The morning after the battle dawned gray and somber, the sky heavy with clouds that reflected the mood of the mansion's inhabitants. The courtyard was eerily silent as the survivors gathered around the newly constructed graveyard. Snow, stained red from the bloodshed of the day before, still clung to the ground, and a cold wind whispered through the skeletal trees.
George stood at the edge of the graveyard, his face hardened with the weight of the responsibility he carried. They had won the battle, but at what cost? Too many had died defending their home, and the heavy silence of the group gathered for the burial reminded him that victory came with a steep price.
