When Aeliana could no longer see Silvanus’s figure, she lowered her head. The smile that once lingered on her lips slowly faded, replaced by a quiet unease.

Her gaze drifted around the expanse of the mansion. The place was far too vast—like a castle—for a single person to live in all day. There was something strange in its atmosphere. The mansion seemed to breathe out sorrow, loss, and longing. A heaviness settled in Aeliana’s chest, and a sudden change in her mood washed over her.

Was ...