Chapter 318 - Silent Return

The morning inside Arven Mansion felt colder than the weather actually allowed. The mansion had always been spacious, refined, and silent, but that day there was something different in the air, a tense stillness reminiscent of mausoleum corridors. Servants walked with steps too light, speaking too softly, as if any noise above what was necessary might awaken some unwanted presence. The light that entered through the tall stained-glass windows was pale and without warmth, scattering grey stains across the polished marble floors. Everything remained impeccable, organized, and grand. Everything also seemed dead.