CHAPTER 1: The Locked Door
CHAPTER 1: The Locked Door
The key felt colder than it should have.
Vivian stood in the hallway of Ashborne, the old wood floor creaking softly beneath her steps.
At the end of the corridor was the door.
Plain.
Unmarked.
Older than the rest of the house.
The one she had never been allowed to enter as a child.
Her father’s rule had always been simple:
“Not yet.”
Now there was no one left to say it.
Vivian stepped closer.
The brass key trembled slightly in her hand—not from fear alone, but from memory pressing against her ribs.
Behind her, the house felt quieter than usual.
Not empty.
Waiting.
She slid the key into the lock.
It turned easily.
Too easily.
The click echoed through the hallway like something waking up.
And for a brief second—
Nothing happened.
Then the air changed.
A soft mechanical release deep inside the walls.
May you like
As if the house had recognized her.
The door opened inward.
