Elara sat at her desk, the dim lighting of her room casting a soft glow over the polished wooden surfaces. Her hands gripped the edges of the exam paper, her face a mask of concentration. The soft rustling of paper and the distant tick of a clock were the only sounds that filled the otherwise quiet space. Her family's estate was as grand as ever, but tonight it felt suffocating—too silent, too still.
Her focus was shattered by the abrupt entrance of her father. The door swung open, and Lord Valen strode in, a letter in hand, his expression twisted in irritation. He was a tall man with sharp features, dressed in a finely tailored suit that exuded his noble status. Elara didn't bother looking up from her paper.
