Storm Manor.
In the middle of the night, Mary awoke.
Clang! Clang!
In the silence, only the long pendulum of the mahogany grandfather clock kept swinging back and forth, emitting a faint sound.
She had grown up on this estate since she was a child and knew her parents were very fond of mechanical items like clocks.
In the estate's great hall, along the corridors, and within the master's collection room, what was displayed were not precious antiques, but various mechanical artifacts.
And of all things, mechanical clocks were this couple's favorite.
Ding Dong!
The sound of the clock striking twelve echoed.
"Nanny! Nanny!"
Mary called out several times, but no one answered.
She got up, still in her nightgown, rubbing her eyes.
Outside the crack of the door, the orange glow of the candlelight shone through.
The little girl, holding her teddy bear, sneaked out of the bedroom—perhaps for a novel adventure or simply an unconscious stroll.
