The chatter emanating from the balcony stood as the only sound filling the otherwise quiet manor.
There was no sign of Ada, Astrid or Arumina along her way towards the kitchens at all.
The reason for that was simple; there was nobody in the kitchens.
Arabella stood there for a moment, considering the situation at hand. There were neat trays of food ready to be served still untouched on the counters but no one to take them.
"Ada?" she called.
The eerie silence that answered sent shivers down her spine.
She stepped inside very carefully, circling around the stoves and then back to the door.
Nothing…
The hallways felt colder after that, wider, emptier.
"Astrid?" another attempt.
To no avail, of course. And so, every step of the way, one of her hands glided along the walls while the other hand rested around her mother's pendant for comfort.
