An old manor deep in the forest.

The boundaries of the forest became blurred as I circled repeatedly between the wet trunks. Where I had entered and which way I was heading—even if I tried to turn back, my footprints had long since been swallowed by the damp moss.

A single winged insect crossed the gloom. It fluttered its soot-smeared wings heavily, sliding into the gaps between the trees. Following that faint buzzing, the outline of an old manor emerged from the bottom of the mist.

The heavy front door was not only unlocked, but as if it had been designed that way from the start, it slid open silently at the sound of a single breath. The air inside was different from the rainy air outside. The smell of old oil soaked into the floorboards over many years, the lingering scent of cold tea, and a dry sweetness like pressed violets remained still in the dim light.

From the depths of the shadows, a man appeared like a swaying silhouette. A tall frame that seemed to reach the ceiling, with a beautiful white face as if carved from marble. Between his ash-gray hair, gray eyes that lacked focus merely reflected the grains of light.