We walked along the trail, and the trees grew thicker and taller, blocking out the sunlight. The air became cooler, and the sky grew darker, indicating that nightfall had arrived. I wished we still had our horses to speed up the journey.

"Are we close?" I asked, looking at the map.

Kevin shrugged. "It's hard to tell. The map isn't very detailed."

Salina shuddered. "I don't like the look of these trees. They seem so alive."

Terrin chuckled. "They are alive, Salina. They're just trees."

Salina shot her glaring eyes at him. “Yeah, so are the trees in the swamp that tried to eat us!”

I sighed. "I hope we find a safe place to sleep tonight."

Our footsteps were increasingly accompanied by the sound of animals in the distance. We quickened our pace, hoping to reach our destination soon.

Through the mist, we stumbled upon a manor. It was looming over us, with its walls and roof covered in ivy, and the windows were dark and empty. It looked like it hadn't been lived in for centuries.

The wind blew, and the trees rustled, making the place look even creepier. I shivered, and I saw that Salina and Kevin looked just as spooked as I felt. Terrin looked stoic, but I could tell he was also uneasy.

The manor seemed to have an aura of mystery surrounding it. I wondered who lived here before and what happened to them. The thought sent a chill down my spine.

"Should we check it out?" Kevin asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"I don't know," I said, my eyes glued to the manor. "It looks so creepy."

"We have to," Terrin said, his tone firm. "We need to find out what's going on around here. Perhaps there is someone in there who could provide us with some useful information."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I nodded, knowing he was right. But I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread as we approached the manor.

We stepped inside the manor and I shivered as the musty, foul air filled my nostrils. The atmosphere was creepy, and the furniture was draped in thick cobwebs. The walls were lined with old portraits and tapestries that seemed to come to life in the dim light. The floorboards creaked beneath our feet as we made our way into the parlor.

The room was vast, with a large fireplace at one end and dusty, moth-eaten armchairs dotted around it. The windows were covered in grime and cobwebs, letting in only a dim and eerie light. The table in the center of the room was covered in an old tablecloth, and the chairs around it were carved from dark wood and draped with cobwebs.

The entire place felt like it had been abandoned for years, with nothing but the spiders and rats for company. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was watching us from the shadows, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. "This place gives me the creeps," I whispered to the others. "Let's find what we came here for and leave."

We stood in the musty living room, Kevin suggested we split up to search the manor more efficiently. Though it wasn't the safest plan, we agreed to it. I decided to check the second floor. As I climbed the creaky stairs, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.

The second floor was even more decrepit than the first. The wallpaper was peeling, and the wooden floorboards were rotten in places. The furniture looked like it had been untouched for years, covered in thick layers of dust and cobwebs.

I walked into the first room, and a chill ran down my spine. It was a bedroom with an old four-poster bed with a canopy. It had holes in it and looked like it could collapse at any moment. The sheets were dirty and smelled musty. The curtains were torn and covered in dust.

I continued to walk through the halls, and each room looked worse than the last. The walls were stained, and the ceilings had water damage. The rooms were filled with old furniture and decorations, but they looked more like they belonged in a haunted house.

The entire place had a creepy atmosphere that made my skin crawl. My footsteps and the creaking of the old floorboards below me were the only sounds breaking the silence. I couldn't wait to leave this place and find a way to complete our mission as soon as possible.

I cautiously stepped into the room, the darkness making it hard to see anything. I squinted my eyes and scanned the area, trying to make out the details. Suddenly, I noticed a shadow in the corner of the room. "Hello?" I called out, hoping to get a response.

Upon entering, I found the room dusty and abandoned, with cobwebs covering the ceiling corners. The furniture was old and worn, and the air had a musty, foul smell. I wrinkled my nose, trying to ignore the stench.

"Is anyone here?" I asked again, taking a few more steps into the room. But before I could get any further, a sudden flash of light illuminated the room, and I felt a sharp pain in my head. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor, unconscious.