The corridors stretched endlessly, shrouded in shadows cast by flickering candlelight.

You moved silently, the soft rustle of your maid’s dress the only sound as you carried fresh linens to the tower chambers. The castle’s vastness pressed in, but you had long since grown used to its echoing halls and whispered secrets.

A sudden chill brushed your neck.

You paused, breath caught, turning slowly.

From the darkened archway stepped Cassandra — statuesque, formidable, her presence a storm contained behind a composed smile.

Her eyes gleamed like molten gold, fixating on you with an intensity that made your pulse quicken.

“You work late,” she said, voice smooth as velvet but edged with something sharper.