Leona’s POV
The mansion seemed to hold its breath tonight, every corner of the grand, shadowed halls wrapped in a suffocating silence that pressed against my chest. It wasn’t just the stillness—it was the sensation that I wasn’t alone, even in the solitude of my room. The house carried a strange presence, an awareness that seeped into every creak of the floorboards and every whisper of the wind through its ancient walls.
I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands gripping the fabric of the shawl draped around my shoulders. Sleep felt impossible. Each time I closed my eyes, I felt as though someone—or something—was watching me. The feeling was oppressive, like unseen eyes following my every move.
The mansion itself felt alive, its heavy pulse vibrating through the air. The longer I stayed, t
