Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Whispering Walls

Elena sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the painting in her mind long after she had left the room.

Leon had destroyed his own home.

The estate had once stood where this town was now.

That meant whatever secrets he was hiding weren't just personal—they were buried beneath this very ground.

She needed more.

The air in the house felt heavier now, charged with something unseen. She didn't trust Leon to tell her the whole truth.

But she could find it herself.

A Hidden Passage

Elena waited until the house had settled into silence. Then, she moved.

Her bare feet ghosted across the cold wooden floors as she slipped out of her room.

The hallway stretched ahead, quiet and empty. But something felt… off.

As if the walls themselves were watching.

She ignored the shiver on her skin and followed her instincts, tracing the path back toward the study.

But then—she heard it.

A sound so faint she almost thought she imagined it.

A whisper.

Elena froze. The hallway was still. The air unmoving.

But the sound was real.

And it was coming from… behind the walls.

Her breath quickened as she pressed her hand to the wooden panels. Solid. But then—

A faint draft.

Elena's fingers skimmed lower, searching—until they found it.

A seam in the wall.

A door.

Her pulse hammered as she pressed against it. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, with a soft click, the panel gave way.

A hidden passage.

Downward into Darkness

A rush of stale air met her as the door creaked open, revealing a narrow stone staircase winding downward into darkness.

Elena hesitated.

This was a bad idea. She knew that.

But she also knew that secrets didn't hide themselves.

Steeling herself, she stepped inside.

The door whispered shut behind her, sealing her in the dark.