Morning slowly descended upon the Valecrest Manor beneath a strangely oppressive atmosphere that refused to disappear even after the horrors of the previous night had already ended, as servants, maids, attendants, and guards continued moving throughout the enormous estate performing their usual duties with disciplined precision while an invisible tension still lingered heavily over everyone present.
The corridors remained quieter than usual.
The servants spoke more softly.
And every time Damon's name was mentioned—
The voices lowered even further.
The events from the previous night had spread throughout the manor far faster than anyone expected, because although everyone had personally witnessed what happened inside the grand hall but very few beneath the underground chambers, fear itself had already filled the empty spaces between the rumors.
