Following Hridoy, Sunslite stepped inside the main door of the ancient manor. The room inside was not as dark as she expected, but rather colder and immensely vast. The hall felt like a silent tomb. The ceilings were high, the walls adorned with oil paintings in deep colors, and the furniture was massive, made of dark wood. It felt as if history was collected in every particle of dust here.
Hridoy gestured towards a massive, rust-red velvet sofa. The sofa was so large that Sunslite nearly got lost in one corner of it. She sat down gently, gripping the handle of her small white bag tightly—it felt like the last connection to her familiar world.
Hridoy stood in the center of the room. He did not speak; he simply stared at Sunslite with steady eyes, his unusual blue eyes devoid of any emotion. The silence lengthened, and Sunslite's heartbeat seemed to echo against the velvet of the sofa.
Suddenly, Hridoy raised one hand and, with intense focus, carefully adjusted his glasses slightly on the bridge of his nose. Even this minor movement felt like a huge event to Sunslite. It was the gesture of someone preparing to say something crucial.
Once the adjustment was complete, Hridoy began to speak in a voice that was soft but firm:
"Sunslite," he called. "Your father told you that you have 'light' within you. But my job is not just to ignite that light. My job is to teach you... how light compels the darkness."
He slowly advanced towards the sofa, the creases of his black shirt smooth, his gaze unwavering.
"And for that, you must first learn how to turn fear into power. Fear is your first lesson."
Sunslite gripped her bag even tighter, the ends of her sun-faded brown hair resting against the sofa fabric. She realized it would be difficult to trust this man, but without him, she had no guide in this mysterious manor.
Tears and the Cold Touch
Hridoy fixed his blue eyes on Sunslite and slowly leaned towards the sofa. He did not sit; instead, he leaned over the armrest, his black shirt casting a shadow over Sunslite. The distance was so minimal that Sunslite could feel his cool breath.
Then, he almost whispered something into Sunslite's ear—something that could not be heard by anyone else.
The words were indistinct, but their meaning was sharp, as if striking directly into the depth of Sunslite's soul. The horror of those words was too much for Sunslite to bear. Intense fear caused light tears to well up in her eyes. A single drop rolled down her cheek from the corner of her eye.
Hridoy noticed the tear.
He immediately raised his hand. Before Sunslite could react, Hridoy used his long, cold finger to carefully wipe away that single drop of tear from Sunslite's cheek. His touch was like ice.
But that was not the end.
Sunslite watched, bewildered, as Hridoy slowly brought that same finger to his lips. Then, he calmly consumed the teardrop.
The entire event happened in a single moment. As Hridoy drank the tear, his blue eyes seemed to flicker with an unknown satisfaction.
Sunslite felt a profound sickness wash over her entire body. This touch, this consumption—it felt like a personal violation, as if a sacred part of her had been stolen. Her body trembled, and a deep, negative feeling (which made Sunslite feel very bad) was born in her heart—this man was not normal. He was not a teacher; he was a predator.
Hridoy adjusted his glasses again, this time a sinister smile touched his lips.
"Saline," he whispered. "Fear, dear Sunslite, is a wonderfully delicious element. This manor will feed on your fear before it uses your power."
He stood up. The mystery from the high ceiling of the hall seemed to be watching them.
"Come, let the Grand House welcome you. Let our first lesson begin: the lesson of self-preservation."Hridoy started walking towards the interior of the hall with extreme speed, as if he had no moment to waste.
Sunslite followed him. But her legs were still trembling, her mind scattered—the memory of Hridoy's blue eyes, his cold touch, and the repulsive experience of him drinking her tear kept flooding back.
She was walking very slowly, every step seeming to go against her will. The dark wood and the silence of the hall made her feel even heavier.
Suddenly, her focus broke due to her fear, and her steps faltered. She tripped on the corner of a thick carpet laid on the hall floor.
Just as she was about to fall forward, a cold, solid hand instantly grabbed her elbow with the speed of lightning. Hridoy did not delay for a moment. Feeling the firmness of his muscles, Sunslite straightened up.
Hridoy was still holding her arm. The distance between them was so close that Sunslite could see her own frightened reflection in his glasses.
Hridoy's voice held no sympathy, only cold observation.
He whispered, "Why are you walking so slowly? Is your body nervous? Every speck of dust in this house knows you are afraid. This weakness of yours, Sunslite, will be your biggest enemy in this house."
Hridoy released her elbow. Though his touch was gone, the cold sensation lingered.
"You must learn quickly here. Let's go to the Library. That is where your 'light' will first respond."
Sunslite mustered a moment of courage and looked at him. "Why are your hands so cold?"
Hridoy smiled over his glasses. "Because, my dear Sunslite, this house does not just feed on fear; it absorbs heat. And I am the house's longest resident."
He turned and began walking towards a massive black wooden staircase.
The Blushing Trap
Hridoy's words made Sunslite deeply thoughtful. This house absorbs heat? And he is its longest resident?
Sunslite was staring at him, stunned. Just as Hridoy prepared to walk up the stairs, he suddenly turned back.
His two blue eyes fixed on Sunslite's for a moment. Then, the cold, mysterious man, whose hand still carried the taste of Sunslite's tears—very slowly, he gave a deep, meaningful wink.
That wink seemed to cast a sudden light on all the previous harshness and terror, a light that was intensely personal and appealing.
Sunslite was unprepared for such a thing. She had been fighting Hridoy's cruelty, but this simple gesture seemed to break down all her defenses.
In a state of intense shame and unpreparedness, her face turned red (she blushed intensely). Her cheeks and ears became warm, an emotion directly opposite to Hridoy's coldness and her own fear. For a moment, she forgot that this man had brought tears to her eyes and consumed them. Her inner teenage mind, just standing on the threshold of womanhood, trembled with conflict and excitement at this attention.
Hridoy noticed this change. That sinister smile reappeared at the corner of his lips. He seemed to know that both fear and attraction could be used to control Sunslite.
"Come," Hridoy said calmly. "You've warmed up now. The Library is much colder."
He started quickly ascending the stairs. Sunslite made a futile attempt to hide her reddened face and followed him unwillingly. Her mind was now a complex mix of fear and an unfamiliar, forbidden attraction.
The Arrival of Esther
Sunslite was climbing the stairs, the warmth of Hridoy's wink still in her heart. She was trying to regain her composure when they reached a wide landing, about halfway up the grand staircase.
Just then, a woman approached from a side corridor. She was in her forties, dressed in a dark, modest uniform. Her face was calm, yet bore the mark of exhaustion or long years of silent service. She was as silent and somber as the rest of the manor.
Hridoy paused.
The woman approached and greeted Hridoy with a slight bow, then her gaze fixed on Sunslite. Her eyes held no curiosity, only a sense of duty.
"She has come for you, Sunslite," Hridoy said, with a slight quickness in his voice. "This is the chief Maid (Parichārikā), Esther. She will be in charge of all your personal needs."
Esther knelt down respectfully and greeted Sunslite.
"Welcome, Madam Sunslite," Esther whispered. Her voice was not warm like a mother's, but it was far more comforting than Hridoy's chill. "You must be tired from your journey. I have come to take your belongings to your chamber."
Sunslite felt relief, as if she could breathe for a moment. Unconsciously, she handed her small white bag to Esther. The bag seemed to have been holding the tension of her mind all this time.
Esther accepted the bag. This bag was no longer just a familiar object; it was the last tangible sign of Sunslite's ordinary past.
Hridoy watched this exchange.
"Esther, all the rules have been clearly explained to you. For now, no one is to approach the Madam until the Library lesson is over. And... there should be no extra light in her room." Hridoy emphasized the word 'light.'
Esther nodded calmly. "As commanded, Sir."
"Good," Hridoy turned back to Sunslite. This time there was no teasing or winking in his gaze, only intense focus. "You have someone to attend to your care. But only you can learn your power. Come, it is time for the Library."
Hridoy started ascending the stairs again. Sunslite wanted to follow Esther, but Hridoy's silent presence compelled her to follow him instead.
Now her white bag was gone. Another symbol of her weakness seemed to be seized by the manor.
The Unsleeping Watcher
The deep silence of the night had descended upon the Grand House of Reinhart. The massive manor was like a colossal shadow, cold and hard even in the moonlight.
Bearing the exhaustion and residual fear of the day, Sunslite was deep in sleep in her chamber. The room was vast, filled with old furniture, and, as per Hridoy's instruction, no extra lights were left on. Though the slight light from outside did not penetrate her eyes, every nerve in her body felt the pressure of this new environment. Perhaps she was having nightmares—nightmares of blue eyes and cold hands.
Right in front of the large window were white, thin curtains. When a slight breeze blew, the curtains moved mysteriously, blending with the dense darkness outside the windowpane.
The room was shrouded in absolute darkness. But, just outside that window, deep in the shadows, past the tree leaves, two intense blue points suddenly flared up.
From a distance, or perhaps very close to the window—someone's blue eyes were glowing.
The light was not ordinary reflection; it was a strange luminescence coming from within. It was as if a predator was keeping watch over its prey. The eyes were not moving, only staring steadily towards the white curtains—at Sunslite lying asleep behind them.
The intense, glowing blue light of the eyes suggested that Hridoy does not sleep. He merely waits. And in this house, even before her lesson on protecting her 'light' began, every moment of her weakness was being closely monitored.
The dark sentinel was still awake.