that could be felt in every corner. Elías's every step resonat

ldn't settle. The Altamirano house wasn't just large, it was imposing. And there was something about its size, its coldness, that reminded him of the walls of his childhood shed, the ones th

nd it. "The gallery in the back," Nina said in her raspy voice, as if that part of the house were buried in more than just dust. She handed him a rag and

o discover the secrets hidden between every fold of the heavy curtains and every shadow on the walls. There was something about the mansion that didn't fit, something he couldn't quite

was piled on top of each other, as if it were an abandoned antique shop. Dust covered everything, and the light coming in through the high windows only served to highlight the floating

alls, of people he didn't know, seemed unsettling to him. Some were obscured by the lack of light, others bare

r. On it, engraved the letters "R.A.". The air seemed to thicken around him, and a strange sense of recognition washed over him. His hands shook as he held the medal. A flash of his past passed through him: a child running, the smell of rancid oil, screams, and then, silence. Elias squeezed his eyes shut and pushed the object away. The image disappeared as quickly as it had come, but

lías looked at her, and for a moment, they both stood there, face to face. There were no w

?" she asked, her voice

about the discovery, answere

ing, like

the room and dissipate any tension. When she did, the light that entered revealed more of the room's details, highlighting the aged books and d

d, without changing looking at her express

before leaving, with one last glance in her dir

s mind as the door closed behind Nina, leaving the you

n't understand why he felt so overwhelmed by things that seemed so simple. Like that jewelry box. Or like Victo

ouse loomed beside him, enormous, almost threatening. Without warning, he saw Victoria in the distance, walking alone across the lawn

thoughtful. The moonlight partially bathed her, creating a soft halo around her. He watched her every movement, as if he were look

aiting for, at some point, the distance between them to dissolve. But it didn't.

ust as Victoria did. And in some corner, Elias felt t