Eric offered his arm. “Let’s head inside.”

“Alright.” Hadley looped her arm through his and smiled again. With that, they began walking together.

The sky above was still a deep shade of blue. Streetlamps lit the courtyard, but their glow was soft, leaving parts of the path in shadow. The bushes lining the base of the walls rustled gently in the wind, their movements casting shifting shapes on the ground.

Then, out of nowhere, Hadley let out a startled cry and clung tightly to Eric’s arm.

“What’s wrong?” Eric asked, alarmed not for himself but for Hadley.

She was right there, clinging to him. He felt the sheer terror in her voice. Whatever she saw, it had shaken her.

Eric immediately pulled her into his arms and held her close. He leaned down and asked softly, “Did you see something?”

“Yes!” Hadley buried herself in his chest and pointed toward the bushes. “Didn’t you see it?”

“See what?” Eric followed her gesture and scanned the area, but there was nothing. He looked back at her, confused.

“I don’t mean now.” Hadley’s face had gone pale, and she swallowed hard. “I mean, just now, there was a shadow…”

She held out her hands, trying to show the size. “About this big. It looked like a person… but it didn’t walk. It floated, like a ghost!”

“A shadow?” Eric frowned. Lion Bay was always bustling with staff, so spotting someone moving about wasn’t exactly strange. “Maybe it was one of the servants?”

Hadley didn’t look convinced. Her frown deepened, and her voice dropped to a murmur. “But it didn’t look like a person. It floated past us!” She lifted her hand and traced a swooping motion through the air.

No one walked like that. People didn’t float.

“You’ve been so tired lately… and you got up so early today.” Eric lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her hair. “Maybe your mind’s just playing tricks on you.”

F ? g?ν.

“Really?” Hadley asked, though the worry in her eyes hadn’t gone away.

“Probably.” Eric smiled at her, doing his best to reassure her. “Don’t worry. I’m right here. Whatever it was, there’s nothing to be afraid of, okay?”

His words seemed to calm her. Slowly, Hadley relaxed and managed a faint smile. “Yes, you’re right.”

Inside the house, Ernest and Elissa were already up. Breakfast hadn’t gone well. Elissa had thrown up again.

Now, Ernest was helping her out of the bathroom. He guided her back to sit on the edge of the bed.

He frowned and said worriedly, “You’ve been throwing up so much. It’s not good. I’m calling the doctor.”

Ironically, the more attentive Ernest was, the more irritated Elissa grew. She scowled and snapped, “We’re about to leave. What’s the point of calling a doctor now?”

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