I stood frozen.
My breath caught in my throat as Cecil disappeared around the corner without looking back even once.
No...
Something was terribly wrong.
That wasn't the Cecil I knew.
Even if he was arrogant...
Even if he always wore that smug smile...
His eyes had always been alive.
Now...
They were empty.
Like a doll whose strings were being pulled by someone else.
Mary watched him leave.
Then she laughed softly.
A satisfied laugh.
As though she had just finished arranging the first piece on a chessboard.
Before I could hide, her gaze slowly shifted.
Straight toward me.
Our eyes met.
She smiled.
Not surprised.
Not startled.
As if she'd known I had been watching all along.
Then...
She raised one finger.
Placed it lightly against her lips.
A silent gesture.
"Shhh."
A cold shiver crawled down my spine.
She wasn't hiding it anymore.
She wanted me to see.
Wanted me to panic.
Wanted me to understand that whatever she possessed...
It wasn't ordinary.
