The mansion didn't sleep easily that night.
Even though the lights dimmed, even though the halls fell quiet and doors closed one by one, there was a tension woven into the silence. It lingered in the corners, in the spaces between breaths, in the way footsteps seemed just a little too careful.
Noah didn't sleep at all.
He sat on the edge of his bed, phone still in his hand long after the call had ended.
The conversation replayed in his head over and over again.
Short.
Precise.
Dangerous.
The voice on the other end had been older. Familiar. Someone he hadn't spoken to in years—but someone who knew exactly who he was the moment he spoke.
And more importantly…
Someone who confirmed Leon wasn't lying.
Noah ran a hand through his hair slowly.
"…damn it."
The guest list was real.
Not just names.
People.
Alive.
Active.
Waiting.
The past he thought had burned down completely… hadn't.
It had just been quiet.
Waiting.
A soft knock came from the door.
