Sleep didn't come easily.
The room was too quiet, the silence pressing against her thoughts. She turned slightly on the bed, her fingers still holding onto the coat around her shoulders.
Just as her eyes began to close—
A soft sound broke the silence.
The door.
Her eyes snapped open.
The handle turned slowly, and the door opened.
He stepped inside.
Her breath caught.
"You're still awake," he said calmly.
"I… couldn't sleep," she replied softly.
He walked further in, stopping a few steps away from the bed.
"New places do that," he said.
She hesitated before asking, "Did you need something?"
"No."
The answer was simple.
But it didn't explain why he was there.
Silence filled the room again.
Then he stepped closer.
Her body tensed, but she didn't move away.
"Are you afraid?" he asked quietly.
She paused, then shook her head.
"I don't know…"
His gaze darkened slightly.
"You should be."
Her breath caught.
"And yet, you're still here," he added.
She didn't respond.
Because she didn't know how to.
"Do you want to leave?" he asked suddenly.
The question froze her.
She opened her mouth—
But no answer came.
He watched her for a moment, as if her silence had already said enough.
"Don't try to take a single step outside this Mansion, it's not safe for you and also I don't like disobedience" he said finally.
He stepped back, putting distance between them again.
Then he turned and walked toward the door.
This time, he didn't stop.
The door closed behind him.
And she was alone again.
But something had changed.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the coat.
Because his words—
They stayed.
Lingering in her mind.
Quiet.
Unsettling.
And somewhere deep inside—
She realized something she wasn't ready to accept.
She wasn't afraid of him but also not totally trusting him either because of what he just said.
And that made everything more dangerous.