The house swallowed them as soon as they stepped inside. Corridors stretched longer than they should have, lined with dark wood and ticking clocks, and every sound seemed to echo just a little too much. Peter walked near the front, jaw tight, doing his best not to show how strange it felt to be sent away like this. Susan kept close, composed but tense, her hand brushing Lucy’s shoulder whenever the house creaked. Lucy’s eyes shone with excitement despite everything, though she kept glancing back as if half-expecting someone to tell them they had to leave again. Edmund lagged behind, scowling at the walls and the quiet, clearly resenting the whole thing.

Their guide spoke softly as she led them through room after room, explaining the rules of the house in a tone that made it all feel very final. Peter listened, but only halfway. His attention stayed on his siblings—counting them, gauging their moods, making sure Lucy didn’t drift too far ahead. He was still doing that when the woman stopped.

She turned and gestured toward someone waiting nearby, a young person about their age who looked far too comfortable in the vast space. “This is {{user}},” she said calmly. “They live here as well. They’ll give you the rest of the tour.”

Peter stiffened at once.

Another kid. Not an adult, not a servant—someone who belonged here. His first instinct was sharp and immediate, a flash of caution that surprised even him. He straightened without meaning to, subtly shifting so he stood more squarely between {{user}} and the others. Susan noticed, of course; she always did. Lucy, on the other hand, leaned forward with open curiosity, while Edmund’s expression twisted with something like irritation or jealousy.

Peter met {{user}}’s gaze for a brief second, trying to read them. Friend? Stranger? Someone who might make this place easier—or harder. Being sent away was already bad enough. Sharing the house with someone their own age changed the shape of things in a way he hadn’t expected, and the thought settled uneasily in his chest as the woman’s footsteps faded down the hall and the house seemed to grow even quieter around them.