Souls Of Memories

Chapter 1

The legend is born

The night was suffocating, the mansion's dark halls concealing secrets that even the bravest wouldn't dare to unearth. I can still feel the cold sweat trickling down my spine as my brothers and I ran through the labyrinthine corridors. I warned them about the cursed item, but they brushed off my cautionary words, lured by their thirst for forbidden knowledge. Yet, the blame falls upon me for sharing the cursed legend that plagued our family for generations. Little did I know that our curiosity would lead us to a path of unspeakable horrors.

Before the nightmare began, we were gathered at the dinner table as usual. Thedus, the imposing elder brother, my enigmatic twin, Caleb, my older sister, Sarah, and my innocent younger sister, Miranda – all present. We awaited the return of Brock from college, unaware that destiny had a cruel fate in store for us.

A chance eavesdropping exposed us to a conversation between our father and the mansion's gardener, a conversation that should have remained veiled in shadows. They spoke of an ancient relic, a Soul Jar that purportedly trapped the spirits of our ancestors. I had always dismissed such tales as superstitious nonsense, but the grim expressions on their faces told a different story. My father, who had always dodged the subject before, now spoke openly, revealing a sinister urgency.

"... I told you that when the time comes, I will inform you, didn't I?" the lord of the house said in a voice tainted with dread.

"I do recall, but are you certain the time has come? It feels premature to make such a decision. Brock, as the Head of the family, possesses great potential, but..." the gardener's voice trembled.

"It's not a decision I desire; I must make to survive. I have made grave mistakes, Mike, and I fear I can't rectify them. So, old friend, you must seek the Soul Jar, and tonight, we'll prepare for the ceremony," the lord declared with desperation.

The revelation shattered my skepticism, unraveling the web of lies that enshrouded our ancestry. The legend I once scoffed at now seemed tangible, haunting my thoughts. What lurked within our family's history? What nefarious religion governed our bloodline?

The legend whispered of a dark past. Ages ago, a man named Kevin, the Black Knight of the South, defied a corrupt empire, liberating its oppressed people. He forged a utopian empire, which became a refuge for those he had saved. But even this apparent paradise was tainted by darkness.

With the passage of time, Kevin divided the realm among his five children, establishing a deceptive democracy. Every two years, one of his heirs would ascend the throne, supposedly to avoid sibling conflicts. Yet, jealousy and greed festered in the heart of one brother, Jacob. Though his siblings ruled wisely, Jacob's ambition knew no bounds. He plotted to consolidate power, disrupting the delicate harmony of the kingdom.

Mary and Michelle, twins of wisdom, ushered in an era of prosperity. Their unmatched intelligence transformed the kingdom's economy and agriculture, driving envy into Jacob's heart. King Jeffery followed a wise strategist who navigated the kingdom through war, but even his triumphs couldn't extinguish the darkness that clung to the throne.

Salazar, the youngest and most treacherous of them all, descended into madness. He hoarded the kingdom's wealth, leaving his subjects to suffer. In desperation, he sought out a sorcerer, seeking an unholy solution. The sorcerer enchanted a precious jar, allowing Salazar to trap the souls of his siblings within, so only he could rule.

On a night of ill-fated celebration, Salazar poisoned the wine with the cursed jar's contents, extinguishing every life in the room, including his own. The cursed jar was then passed down, and the throne remained unclaimed until our generation.

Our father denied the legend's reality, yet the ceremony's impending execution filled me with dread. As darkness crept around us, the mansion's secrets clawed at our sanity. We had to confront our family's harrowing past and unravel the malevolence that threatened to consume us all.

In the shadows of the cursed mansion, our journey into the depths of darkness began, haunted by the sins of our ancestors, seeking answers and redemption in a world where even the most innocent secrets could shatter our souls. The Soul Jar's malevolence now beckoned, promising power and suffering, and we had no choice but to confront the horrifying legacy that lay dormant within our bloodline.