After breakfast, Serena excused herself and quietly made her way back to her room, the same dark-themed suite that, on her first night in the mansion, had felt far too imposing to offer any real comfort. The heavy velvet curtains still shrouded the windows in shadow, and the deep gray walls gave off an atmosphere that once felt unwelcoming. But now, surprisingly, it felt… familiar and safe.
She stepped in slowly and closed the door behind her with a soft click, exhaling deeply as her back met the wood. The scent of the room wrapped around her.
Serena kicked off her shoes and padded across the cool floor, moving straight to the bed where she let herself fall backward onto the mattress. The sheets were still neat, pulled tight at the edges by the maids, but the weight of the room around her invited her to sink into it, to get lost in it.
