a woman standing in front of a house in a foggy forest

**The Heart in the Mirror** In a small, forgotten village nestled deep in the forest, there stood an ancient manor—a house as old as the trees themselves. Its stone walls were weathered and covered in ivy, its windows dark and foreboding. No one dared to enter, not since the tragic death of its last inhabitant, a young woman named Evelyn Blackwood. Evelyn had been a beauty, known across the village for her golden hair and radiant smile. She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, beloved by all. But she had vanished one fateful autumn evening, and the manor, which once echoed with laughter and music, was left to decay. Some said she had died of a broken heart, others whispered she had been cursed by a vengeful spirit, but no one knew for sure. Years passed, and the manor became the stuff of legend. The villagers spoke of strange occurrences—the flicker of candlelight in the windows on stormy nights, a soft melody drifting from the broken doors, and an eerie figure glimpsed in the reflection of the glass.