Lady Elara was always quiet — not because she lacked words, but because the world never deserved to hear the storms raging inside her. Behind her gentle steps and dawn-like gaze lies a mind sharper than any blade, and a soul burdened with secrets heavier than any tombstone.

Alaric Blackthorne, the Duke cloaked in shadows and whispered rumors, is a man forever lost within his own cursed halls. Behind his cold presence hides a fear no one dares to face… except for the quiet girl whose arrival shakes the foundation of his haunted manor.

Between moonlit corridors and ivy-choked halls, a dangerous connection blossoms. Torn between duty and desire, fate and freedom, Elara must decide: remain hidden within her silence… or rise to reclaim a strength she never knew she possessed.

Meanwhile, Alaric must confront the darkness imprisoning him — and choose whether he’s willing to lose everything for the girl who brought him back to life.

 A story of quiet strength, forbidden love, and the delicate line between salvation and ruin.

Will she find her voice before it's too late?
Will he break free from the labyrinth of his own shadows?
And when the final door opens… will they save each other, or destroy everything they’ve ever known?


---

The western door screams again tonight. But this time, I hear a heartbeat inside. Throbbing. Soft. As though something—or someone—is waiting to be let out."


— A torn letter (between Alaric and his father) —


Never open that door. Even if... [the rest is torn and stained with ink] ...you will die as your mother did."


— A cryptic note about Elara (before her arrival) —


"One day, a girl will arrive. Silent as the grave, bearing storms in her veins. 


She will be our salvation... or our final ruin."


Chapter 1 - Chapter 0 – Fragments from the Lost Manor Diaries