The room was quiet and dimly lit. Wind slipped in through the open balcony, lifting the curtains of the large window in slow, restless waves. There was a strange agony in the air-something heavy, something that did not belong.

This corner of the mansion felt nothing like the rest of it. Beyond these walls, the house buzzed with life, glowing and loud, dressed like a shining bride. Here, the silence pressed in, thick and watchful.