Rain danced slowly on the car window. As Darcy rested her head against the glass, she sensed something stirring behind the misty landscape. The trees seemed to be whispering with the wind; the curves of the road twisted as if trying to turn them back.
They were headed toward Tintagel, at the edge of Cornwall — toward the dusty mirror of the past — and the knot in Darcy's stomach wasn't just from the winding roads.
She glanced nervously at her twin, Damien. He looked just as anxious. His messy blond hair was even more disheveled than Darcy's. His headphones blasted at full volume, and his icy blue eyes had taken on a distant, vacant expression.
Darcy leaned her head against the window again. Instead of following the road into town, the car turned down a path marked Blackwood Manor.
Their father, Alaric, spoke excitedly:
"The manor left to us by my great uncle's cousin is just outside town, but people say it's very mysterious."
Damien took out one of his earbuds.
"I think people are more scared of it than anything. The town has a news site. It said 'Old Edmund, the strange man who lived in the haunted manor, was found dead in his bed a week ago.'"
An awkward and unsettling silence followed. Then their mother, with her usual cold smile, said,
"Don't believe those small-town ghost stories, kids. People love gossiping about things they don't understand."
Darcy said nothing. She usually stayed quiet during things like this. Protesting wouldn't change anything anyway. They had already taken the road to that stupid manor.
A few minutes later, they were moving boxes into a well-maintained, yet strangely historic-looking house. The moving company had dumped their things at the garden gate and left in a hurry. Luckily, they'd only brought clothes and items of sentimental value, so they didn't need much help.
Damien muttered,
"Just carry your own stuff. If you need help, let me know."
His tone was slightly irritated, slightly warning. Unlike Darcy, Damien had been popular at his old school. This whole moving nonsense meant starting over from scratch.
Darcy knew her twin blamed their parents, deep down. And honestly? He was right. Instead of selling the manor and taking the money, why had they dropped everything and moved here?
Darcy chose a room just below the attic. Damien, wanting to "get lost in the depths of the manor," took the farthest room with a forest view.
Everyone was like a ticking time bomb. So Darcy stayed in her room. Something felt off — like she was being watched. Then, she began to hear voices.
"One of Edmund's relatives."
"Do you think it's her?"
"I don't know. I just care if she can see us. Standing here for centuries is so boring."
Darcy was a little scared. But also wildly curious. Was she going crazy… or was this manor actually haunted? The voices were coming from behind her. She spun around and saw two ghosts — one boy, one girl.
The boy smirked.
"Boo(!) What's the matter, you look like you've seen a ghost!"
The girl scolded him:
"Max, stop that!" Then she smiled warmly. "I'm Maddison."
Darcy groaned.
"Is this one of Dad's jokes or something? Even if it's not… you're kinda cute."
Max gave her an impressed look.
"You're brave. I like that. What's your name?"
"You're not real! I'll go tell my dad to stop this prank right now."
Suddenly, Maddison transformed into a teddy bear standing by the door.
"Don't go! This isn't a game! We're real — and chances are, only you can see us."
Darcy finished her sentence for her,
"So basically you're saying, 'if you don't wanna be treated like a lunatic, don't tell anyone.'"
The ghosts nodded.
Darcy muttered,
"Just great. This is all I needed."
Adjusting to a new place is never easy — but if your last name is Throne, it's five times harder. At least, that's what the twins thought.
It was absurd that Edmund Throne, a man they hadn't even known existed, had left them Blackwood Manor in such a generous way. Even more absurd — the twins were now on their way to Tintagel High School. Their mother, Victoria Throne, was driving.
Darcy stared quietly out the window. It helped her escape the tense atmosphere in the car. Damien, seething silently, buried himself in his phone. This was his way of escaping.
The forest gradually gave way to houses. Damien still refused to lift his eyes from the screen.
Darcy, on the other hand, held a small flicker of hope. Maybe this school would be different?
"No one knows us in Tintagel," she thought.
But she forgot something — gossip travels faster than any car. Especially in towns like this.
As the car rolled down the cobbled roads of the village, townsfolk paused to stare at the unfamiliar vehicle and the strangers inside it. Darcy and Damien exchanged a quick glance. It seemed the Throne family's reputation had already spread.
Mrs. Throne didn't seem bothered by the stares. In fact, Darcy thought her mother might even be enjoying the attention.
The car stopped in front of a small school. The twins reluctantly grabbed their bags and stepped out. For a moment, it felt like everyone was watching them.
To show support, Damien gave Darcy a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"Let's see what this place has in store for us."
Darcy replied gloomily,
"Probably nothing good," and marched quickly into the schoolyard.
A few days ago, Darcy had learned some things from her ghostly friends, Maddison and Max.
The townsfolk believed that the strange Edmund had been murdered. In fact, some even suspected the Throne family — distant relatives who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
But Darcy wasn't going to tell anyone. Not even Damien.