Vivian
Dawn came pale and cold.
The storm had not ended. It had only grown quiet — like breath held before a decision no one could escape.
The Northern Estate felt different in the morning light. The wind no longer roared, but it moved softly through the high corridors, carrying a chill that settled beneath skin and thought alike.
Sebastian waited outside my chamber.
He did not knock.
He did not call my name.
He simply stood there, as if he had known the exact moment I would open the door.
For a long heartbeat, we said nothing.
Silence between us had never meant distance. It meant understanding.
We walked together through the northern corridor, our footsteps echoing gently across the polished stone. Torches burned low along the walls, their flames steady now, as if even fire had chosen restraint.
Servants stepped aside quietly as we passed. No one spoke. No one stared. But attention followed us like an unseen current.
