Etien descended the grand staircase of his mansion, where Bastian was already waiting, clutching a torch. The stairwell and the corridor below were swallowed in darkness, every sound echoing off the stone walls until it seemed to reverberate through the entire place.
Before leaving Winterbaun, Meier Alister had told him the envoys from the palace were resting in their assigned chambers, rooms Etien had never truly intended to provide. But driving them out was impossible; it would raise suspicion, and suspicion was something he could not afford.
Together, they pressed deeper into the mansion's lowest passage, the torchlight flickering as their only guide. Yet Etien's stride was steady, unshaken, as though no darkness could ever halt him.
Each footfall rang out, pounding against the silence, making the stone walls feel alive with the rhythm of their steps.
