The night air around the Leclair estate was still, carrying the faint perfume of lilies and pine from the distant gardens. Stars shimmered faintly above the mountain ridge, painting silver trails across the deep blue sky. After parting with Khione at her door — her gentle smile still lingering in his mind — Nero turned his steps toward the rear of the estate.
The mansion's back mountain loomed quietly behind the main grounds, a vast expanse of forest and stone carved by nature and time. Few ever ventured there, but Nero sought silence — the kind only untouched wilderness could offer. He needed the solitude… and the pain that would follow.
