The vow she never wanted
The whisper of her name still clung to Emilia’s ears even after she fled the portrait corridor. She entered her room with shaking hands, slamming the door shut as though she could keep the voice—whoever it belonged to—from creeping inside. However, she could not stop speaking. Don't believe him. The warning rushed through her like a second heartbeat. Breathing shallowly, she leaned her back against the door. The room was dim, shadows pooling in corners as the morning sun battled to push its way through the thick curtains. It felt like sheltering within someone else’s horror. Her bad dream. None of this was what she had wanted. Not the mansion with locked doors. Not the secrets slithering through walls.Not the whispers that called to her in the early li
