MADELINE
The air outside felt different.
Not cooler. Not warmer. Just… altered in a way I could not quite name.
I stood on the wide stone terrace overlooking the courtyard and let the midday sun rest against my face. The light was bright, almost harsh, but after the dim corridors inside, it felt grounding. Real.
Behind me, faint sounds carried from within the estate. Movement. Voices. The steady rhythm of people working, cleaning, putting everything back together after everything that had happened.
I did not turn.
I stayed where I was and breathed.
The door opened behind me. Footsteps followed, light and familiar against the stone.
Wilhelm.
He came to a stop beside me without speaking. For a moment, he simply stood there, his presence quiet, his gaze fixed on the same view stretched out before us.
