Alessia Mancini
We passed through an ornate sitting room, the plush carpets muffling our footsteps. I caught a glimpse of myself in a gilded mirror – cheeks flushed, eyes wide with a mixture of trepidation and... was that excitement? I quickly looked away, unsettled by my own reflection.
The click of a lock made me jump. Giovanni had opened a heavy wooden door, revealing a dimly lit passage beyond. My heart raced as we stepped into the shadows, the door closing behind us with a soft thud.
"Giovanni," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding in my ears. "Where are we going?" He didn't answer immediately, instead guiding me forward with a gentle pressure on the small of my back. The narrow corridor was lined with what looked like antique tapestries, their faded scenes barely
