Sandy's POV
The silence in the room pressed against me after Zayden vanished, his dark energy still clinging to the air like smoke. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was watching me even when he wasn't there.
Edison appeared shortly after with the dress, setting it carefully on the bed before retreating without a word. I washed quickly, my hands trembling as I slipped into the garment Zayden had chosen.
I had to escape this suffocating space, had to find somewhere I could breathe without feeling his presence wrapped around my throat.
The marble floor bit into my bare feet as I crept from the room, easing the door shut behind me. The hallway stretched endlessly in both directions, shadows pooling in corners where the dim lighting couldn't reach.
This place was a labyrinth of secrets. Every surface told a story I didn't want to understand. Elaborate carvings wound along the walls like frozen serpents, their meanings lost to time and darkness.
