The moment Hiraya entered the mansion foyer, a crippling wave of nostalgia washed over her.
She halted briefly, pretending to admire the magnificent and artistic interior decor.
The surroundings, despite its opulence, spoke volumes of power, aristocracy and violence.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jasper whispered from behind her, pointing to his favourite painting on the wall.
The artwork was a century-old creation. It had been in the Chavez family's possession for decades, way before Joel was born.
It was a realistic painting of a frost-covered undead warrior in a medieval setting.
The warrior was clad in a partially frozen battle-worn metallic armour, with bloodied icicles hanging from its shoulders and helmet. His glowing grey eyes pierced through the darkness under a tattered cloak, and his skeletal face was partly covered in frost and dried blood.
Behind him lay ancient, crumbling ruins enveloped in snow and mist, with a bleak, cold sky overhead.
