The Ortolan 2

ELIJAH'S POV

The Rossi mansion loomed before me, its grandeur now shrouded in an eerie silence that unsettled me to my core. The towering columns, the perfectly manicured lawns, the glistening marble steps—all of it felt cold and distant, like a world I no longer belonged to. I swallowed hard, trying to calm the storm raging inside me, but it was no use. I could feel my hands trembling, my stomach twisting in knots as I forced myself to take that final step inside.

The air was heavy with the scent of lilies and something else, something that lingered beneath the floral sweetness—decay, the stench of death. The foyer was filled with people, all dressed in somber black, their faces masks of solemnity and grief. They moved about in hushed tones, their voices blending into a murmur that buzzed in my ears, making it hard to think.