After classes ended, the building slowly emptied, laughter fading into quiet corridors. Lucien and Sable had already left with Dante earlier. He had mentioned something about introducing them to important figures at the castle. Something serious connected to Lucien's second elemental power.
When she reached home, she unlocked the door absentmindedly, pushing it open with one hand while adjusting her bag on her shoulder.
And then she stopped.
It was dark.
Not normal darkness without lights. Not the warm shadow of closed curtains.
Dark.
The kind of deep, swallowing darkness that feels deliberate.
Her brows slowly furrowed. She stepped inside carefully.
"Dee?" she called out softly.
No answer.
Her heart gave a strange, uneasy thump.
She took another step forward, her fingers instinctively reaching toward the wall to turn on the lights—
They didn't respond.
Her breath caught.
"Dante?" she tried again, this time a little louder.
Silence.
