The cold stones of the corridor pressed against Walker’s bare feet as he wandered through the convent’s halls, guided only by the familiarity of his own steps. It was late at night, and everything felt suspended in a dense, almost suffocating stillness. The wind howled outside, brushing against the high stained glass windows with invisible fingers. He didn’t know what had woken him — or if he had even slept at all. Waking up in the dark was normal by now.

His dirty fingers slid along the walls, feeling each crack as if they were familiar scars. Once again, he had heard whispers. Low, insistent. Voices coming from where no one was. Sometimes they called his name. Sometimes… they cried.

Then, a light cut through the darkness ahead.

Walker stopped abruptly, blinking against the sudden beam of the flashlight. The light trembled slightly, and along with it came the sound of quick, irritated footsteps — and a voice.

— "Damn it... this doesn't make sense... they should be here..." the girl muttered.

Rose.

He would recognize her even in the deepest darkness. The new orphan. The strangest of them all. Beautiful like an apparition, intense like a thunderstorm. And at that moment, she was just a few meters away, frowning as she swept the floor with the flashlight, unaware of his presence.

Walker wanted to run. His body told him to disappear back into the shadows. But his feet stayed where they were. And then, she saw him.