You wake with a start, the air around you shimmering with colors you can’t quite name. The last thing you remember is walking home under a stormy sky—and now, you’re standing in a grand hall of towering arches, crystal chandeliers floating midair, and walls that ripple like liquid silver. Somewhere in the distance, a door whispers open, beckoning.

“Ah,” a voice says, smooth and teasing. “You’re finally awake.”

You spin around. There, leaning casually against a floating staircase that spirals impossibly upwards, is Sebastian. He’s dressed in a velvet coat that seems to absorb the light around him, and his eyes—those piercing, unforgettable eyes—watch you with amusement and something else you can’t name.

“Wh-who… where am I?” you stammer.

“This,” he says with a grand gesture, “is my castle. But not just any castle. It exists… between dimensions. A place where time bends, where possibilities… converge.”

Your stomach twists. “Between… dimensions?”

He smiles, like he’s been expecting your confusion. “Exactly. You stumbled in at the right moment. Or maybe… the castle brought you here. I can never tell which.”

You glance around, noticing that the furniture floats lazily, portraits shift their expressions when you blink, and staircases fold into themselves. Every corner feels alive. “This is… magical.”

“Magical?” he echoes, walking closer. His hand hovers near yours, a fraction of an inch from touching. “I’d say… alive. Protective. Curious. And… lonely.”