The road back felt longer than I remembered.
Maybe because it had been years.
The mountains stood the same—tall, covered in mist, their peaks hidden in clouds. Nothing about this place had changed.
Or maybe it had.
I just couldn't see it yet.
By the time I reached the convent, the sky had already turned dark. The wind had picked up, moving through the trees with a low sound.
A storm was coming.
The main gate was still the same. Old, heavy, slightly open.
I pushed it and stepped inside.
For a moment, I just stood there.
Everything looked familiar.
The courtyard. The walls. The silence.
It all felt the same.
But it didn't feel welcoming.
Thunder echoed in the distance.
Then rain started.
Slow at first.
Then heavier.
I moved quickly and entered the main building. The doors shut behind me with a dull sound.
Inside, it was quieter.
Too quiet.
The halls were dimly lit. A few candles on the walls. Shadows moving slightly as the wind pushed against the windows.
I walked forward slowly.
Every step felt louder than it should.
I passed a long corridor.
At the far end—
I thought I saw someone.
Standing still.
Watching.
Lightning flashed.
For a second, the whole hallway lit up.
No one was there.
I stopped walking.
Maybe I was just tired.
A door creaked somewhere deeper inside the building.
I turned, but couldn't see where it came from.
Only darkness.
And the sound of the storm outside.
I let out a slow breath and kept walking.
This place hadn't changed.
But something about it felt different.
I couldn't explain it.
Not yet.
I found an empty room and stepped inside. It was simple. A bed, a table, nothing more.
Just like before.
I sat on the edge of the bed, listening to the rain hitting the windows.
Loud.
Endless.
For a moment, I thought about leaving.
But I didn't.
I lay back and closed my eyes.
The storm kept going.
And somewhere in between the thunder—
I felt it again.
That same feeling.
Like something in this place had been waiting.
End of Chapter 1