The days that followed felt both slow and overwhelming. It was a kind of peace Leona wasn’t sure she was ready for. The mansion had been reduced to rubble, the dark force that had bound her to it now gone. For the first time in what felt like forever, the weight of that oppressive presence had lifted. But as the silence settled around them, she couldn’t help but feel a deep emptiness inside.
She tried to distract herself, focusing on the things that were familiar, on the things that should have been comforting. The air felt fresher now, clearer, as if the world itself had breathed a sigh of relief. She spent time walking among the ruins, her fingers trailing over the remnants of the stone and wood that had once made up the mansion. She couldn’t bring herself to feel anything but a quiet s
