Liora woke up with one thought.
She needed a day off.
Not because she hated her job.
Actually, she was beginning to like it.
The people were kind.
The pay was excellent.
The food was considerably better than anything she had been able to afford before.
And, surprisingly, her employer wasn’t as terrible as she had expected.
He was still strange.
Extremely strange.
But not terrible.
The problem was the mansion.
There was always something to clean.
Something to organize.
Something mysterious happening somewhere.
And there was one particular east wing she wasn’t supposed to think about.
Which meant, naturally, she thought about it constantly.
Liora sighed.
She needed a distraction.
A normal day.
A day where nobody spoke about strange magic, mysterious doors or terrifying employers.
She walked into the kitchen.
Lucien was already there.
She stopped.
“You’re here again.”
He looked at her.
“Good morning to you too.”
“Good morning.”
She grabbed an apple.
Lucien watched her.
“Are you working today?”
Liora took a bite.
“No.”
His expression changed slightly.
“No?”
“I have a day off.”
“Since when?”
“Since today.”
He stared at her.
“You didn’t inform me.”
“I didn’t know I needed permission.”
“You don’t.”
“Good.”
She smiled.
“Then I’m leaving.”
Lucien’s eyes followed her.
“Where?”
Liora stopped.
“Why?”
“I asked where you’re going.”
“Out.”
“That isn’t a location.”
“It is when you’re asking questions like an employer.”
Lucien sighed.
“Be careful.”
Liora smiled.
“I will.”
Then she walked away.
Lucien remained at the table.
For some reason, the kitchen suddenly seemed quieter.
He didn’t like that.
Liora had barely reached the main gates when she heard a familiar voice.
“Liora!”
She turned.
Her face immediately brightened.
“Celeste!”
Celeste hurried toward her and pulled her into a hug.
“You disappeared!”
“I didn’t disappear.”
“You haven’t visited me properly in weeks.”
“I’ve been working.”
“At the mansion?”
“Yes.”
Celeste looked toward the enormous building.
Then back at Liora.
“You work here?”
Liora nodded.
Celeste stared.
“Liora.”
“What?”
“That place looks like it belongs to a vampire.”
“That’s exactly what I thought.”
Celeste laughed.
“Is your employer terrifying?”
“Very.”
“Does he have fangs?”
“I haven’t checked.”
Celeste laughed even harder.
“You’re impossible.”
“I’ve been told.”
They started walking together.
For the first time in days, Liora felt completely relaxed.
No schedules.
No strange flowers.
No mysterious symbols.
Just her best friend.
They spent the afternoon wandering through the common district.
Celeste insisted on stopping at almost every shop.
Liora insisted on checking every price.
“You don’t have to calculate everything.”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“Because money disappears.”
Celeste sighed.
“You’ve said that since we were seventeen.”
“And has money ever disagreed with me?”
“No.”
They entered a small clothing shop.
Celeste immediately picked up a beautiful dress.
“This would look good on you.”
Liora looked at the price.
She put it down.
“No.”
Celeste picked it up again.
“I’ll buy it.”
“No.”
“Liora.”
“We’re friends, not charity.”
Celeste smiled.
“I know.”
She placed the dress back.
“Fine.”
Liora looked at her suspiciously.
“You’re planning something.”
“I would never.”
“You’re smiling.”
“I smile.”
“You smile like that when you’re planning something.”
Celeste laughed.
“Fine. Maybe a little.”
They continued walking.
They stopped for food.
They laughed about school.
They talked about old classmates.
Celeste brought up Liora’s first crush.
Liora groaned.
“Please don’t.”
“You used to stare at him.”
“I did not.”
“You absolutely did.”
“I was looking in his direction.”
“For twenty minutes?”
“He was sitting there.”
“And you were sitting across from him.”
“Coincidence.”
Celeste grinned.
“You were hopeless.”
“I was seventeen.”
“And blushing.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
Liora smiled.
“No. I don’t.”
Across the district, someone else was having a much less enjoyable day.
Julian Vaelthorne sat at a restaurant table, staring at his food.
He had come there because he was hungry.
That was all.
At least, that was what he told himself.
Then he noticed someone familiar entering the restaurant.
Liora.
He smiled.
He hadn’t expected to see her outside the mansion.
Then he noticed the woman beside her.
Julian straightened slightly.
“Who’s that?”
Liora and Celeste sat at a nearby table.
Julian watched them for a moment.
Liora was laughing.
He had never seen her laugh like that.
The woman beside her was elegant, graceful and clearly comfortable around her.
Interesting.
Julian stood.
He picked up his drink.
Then accidentally picked up the wrong one.
He took a sip.
He immediately frowned.
“That isn’t mine.”
He looked at the table.
The drink belonged to someone else.
Julian quietly put it back.
Then he heard laughter.
He looked up.
Celeste was covering her mouth.
Liora was trying not to laugh.
Julian smiled.
“I apologize.”
Celeste shook her head.
“You just drank someone else’s drink.”
“I realized that.”
“After drinking it.”
“Yes.”
She laughed again.
Julian looked at her.
Something about her smile caught his attention.
Not because she was beautiful.
Though she was.
It was because she didn’t seem impressed by him.
Most people did.
Celeste simply looked amused.
“I think you owe that person another drink.”
Julian glanced at the drink.
“Probably.”
Liora finally spoke.
“Julian?”
He looked at her.
“You know me?”
“I’ve heard enough about you.”
Liora gave him a warning look.
“Don’t.”
Julian smiled.
“I’ve heard plenty about you too.”
Celeste raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
Julian extended his hand.
“Julian.”
They shook hands.
Neither of them knew it yet.
But that simple introduction would become the beginning of something neither had planned.
That evening, Liora returned to the mansion.
She stepped through the doors.
Everything felt strangely familiar.
She had only been gone one day.
Yet somehow it felt longer.
One of the servants smiled.
“Did you enjoy your day?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Liora removed her coat.
“Where’s Lucien?”
The servant paused.
“In the study.”
Liora nodded.
She didn’t know why she had asked.
She certainly wasn’t looking for him.
Definitely not.
She walked toward the kitchen.
Then stopped.
“Is he eating?”
The servant smiled.
“No.”
Liora closed her eyes.
“Of course not.”
She picked up a tray.
Lucien was sitting at his desk when she entered.
He looked up.
“You’re back.”
“Yes.”
He glanced at the clock.
“You’re late.”
Liora stared at him.
“I’m exactly on time.”
He looked at the clock again.
“So you are.”
She placed the tray on his desk.
“You haven’t eaten.”
“I wasn’t hungry.”
“You say that every day.”
She crossed her arms.
Lucien looked at her.
“You enjoyed yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
There was a brief silence.
Then Liora smiled.
“You missed me.”
Lucien nearly choked on his tea.
“I did not.”
“You answered too quickly.”
“I answered normally.”
“You looked surprised when I came back.”
“I was surprised.”
“Because you missed me.”
“No.”
Liora grinned.
“Sure.”
She turned to leave.
Lucien watched her go.
When the door closed, he looked at the empty chair across from him.
Then he sighed.
He had spent the entire day wondering why the mansion felt different.
Why the kitchen seemed quieter.
Why the corridors seemed empty.
Why he had checked the clock more often than necessary.
He had told himself it was because he needed to know when his employee would return.
That explanation sounded reasonable.
Unfortunately, he didn’t believe it.
That night, Liora stood outside her room.
For a moment, she looked toward the east wing.
The silver-marked doors were barely visible at the end of the corridor.
She remembered the vision.
The baby.
The woman.
The voice.
Her hand instinctively touched her chest.
Something felt strange.
Not frightening.
Almost familiar.
Then she heard footsteps behind her.
She turned.
Lucien stood there.
“Why are you awake?”
Liora shrugged.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
His eyes moved toward the east wing.
Then back to her.
“Don’t go there.”
She sighed.
“I know.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
For a moment, they simply looked at each other.
Then Liora smiled.
“Goodnight, Lucien.”
“Goodnight, Liora.”
She entered her room.
Lucien remained in the corridor.
Neither of them noticed the faint silver glow beneath the floorboards of the east wing.
But somewhere behind those locked doors—
Something had begun to wake.