MANSION GUEST ROOM – 4:05 AM
The rain pounded the mansion's roof like a relentless drum, wind howling through cracked windows as Vincent pressed himself against the cold wall behind the velvet curtains, breath shallow, heart a wild beast in his chest.
The silver bracelet—Marcus's lion-etched talisman—burned in his pocket, a weight of betrayal and memory. Footsteps thudded closer, boots heavy on polished hardwood. The door creaked open, and Vincent's pulse spiked in his ears, drumming with a high-pitched rhythm that matched the storm outside.
