whispere

just a house-it was a cage dressed in silk and marble, where shado

few days wanderi

n of L

't exist. No instructions. No greetings.

d to play ghost,

dn't sta

xpl

more I looked, the more I realized-this place wasn't just guarded for show. It was built for war. Bul

home needed

the housekeep

ered, "You don't wa

was

ted to kn

her on t

riosity. Out

someone used to survival-counting exits, tracking patterns, reading people

ritat

scinat

e bride walks like a spy. The bride looks lik

o be cold. Foc

ickly-Aurora Romano w

days before I

hout knocking. My hands tremb

ding down his forearms like vines made of fire and ruin. Pap

en flinch wh

me for four da

d. "Did you m

tone. "You married m

lly, fully. And it was like staring in

ather sold you to keep breathing. You're my wife because it ke

t wasn't an answer. T

slow and d

s is a game?"

ed to people being too scared to cha

es nar

ward. "And I'm no

d. "You're m

cracked li

ing. Not threatening. Just... close enough to

d quietly. "You don't know w

ow what I survive

sta

I saw something flic

gnit

steppe

Seven. Be

s dang

were. Not in the way bu

ous because sh

a monster. When she spoke to me li

danger was ha

was s

dom. I sat opposite him, untouched plate in front of me,

dn't

I d

d to you?" I

k pause

ersion of small

d to a ghost, I might a

le

tly, he said, "

nked.

old. Shuttered. "The

t harder tha

ere to rep

You're just here

That

For the first time since the wedding, I fe

i

e heart was buri

wasn't sure what

o More

ght become i