**The Shadows of Shadyside**

The fog crept in like a living entity, shrouding the crumbling headstones of Shadyside Cemetery in a damp, gray mist. Ruby Lane, the young and fiercely independent killer, knelt before the grave of her beloved best friend, Samantha. The roses she had brought earlier lay wilted and dying, their petals trampled and forgotten. Ruby's eyes, a piercing shade of green, seemed to bore into the cold, unforgiving earth as she whispered a silent prayer. It had been months since Samantha's brutal murder, and the pain still felt like an open wound. Ruby's thoughts drifted back to that fateful night, the one that had changed her life forever. She had been consumed by a rage so intense, it had driven her to commit unspeakable acts. The memories of the blood-soaked streets of Shadyside still haunted her. As she rose to her feet, Ruby's gaze wandered to the old, decrepit mansion looming in the distance. The Blackwood House, a place of dark legend and whispered terrors, seemed to be watching her. She felt an inexplicable connection to the mansion, a sense that it held the key to unlocking the secrets of her troubled past. Ruby's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of crunching gravel beneath her feet. She turned to see a figure emerging from the fog-shrouded shadows. It was Claudia, her sharp tongue and quick wit a balm to Ruby's troubled soul. "Ruby, I've been looking all over for you," Claudia said, her voice laced with concern. "You've been distant lately, and I was starting to worry." Ruby forced a smile, trying to brush off her friend's concerns. "I'm fine, Claudia. Just paying my respects to Samantha." Claudia's eyes narrowed, her gaze lingering on Ruby's face. "You're not fine, Ruby. Something's eating at you, and I think I know what it is." Ruby's heart skipped a beat as Claudia's words struck a chord. She had been experiencing strange, vivid dreams, full of dark and twisted imagery. The sensation of being watched, of being pulled into a world beyond her own, had become a constant companion. "What do you mean?" Ruby asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Claudia hesitated, her eyes darting nervously around the cemetery. "I've heard rumors, Ruby. Whispers of an ancient evil, one that's been awakened in the depths of Shadyside. Some folks say it's connected to the Blackwood House, that it's been waiting for the perfect host." Ruby's mind reeled as Claudia's words painted a picture of dark foreboding. She felt a shiver run down her spine, a sense that she was being pulled into a world of unspeakable horrors. And then, without warning, the air seemed to grow colder. The fog began to swirl, taking on a life of its own. Ruby felt a presence closing in around her, a malevolent force that seemed to be watching her every move. Claudia's voice was a distant echo, a warning that Ruby couldn't quite hear. The darkness closed in, and Ruby felt herself being pulled into its depths, consumed by an evil that would change her life forever.