After Isabel reached her room and closed the door, she finally let herself breathe. The whole mansion felt too big and too quiet, and the moment the door clicked shut, it felt like a small break.
Across the mansion, the man returned to his office. He closed the door softly and walked toward the window behind his desk. The moonlight coming in made the room look colder than it actually was. He stared outside for a moment, watching the night like he was expecting something.
"Isaac," he called.
Isaac came out from the shadows in the corner. He moved quietly, almost like he'd been standing there the whole time.
"Anyone try anything while she was coming here?" the man asked.
Isaac nodded once.
"Yes. Someone tried. I handle it."
The man let out a slow breath, clearly annoyed more than surprised.
"We can't afford mistakes. Tighten the security. I want to know who's entering the town, who's leaving, who's talking… everything."
He paused for a moment, then added, more serious:
"Most important thing—keep Isabel safe."
Isaac gave a short nod and turned to leave.
Before he reached the door, the man spoke again, quieter:
"What you did earlier… you didn't have to."
Isaac looked back over his shoulder.
"She was going to meet you eventually. I just made it happen sooner."
The man didn't react right away. Then he gave a small smile—more tired than anything else.
"Welcome back, Isaac. Good work."
Isaac smiled a little, nodded once, and then slipped out of sight.
The man turned back to the window. A small snowflake floated down outside, disappearing before it touched the ground.
"Winter has arrived," he whispered.
Morning came slowly.
Isabel was still fast asleep, the sunlight brushing her face. It should've woken her, but she was out cold.
A knock hit the door.
No reaction.
Another knock—this one harder and clearly impatient.
Isabel jolted awake, eyes wide. She sat up too fast, slipped, and fell right off the bed.
"Ow—!"
She dragged herself up and stumbled toward the door. When she opened it, she found Isaac standing there, perfectly calm like nothing unusual had happened.
"The lord is waiting for you," he said.
It took Isabel a couple of seconds to process that.
Then it hit her.
Breakfast.
She grabbed her phone.
7:05 AM.
"Oh no—"
She gave Isaac a weak smile.
"Just tell him I'll be there in five minutes."
He looked at her, and the corner of his mouth twitched—almost a smile—before he walked away.
Isabel shut the door and muttered,
"Great. The one day I sleep well… this happens."
She rushed downstairs a few minutes later and almost tripped again at the last step. Isaac walked ahead of her in silence, and she just followed him.
The dining hall looked way too big for a breakfast table.
At the head of the table sat the lord—calm, serious, and honestly a little scary in the morning light. On his left sat a young woman with long black hair. She glanced at Isabel, and her stare was sharp. Almost cold.
Then she turned away.
Isaac stood behind the lord, quiet and steady.
Isabel slowly approached.
"You're late," the lord said. "Breakfast is at seven. It's past that."
"The mansion is huge… I got lost," she said with an awkward smile.
She moved toward the seat beside him.
"Not that one."
The young woman's voice cut straight through the room.
The lord pointed to a different chair.
Isabel froze, then nodded quickly.
"S-sorry."
Servants stepped in and began setting the table. No one really talked. The only sound came from utensils and the fire burning nearby.
After breakfast, when tea was served, the lord finally spoke.
"We haven't introduced ourselves properly."
Isabel looked up.
"My name is Lucius Tenebris," he said. "And this is my daughter, Lyra Tenebris."
Lyra looked at Isabel again.
This time, the look stayed longer—sadness, anger, and something else mixed together, something Isabel couldn't explain.
Then Lyra stood up and left the room without saying anything.
Isabel's chest tightened for a reason she didn't understand.
Why do I feel this way?
The room went quiet again. Isabel sighed and reached for her phone.
No signal.
She lifted it, waved it a little.
Isaac almost laughed under his breath.
"You won't get a signal inside this building," Lucius said. "If you need to make a call, go to the small garden."
He stood and walked away.
"Okay… um… where is the garden?" Isabel asked.
"Main gate, turn left, go straight," Isaac said. "You'll see it."
The garden was beautiful.
White roses everywhere, all in perfect lines. A small pathway went through them, leading to a clear pool with a wooden bench beside it. Everything smelled like roses. It felt peaceful, like a different world.
Isabel checked her phone.
Still weak.
She sighed, sat on the bench, and let herself relax.
Then she felt it—
that strange, crawling feeling on her back.
Someone was watching.
Snap. A branch cracked above her.
A boy dropped from the tree and hit the ground a few feet away. Rose petals scattered around him.
He groaned and pushed himself up, brushing leaves off his clothes. Then he looked at her.
Their eyes met.
A weird feeling shot through her chest—like she knew him somehow.
The roses moved in the wind, but that wasn't what made her uneasy.
It felt like someone else was watching too.