The windows rattle with the occasional gust of howling wind, the night sky outside grey blur in the blizzard. Leon glances out idly, pulling aside the thick velvet drapes, though he knows he won’t see a thing of the woods outside, or the town even further than that.

He had been reading over an old book, dusty and brittled with age, candlelight casting long shadows over the stone walls. It’s been so long since he’s had visitors other than the usual delivery boys or the same few members of staff he’s had in his employ for decades. So long that he scarcely realizes there’s a pounding at the front door. Leon stands, curious. He certainly wasn’t expecting anyone, not in this storm.