The cellar door slammed open.
Light tore through the darkness.
Eleanor flinched, her body instinctively shrinking back. The brightness burned—too harsh after days trapped in the dark. Her vision blurred, eyes watering as she tried to focus.
A figure stepped in.
He closed the door behind him.
Darkness swallowed the room again—except for him.
Eleanor forced her eyes open, blinking through the sting.
When her vision finally cleared, she realized—it wasn’t the man she had expected. Not the familiar one.
This man was different.
There was no restraint in him. No hesitation. No trace of conflict.
He looked like he belonged to her father’s world—polished, sharp, and devoid of any warmth.
Dangerous in a cleaner way.
He stopped in front of her.
For a second—just one—hope betrayed her.
