SOFIA
I didn’t go looking for answers at least, not directly. That had never worked in this house. But the space always gave something away, not in what it said, but in what it didn't. It started with a door, one that wasn’t supposed to be open.
I wasn’t trying to go anywhere specific while moving through the west corridor, which was always quieter than the rest of the house. I walked slower than usual, more aware of how the air shifted and how quickly a shadow would detach itself from a corner if I stepped too far outside the lines. But this time, no one stopped me. No quiet footfalls followed, and no polite, firm voice directed me elsewhere.
The door was slightly ajar. It wasn't wide or inviting, just not closed. That alone felt like a fracture in the reality of this place. Nothing he
