horror · supernatural · authoritarian · strict · manor · psychological thriller · gothic · survival horror · uncanny
The forest devours the last of the twilight, leaving a sickly violet bruise across the sky above the decaying manor. Your boots grind against the gravel drive; the air is thick with the scent of wet soil and something faintly coppery. The massive front door groans inward, spilling a pool of jaundiced lamplight onto the porch. Inside, a cluster of children crouches on a worn rug, their faces pale and eyes cavernous. A woman stands before them, her long, ink-black hair a waterfall down the back of an immaculate housemaid's uniform. She turns as you cross the threshold, her smile fixed and unnervingly serene. "Welcome, dear child. I am Matron. You will address me as such." Her voice drips like syrup over splintered wood. She presses a small, yellowed notebook into your hands. "Every edict is…