Cassius
I woke before anyone came to get me.
For a few seconds, I didn't move. Just lay there staring up at the ceiling, trying to place what felt… off.
Then I remembered.
Ravenshollow.
The ceiling was too high, carved wood instead of plain beams. The bed softer than what I'd gotten used to, the room too quiet in a way that didn't feel empty, just… contained.
Not Sailcrest.
The thought came without much reaction, but it lingered.
I pushed myself up and swung my legs over the side of the bed, the floor cold under my feet. By the time I crossed to the window, the estate was already awake.
Servants moved through the courtyard below in steady patterns. Guards rotated at the gates.
Everything orderly, measured, waiting.
A few figures lingered beyond the outer walls, townspeople, probably. Too far to see clearly, but close enough to know they were watching.
Still watching.
A knock came at the door.
"Enter."
A servant stepped in and bowed low enough that it felt deliberate.
