SOFIA
The house didn’t return to normal. It just pretended to.
At first glance, everything looked the same. The halls were clean. The staff moved with the same quiet precision. Doors opened and closed on time. Meals were served exactly when they should be. But underneath it, everything was tighter. You could feel it in the way people moved. Less space between steps. Less delay between instruction and action. Conversations didn’t just lower when I walked past, they stopped completely. It wasn't the usual controlled silence; it was a defensive one.
I noticed it the moment I stepped out of my room the next morning. There was someone outside my door. Not Clara. One of the men. He didn’t speak when I looked at him. Just acknowledged me with a slight nod and stepped aside enough for me to pas
