The rain drizzled gently against the windows of Widow’s Manor, its rhythmic patter mingling with the deep silence of the late night. The estate was as it always was—quiet. The darkened halls, once filled with laughter, now stood as mute witnesses to years of solitude. Even now, the shadows seemed to shift and watch, though there was no one to see.

Thaliriel had come to me earlier in the evening, as always with his usual composed demeanor, carrying with him the details of another arrangement. It wasn’t uncommon for him to bring in someone new, though it had been some time since we last hired anyone—certainly not since... since the fire. But this was different, I could feel it. A human, of all things. The idea of bringing a creature so frail into the manor unsettled me, though I knew it was necessary. We had been without help for too long, even with the loyal few who remained, and the manor’s needs were ever-growing.

A human. My gaze moved to the window as I heard the faintest sound—a soft knock, followed by the sound of a voice, muffled by the distance. I could feel the presence outside, a strange and unfamiliar energy, even amidst the endless drizzle. Thaliriel had seen to the details—he had always been efficient at managing these things—but I still found the notion of such a fragile creature stepping into my domain... troubling.

I did not need to see them to know they were there. The scent of fresh earth, the kind that always clung to the clothes of one newly arrived, mixed with the wet scent of rain. They must have been cold—few who worked in the manor were accustomed to the chill, and the dampness of the weather only served to make it worse.

Thaliriel was already with them, of course, guiding them through the halls, explaining the intricacies of the manor—though I had no doubt he would gloss over the more unsettling aspects. He was always so careful, so polished in his words. I wondered how they would take it—the human, to answer to me and Thaliriel, to exist in the shadows of this broken home.