Oakley sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers brushing across the soft quilt beneath her. The room was still, wrapped in a silence so deep it felt unnatural. Not peaceful. Just... expectant. Like the walls were waiting for something.
She looked around for the fifth time in twenty minutes. Nothing had changed. The lamp still glowed warm and gentle in the corner. She had fallen asleep soon after she and finished eating only to wake up to see that it was already night time. The tray that once held her lunch was gone, taken away by the maid.
No one had returned since.
No one said anything about what came next.
Oakley got to her feet and wandered toward the window. The curtains were thick and heavy, but she tugged one aside. Outside, the world was dark. Beyond the faint glow of lanterns lining the garden path, there was only shadow. Trees swayed gently in the breeze. Somewhere far off, she thought she heard a dog bark, but she couldn't be sure.
The mansion was enormous. Beautiful, yes—but cold. Too clean. Too quiet.
She stepped back from the window and paced a little. The silence made her restless. Made her feel weary of what would come next.
Her eyes flicked to the door.
She hadn't tried opening it since she had woken up.
Heart ticking a little faster, she reached for the knob and turned it slowly.
It opened.
Not locked.
"Weird." She whispered to herself.
Still, she didn't open it all the way. Just enough to peek out. The hallway was dimly lit, but empty. A long stretch of marble floor tiles and plain white paint on the walls.
No sound. No footsteps. No guards.
She closed the door again and locked it herself this time, even though part of her knew it wouldn't matter if someone really wanted to get in.
She sat on the bed again, hugging her knees.
This whole place was strange.
No harsh voices. No punishment. No demands. Just… waiting.
"You'll meet him when he wishes it."
The maid's words replayed in her head like a riddle. That was the maid's answer when she had asked about her owner.
Who was this "him"? Why hadn't he come to see her? Was he watching? Testing her?
Maybe he didn't care. Or maybe he was the kind of man who enjoyed letting people fear the unknown.
She shook her head and tried to push the thoughts away.
She was safe—for now. That was all that mattered.
But as she lay down and pulled the blanket over herself, a single thought pressed hard against her chest:
This can't last.
Not the quiet.
Not the kindness.
Not the comfort.
Nothing here was free.