The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue over the remnants of the Ashford estate. Once a symbol of wealth and power, the grand mansion now stood in disarray, its walls cracked and covered in vines that twisted through shattered windows. The laughter and joy that once echoed within these walls had faded, replaced by an eerie silence that weighed heavily on the heart of a young boy. Charlie Ashford wandered through the dusty halls, tracing his fingers along the faded portraits of his family. Each face told a story of better days—his parents smiling at lavish gatherings, their eyes bright with hope and ambition. But now, those dreams lay buried beneath the rubble of lost fortune and shattered dreams. The boy’s heart ached with the memories, and he could not help but wonder what had […]