Gemotions

A tremor ran down Elias's spine as he opened the lawyer's letter. His sister, Clara, had been expecting this for weeks, practically vibrating with excitement. He, on the other hand, felt a cold dread settling in his stomach. The will. He'd always known it was coming, this reckoning with their eccentric, reclusive Aunt Mildred’s estate.

Clara let out a whoop of delight, waving a sheaf of papers. “A farm! And a trust! We're set, Elias!” Her eyes shone with a future she'd clearly already begun to map out, filled with horses and country air. He felt a wave of nausea.

He, however, received a key. A single, tarnished key on a velvet ribbon. The accompanying letter explained it unlocked a specific room in Aunt Mildred's crumbling, isolated mansion. It spoke of a ‘legacy of duty’ and the ‘burden of knowledge.’ He felt his shoulders slump.