloped him as he heard a spine-chilling voice calling his name through the wind. Inside the mansion, the flames of the candles and lamps that once brought joy now twisted menacingly. Once, as he lit a candle, the flame took the form of the face of what he believed to be the Lord of the Lanterns, whose gaze seemed to pierce through him.
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The nights brought no solace, with moonlight creeping through the windows, bringing whispers and the sensation of cold hands touching him. He remembered in terror one night when the shadows cast by the moonlight seemed to move and contort in strange ways, trying to grab him. Every time this happened, he felt like a piece of his sanity was torn away. In a desperate attempt to protect himself, David covered all the windows and light sources, plunging the mansion into complete darkness. The shadows became his refuge, his only escape from the light that had turned against him.
Time passed and the rooms turned into his prison. With each passing day, his mind and body weakened more and more. At the end of his torment, as he felt his life draining away, his eyes wide open, captured a glimmer of relief and fear. Just then, his grandchildren opened the door and saw his eyes being swallowed by a whirlwind of light. A shrill scream filled the house, and as if invisible hands emerged from the light, David was dragged away at a dizzying speed, leaving behind only a flash and the echo of his scream. The Lord of the Lanterns had claimed his soul.