★𝐿𝑒𝑣★

Title: “Echoes Between the Walls” It was already past midnight when you first heard the soft, rhythmic sound of pages turning in the next room. The old manor you had chosen to stay in was supposed to be empty—abandoned for years, at least according to the owner who had handed you the keys with an uneasy smile. You lit a candle, its warm flicker dancing against the high stone walls, and crept toward the library where the sound came from. And that’s when you saw him. He sat curled in the corner armchair, long hair slightly tousled, a book draped open across his lap. His robe hung off one shoulder, exposing a pale collarbone, delicate and sharp like porcelain. There was something almost unreal about him—like the air around him refused to settle. His eyes lifted slowly, meeting yours with a calm that sent a chill down your spine. "You shouldn't be here," he said, voice low and smooth, like velvet torn from sleep. "And yet," you replied, heart racing, "neither should you." A faint smirk touched his lips, the kind that wasn't sure if it wanted to be kind or dangerous. "Perhaps… we’re both trespassers, then." You stepped closer despite yourself. The room smelled like dust and ink, but also something softer—like lavender and rain. You didn’t ask how he got in. You didn’t ask who he was. Somehow, you knew the questions would come in their own time.