The palace no longer felt like home.
It felt like prey.
Darkness spread slowly through the ancient halls of Nacrifa like living mist, curling across the marble floors and slipping through the cracks in the walls as though the castle itself had begun breathing differently.
Uneasily.
Fearfully.
Every servant in the palace felt it.
Every guard.
Every noble unfortunate enough to still remain inside the royal estate.
The prince had awakened.
And something about him no longer felt mortal.
The long corridor outside Sebastian's chambers had become completely deserted.
No servant dared remain there for more than a few seconds.
Candles extinguished themselves whenever he passed.
The temperature shifted unnaturally around him.
Even the portraits hanging across the walls trembled faintly as though reacting to his presence.
And in the middle of it all—
Sebastian walked silently through the palace.
Barefoot.
Still wearing the black clothing he had awakened in.
