The room fell into an eerie silence, as if time itself had paused. The only sound was the distant hum of the wind colliding with trees and mountains, occasionally carrying a ghostly whistle through the cracks of the ancient villa.
The man slowly lifted his eyes from his phone. His glacial blue irises, deep and clear like a mountain lake beneath a cloudless sky, spoke of centuries passed in silence… of a time so old it no longer breathed.
With an elegant motion that surpassed imperial grace, he stood. There was a quiet majesty to him, as if gravity dared not rush his movements. He walked toward the wall, drew aside a heavy curtain, and unlocked a large sapphire-glass window. As the window opened, a gust of cold mountain air poured in, flooding the room with the scent of snow and pine.
The humming wind was no longer distant. It howled now, furious and free, like an ancient spirit awakened from slumber.
