The Forgotten Lore

A suffocating silence clung to the apartment, heavy with unspoken words and unresolved emotions.

Isla had retreated to her room, the echo of Mr. Horatio's rejection was still fresh in her heart.

Yet, despite the emotional distance, Mr. Horatio couldn't abandon her.

Not now.

She needed something to dull the pain, to heal both physically and emotionally.

Mr. Horatio began preparing the tea, adding a touch of his tranquillising incantation to enhance its soothing properties. This was the usual concoction he used whenever she was injured.

The aroma of the brewing tea filled the apartment, almost hypnotic.

He poured the steaming liquid into a delicate porcelain cup and carried it carefully to Isla's room.

He knocked softly on the door, waiting for her permission to enter. "Isla," he called softly. "I made tea for you."

There was no response.