Chapter 1
The house on Blackwood Hill was a fortress of glass and steel, a testament to Adrian and Eleanor Vance's immense wealth. It was a home built for a perfect life, filled with art, light, and the quiet sounds of their two children: Clara, their biological daughter, and Noah, their adopted son. Yet, in the quietest hours of the night, when the house settled into shadow, a peculiar unease would descend. It often started with Noah, a boy of twelve with eyes that seemed to hold an ancient sadness. He would wake from a vivid, recurring dream, his small body trembling as he spoke of a winding river and a cold, dark current. Adrian and Eleanor would comfort him, their words a soothing balm, but a flicker of fear always crossed their faces. They knew what river he was dreaming of, and they knew why they could never let him go near it. They had buried their secret there, but secrets, they were learning, had a way of refusing to stay buried.
