Chapter 4: Secrets Exposed

The morning brought no comfort.

The storm had lessened to a steady drizzle, but Wintercroft Hall remained shrouded in gloom. The lingering scent of damp wood and decay seeped into Elliot’s senses as he descended the grand staircase. The bloodstain from the previous night had been scrubbed away, but the memory of the body sprawled there was harder to erase.

The group gathered in the dining room, their movements tense, their faces drawn. Breakfast had been laid out—perfectly arranged plates of fruit, toast, and eggs—but no one touched the food.

“Did anyone sleep?” Emma asked, her voice breaking the uneasy silence.

“I wouldn’t call it sleep,” muttered the man with glasses. He glanced toward the hallway, where the butler had disappeared moments before. “And I didn’t hear anything from Henry, either.”

Elliot stirred his coffee, his thoughts elsewhere. The figure he’d seen in the hallway last night—it wasn’t just paranoia. He was sure of it.

Vivienne’s note still sat in his pocket, crumpled but heavy with meaning. The weight of what you didn’t see will destroy you.

And then, there was the new one: This is only the beginning.

“What do we do now?” Emma asked.

“We leave,” said the tall woman with sharp features—Madeleine, as she had introduced herself earlier. “If the storm’s clearing, we can make it back to the mainland.”

“And how, exactly, do you propose we do that?” Elliot asked. “There’s no way off the island without a boat, and the only person who might be able to arrange that is the butler. Are you planning to swim?”

Madeleine shot him a glare. “You have a better idea?”

“I think we need answers before we make our next move,” he said. “Starting with why any of us are here.”

The group exchanged uneasy glances.

“None of you know?” Elliot pressed.

No one spoke at first, until the man with glasses cleared his throat. “The letter I got said it was about a business opportunity. Something to do with the Ashworth estate.”

“Mine mentioned…closure,” Emma said hesitantly. “I thought it was about my family.”

The others shared their own versions—each one vague, cryptic, promising something personal.

“What about you?” Madeleine asked, narrowing her eyes at Elliot.

“It said I’d find the truth,” Elliot replied. He glanced around the table. “But I think it was about more than that. Someone wanted us all here. Together.”

“Why?” Emma asked.

Before Elliot could respond, a loud crash echoed through the house.

The group rushed toward the sound, their footsteps pounding against the wooden floors. It led them to a door at the far end of the hallway—one Elliot hadn’t noticed before.

It was partially open, revealing a set of stone steps leading downward.

“A cellar?” Emma whispered.

“No,” Madeleine said, her voice flat. “A crypt. This place was built over a family tomb.”

Elliot felt the air grow colder as they descended the steps. The stone walls were slick with moisture, and the dim light from a single hanging bulb cast eerie shadows.

At the bottom of the staircase was a heavy iron door, slightly ajar. Beyond it lay the crypt.

The air was thick with the smell of damp earth and something else—something metallic.

Inside, rows of stone coffins lined the walls, their surfaces etched with the names of Ashworth ancestors. But it wasn’t the coffins that drew Elliot’s attention.

It was the figure slumped in the corner.

Henry.

The butler’s body was propped against the wall, his head tilted at an unnatural angle. His eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling. A bloody gash stretched across his chest, soaking his pristine shirt.

Emma let out a strangled gasp, and Elliot stepped forward, his pulse pounding in his ears.

“What the hell is going on here?” Madeleine demanded, her voice trembling for the first time.

Elliot didn’t answer. His eyes were fixed on the floor near Henry’s body, where something glinted in the dim light.

A key.

He picked it up, turning it over in his hand. It was small and ornate, with an engraving that matched the Ashworth family crest.

“What’s that for?” Emma asked.

“I don’t know,” Elliot said. But he had a feeling they were about to find out.

The group searched the crypt, their nerves fraying with every step. Elliot couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, though every corner they checked revealed nothing.

In the farthest corner of the crypt, they found a small, locked door.

Elliot slid the key into the lock, his heart pounding.

The door creaked open to reveal a cramped room lined with shelves. On one of the shelves was a dusty stack of journals, their leather covers cracked with age.

He picked one up and flipped through its pages. The handwriting was meticulous, almost obsessive, detailing daily events and cryptic observations.

“This is Vivienne’s handwriting,” Elliot said, his voice low.

“What does it say?” Madeleine asked, leaning over his shoulder.

Elliot scanned the pages. Most of the entries were mundane—descriptions of the weather, lists of visitors—but one phrase jumped out at him:

“The guests must be judged. Their sins must be laid bare.”

Elliot looked up from the journal, his blood running cold. “This isn’t just about the Ashworth family. It’s about us.”

As the others stared at him, the single hanging bulb flickered and went out, plunging them into darkness.