Inside the estate, everything felt slightly altered.
Not visibly.
Structurally.
Elize noticed it the moment she stepped beyond the main hall.
A guard near the entrance adjusted his stance a fraction too quickly when she passed. Not enough to be obvious, but enough to signal awareness. A servant carrying a tray slowed for half a second longer than necessary, eyes flicking toward her before lowering again. Another pair further down the corridor fell silent too abruptly, their conversation snapping shut like a door.
Small things.
But consistent.
And consistency meant intention.
Elize continued walking, her expression unchanged, but her attention sharpening with every step. The estate was no longer just a place she moved through—it had become something that registered her presence diff
