Rhea hesitated, her expression thoughtful. "You're not wrong," she finally replied. "It does feel like that."
Naomi smiled, relieved to hear her observation validated. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so."
After a brief pause, Naomi stood. "I'll go back to my room now and read," she said.
Rhea nodded but didn't follow, sensing Naomi's desire for solitude. Naomi climbed the stairs, her thoughts wandering. The mansion felt enormous, and though she had been living here for a while now, she had only explored a small fraction of it. As she moved, the overwhelming silence seemed to fill every corner of the house. The only sounds were the soft tap of her footsteps against the marble and the faint rustling of the wind outside.
