Chapter 08: Orin Greycloak

The morning at Misty Hollow Inn was unnaturally quiet, the air thick with tension as the students and professors gathered in the common area. Fear was etched on every face, whispers of worry and speculation circulating among the group. Elara’s absence weighed heavily on everyone’s minds, her empty bed serving as a chilling reminder that something was terribly wrong. The once lively chatter of the hostel had been replaced by an oppressive silence, each person grappling with the unsettling mystery of what had happened during the night.

Aria, who had shared many late-night conversations with Elara, sat pale and trembling on one of the worn couches, her hands wringing together as she struggled to make sense of it all. "She wouldn’t just leave like that," Aria murmured, her voice trembling with anxiety. "Elara wouldn’t go out alone in the middle of the night, not without telling anyone."