Chapter 6: The Second Death

The note in Elliot’s hand felt heavier than it should, the weight of its meaning pressing down on him like a vice.

“One of you will be next before nightfall.”

The silence in the dining room stretched unbearably thin, the words echoing in everyone’s mind. For the first time, Elliot truly saw fear in Madeleine’s sharp features, in Emma’s trembling hands, in the nervous glances Sam cast toward the shadows.

“This has to stop,” Madeleine finally said, her voice firm but wavering at the edges. “We can’t just sit around waiting for whoever—or whatever—is doing this to pick us off.”

“What do you suggest?” Sam asked, crossing his arms tightly. “We don’t even know who to trust.”

“That’s not true,” Madeleine said, her gaze hardening as it landed on Elliot. “You’re the one holding all the notes, finding all the clues. For all we know, this is your game.”

“Are you serious?” Elliot shot back. “You think I wanted to be stuck on a stormy island with strangers and a killer?”

“I don’t know what you want,” Madeleine replied coldly. “But you seem awfully good at playing detective.”

“Enough!” Lydia’s voice sliced through the argument, surprising everyone. She stepped forward, her usual meekness replaced with a rare intensity. “Arguing won’t solve anything. We need to stick together, not tear each other apart.”

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Emma quietly added, “She’s right. If we keep fighting, we’re just making it easier for… whoever is doing this.”

The group reluctantly dispersed, though the unease lingered. By unspoken agreement, no one wanted to be alone, but the mansion’s oppressive size made it impossible to avoid solitude completely.

Elliot found himself wandering the halls, his mind racing. The photos, the journals, the cryptic messages—it all pointed to someone meticulously orchestrating their torment. But who? And why?

His thoughts drifted back to the photograph of himself as a child, standing beside the man with the Ashworth crest ring. He couldn’t remember that moment, but it felt familiar in a way that made his skin crawl.

What else have I forgotten?

As he turned a corner, his footsteps faltered. At the far end of the hall, a door stood ajar, its edges flickering with faint light.

Curiosity pulled him forward.

Inside, Elliot found a small study, its walls lined with faded books. A desk sat in the center, cluttered with papers and a single burning candle that cast shifting shadows across the room.

He approached cautiously, his eyes scanning the desk. Among the scattered papers was a stack of old newspapers, their headlines yellowed with age.

ASHWORTH FAMILY TRAGEDY: MYSTERIOUS DEATHS PLAGUE ESTATE.

He flipped through the articles, his pulse quickening. Each one detailed a different incident—fires, drownings, unexplained disappearances—all tied to the Ashworth name.

One headline in particular caught his eye:

Local Boy’s Death Ruled Accidental: Connection to Ashworth Family Denied.

The grainy photograph accompanying the article was unmistakable. It was his brother.

Elliot’s stomach twisted as memories he had buried long ago began to resurface. His brother’s death had always been shrouded in unanswered questions. Everyone had called it a tragic accident, but Elliot had never believed that. And now, seeing his brother’s face linked to the Ashworths, a thread of connection began to form in his mind.

Before he could process the implications, a loud crash erupted from somewhere in the mansion, followed by a panicked scream.

Elliot bolted from the study, the article still clutched in his hand.

The sound had come from the parlor. When he burst inside, he found the group already there, standing in a tight circle around something on the floor.

Emma turned to him, her face pale, her eyes brimming with tears. “It’s Lydia,” she whispered.

Elliot pushed through the circle and stopped cold. Lydia lay sprawled on the floor, her head resting in an unnatural angle against the edge of a marble fireplace. Blood trickled from a deep wound at her temple, pooling beneath her.

“What happened?” Elliot demanded, looking at the others.

“She fell,” Sam said, though his voice was shaky. “Or—or someone pushed her. I don’t know.”

“Did anyone see it?” Elliot pressed.

Madeleine shook her head. “We heard a noise, and when we got here…” She trailed off, gesturing at the body.

Elliot crouched beside Lydia, his instincts taking over. Her hands were clenched tightly, her fingernails cracked and bloody as if she had tried to fight back.

“She didn’t fall,” he muttered.

“How can you be so sure?” Madeleine snapped.

Elliot ignored her. He gently pried open Lydia’s hand and found a small scrap of fabric caught between her fingers. It was black, rough in texture—part of a sleeve, maybe.

“She fought with someone before she died,” Elliot said, holding up the fabric. “This wasn’t an accident.”

The tension in the group exploded once more.

“How do we know it wasn’t you?” Sam demanded, pointing at Elliot. “You’re the one who keeps finding everything. You’re always in the middle of this!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Emma said, stepping between them. “Why would he point it out if he was the one doing it?”

“To throw us off,” Sam shot back. “He wants us to think he’s on our side.”

“This isn’t helping,” Madeleine interrupted, her voice sharp. She looked at Elliot. “What do you suggest we do now, detective?”

Elliot glanced at Lydia’s lifeless body, then back at the group. He felt the weight of their stares, the mistrust that had already begun to fester.

“We find out who’s behind this,” he said simply. “Before nightfall.”

From somewhere deep within the mansion, a clock began to chime. The sound echoed through the halls, each strike reverberating like a countdown.

Elliot didn’t need to count to know it was marking one thing: time running out.