Emilia's broken trust
Gradually, the lights came back on.
The first to return was the emergency glow—thin, sterile strips embedded along the walls and ceilings. Their pale white light was unforgiving, draining warmth from every surface it touched. It illuminated the room without comforting it, casting long, angular shadows that made the corners look sharper, more hostile. Emilia’s breath was still shallow when the second phase followed: a low mechanical hum, distant at first, then swelling as the mansion’s systems rebooted one by one. Air circulation sighed back to life. Security panels flickered. Somewhere deep within the structure, reinforced doors unlocked and reset with hollow metallic clicks.
The silence that followed felt heavier than the darkness had been.
Nothing had happened.
