A struggling journalist rents a house that has been vacant for decades. Every night, the furniture moves, whispers echo through the halls, and shadows creep where there should be none. The deeper he investigates, the more he realizes the house is alive-and it wants something from him.
The town of Ravenshade lay nestled between dark, ancient forests, its streets lined with homes that seemed untouched by time. It was the kind of place where outsiders were noticed immediately, where secrets sat just beneath the surface, whispering to those who dared to listen.
Donald Albert wasn't here for sightseeing. He needed a place to stay, somewhere quiet where he could focus on writing his book-a collection of real-life haunted house stories.
He was also running.
After losing his job as a journalist, a mix of professional embarrassment and personal frustration pushed him toward this project. It was supposed to be a fresh start.
That was when he found the house.
Black Hollow Road, Number 46.
It was too cheap-almost laughably so for a house this size. A two-story Victorian-style home, complete with an attic and basement, sitting on an overgrown property with a rusting iron fence. The kind of place that looked like it had been forgotten.
Donald had seen too many horror movies to ignore the warning signs, but reality was never as dramatic. Houses were cheap for a reason-bad location, poor upkeep, or maybe just an old man looking to offload a property before he died.
He met Mr. Einstein, the landlord, at the house the next morning.
The old man was thin, pale, with a slight hunch in his posture. His dark suit looked a little too formal for a simple house viewing, and his hands trembled slightly as he unlocked the front door.
"You're sure you want this one?" Einstein asked, glancing at Donald with something between curiosity and concern.
"You're still renting it, aren't you?" Donald replied, shifting his bag on his shoulder.
"Yes," Einstein said. "But... it has a history."
Donald smirked. "That's kind of the point. I write about haunted places."
Einstein's lips tightened. "That so?"
"Yeah. Paranormal stories, urban legends. I figured this house might have a good story behind it."
Einsteins looked at him for a long moment, his eyes unreadable. Then, he handed Donald the key.
"If you hear noises at night," he said, voice low and deliberate, "do not investigate."
Donald raised an eyebrow.
"And never stay up past midnight."
A cold breeze drifted through the open doorway. Donald felt a shiver crawl up his spine.
Einstein gave a small, almost pitying smile before walking away.
Inside, the house was cleaner than expected but eerily lifeless. The furniture, though covered in dust, looked recently arranged, as if someone had been preparing for a guest.
The walls were a dull shade of gray, the floors old wood that creaked beneath his steps. There was a fireplace in the main living room, empty, but cold as if it had just been used.
The kitchen was functional but outdated, with a heavy, antique clock hanging on the wall. It wasn't ticking.
His bedroom upstairs was simple-a bed, a desk, a mirror mounted on the closet door. The mirror bothered him for no reason he could explain.
The worst part?
It was too quiet.
Even in an empty house, there was always some noise-wind against the windows, the hum of distant traffic. But here, in Black Hollow Road 46, the silence felt too thick, like a held breath.
It wasn't peaceful.
It was waiting.
---
First Night in the House
Donald unpacked, set up his laptop, and made himself at home.
At around 10:30 PM, he sat at his desk with a bottle of cheap whiskey, writing the introduction to his book.
"What makes a house haunted? Is it the memories of those who lived there, or something older, something deeper? We tell ourselves ghosts aren't real. But what if the house itself is alive?"
He exhaled. Too dramatic.
The air felt colder.
The antique clock in the kitchen-the one that wasn't ticking before-suddenly chimed once.
Donald glanced toward the doorway.
Then, from the hallway outside his room, came a sound.
A soft creak.
Like a footstep.
Donald froze, every instinct telling him that he wasn't alone.
The old landlord's words echoed in his mind.
"If you hear noises at night, do not investigate."
It was probably nothing-the house settling, an animal outside, maybe even the wind.
Still, he found himself slowly reaching for his phone, turning on the flashlight.
The hallway outside his room was empty.
But something felt off.
He walked toward the stairs and peered down. The living room below was dark, the fireplace a yawning black hole.
Then, just as he turned to go back-
A whisper.
Soft. Indistinct. Right behind him.
He spun around, heart hammering.
Nothing.
The hallway was empty.
Shaking his head, he let out a nervous laugh and went back into his room, locking the door behind him.
"Don't be paranoid, Donald."
But as he got into bed, he couldn't shake the feeling.
It felt like the house was watching him,
Morning After
Donald woke up groggy, his head heavy from last night's whiskey. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, and for a brief moment, the house felt normal.
Then, he noticed something.
His desk chair was moved-pulled out slightly.
And his notebook was open, though he was sure he had closed it.
Frowning, he went downstairs.
The front door was unlocked.
He distinctly remembered locking it the night before.
Donald stood still in the middle of the room, feeling his heartbeat in his throat.
Maybe he forgot. Maybe it was just his imagination.
Or maybe-
The house wasn't empty.
And then, from upstairs, he heard it.
A slow, deliberate creak.
Like a footstep.
Right outside his bedroom door.
Retired chess grandmaster Victor Langley, once considered the greatest strategist of his time, has lived in quiet isolation for over a decade after his sudden retirement. One evening, an invitation arrives-an elegant envelope with no return address, containing a single line: "Your final game awaits. Midnight. Blackwood Manor." Curious yet wary, Victor travels to the secluded estate, where he finds six other grandmasters, each legends in their own right, waiting at a long table. The host remains unseen, but a grand chessboard sits before them, each piece set in an unfinished game from their pasts-games they had lost or abandoned. As the night unfolds, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary chess match. One by one, players begin disappearing-and each move on the board seems to dictate their fate. The game is not just about winning; it's about survival. And Victor realizes that someone among them is not who they claim to be.
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
Aria never wanted to marry Kael, the arrogant playboy her father forced her to accept as her fiancé. But Kael had his own twisted motives-he only wanted her because she was the one girl who refused him. When Aria rejected his demand to sleep with him a week before their wedding, Kael tried to take what he wanted by force. His drunken pursuit ended in tragedy when he was struck by a car, leaving Aria caught in the crossfire of blame. Zander, Kael's elder brother and the soon-to-be Alpha King, believed Aria was responsible for his brother's death-and promiscuous to boot. To prevent war between their packs, Zander agreed to marry her, but only for revenge. His plan? Ruin Aria's life for a year, then cast her aside and divorce her. But Zander's scheme begins to unravel when his ex-best friend Asher returns, determined to take Aria for himself. As secrets from the past resurface, Zander discovers betrayal, lies, and truths he never wanted to face. Was Aria truly guilty, or was she just another pawn in a deadly game of power and revenge? Asher laugh and say, "You're a fool; she never wanted to come. I told her you were with Lyra, so she came. And now I've achieved my goal: I ruined your marriage." Zander feel foolish, asking, "But why? I never did anything to you! You were my best friend. I should have killed you when you slept with my ex fiancée, Lyra!" Asher respond, "You knew I loved her, but you stole Lyra from me. She was my true mate, but she refused to marry me because you were soon to be the Alpha King! She never loved you. She loved me but wanted to be the queen of werewolves; that's all." Zander would realize how foolish he was. Yet, he still believed Aria wasn't innocent because she slept with his deceased brother before the wedding.
Anabel found out she was pregnant and dialed her husband's number to share the good news to him. They have been married for two years without a child. Desmond's mother had been accusing her of being barren and unproductive. When the call was picked, she was flabbergasted and broken. She was hearing a loud moan of feminine voice. "Ohh! Yeah! Don't stop fucking me! Fuck me harder baby!" accompanied with sound of skins slapping against the other. She went home to confront her husband and end up receiving a divorce paper. Desmond divorced him for a lady his mother was rooting. Few months later when he found out that his ex-wife is a billionaire heiress and she is pregnant with twins, he went crazy!
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.