The ancient oak stood proud in the moonlight, its sprawling branches swaying gently in the night breeze. Emma knelt at its base and began digging through the dry leaves. Within moments, her fingers brushed against something solid.
A small wooden box.
She pulled it free and lifted the lid. Inside lay an old, leather-bound diary with a small brass key attached to its spine. The first page contained a note:
"Find the mirror in the attic. Look closely. The truth is hidden where no one dares to search."
Emma shivered. Why had her grandmother hidden this from her? And why now, after all these years?
Determined, she hurried inside and climbed up to the attic. The air was thick with dust, the dim bulb flickering overhead. Her eyes scanned the cluttered space until they landed on an ornate, antique mirror propped against the far wall.
She stepped closer, studying the frame, running her fingers along its edges. Then, something odd caught her eye - a loose panel at the back.
Gently prying it open, she gasped as another letter tumbled out, along with a faded photograph of a young woman. Her grandmother.
And next to her, a man Emma had never seen before.