The rain outside softened into a steady rhythm, almost like a heartbeat.
Somewhere deep within the manor, she thought she heard the faint sound of a door creaking open — but when she looked toward the window, there was only darkness.
Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone — or something — had started watching her.
Night fell softly over the estate, wrapping it in layers of mist and moonlight. The servants had long since gone quiet most of them should have been asleep by now their footsteps fading into the distant corridors.
Elara lay in bed, her body filled with the faint fragrance of the herbal bath.
The mixture had worked — the burning inside her chest had dulled, her pulse steadier now. But she could still feel the slow poison's cold presence lingering deep within her veins. It was only sleeping.
And she had no intention of letting it wake.
The locket on her neck glowed faintly, pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat — gentle, yet alive.
"Elara of this world…" she whispered, her fingers brushing the metal surface. "You suffered alone, didn't you? Don't worry. I'll finish what you started I will protect your loved ones and those who harmed you in the past won't be spared."
A sudden knock on the door made her freeze.
"My lady?" came Lina's soft voice. "I brought the night medicine the healer prescribed."
Elara smiled faintly. "Come in."
Lina entered quietly, carrying a small tray with a bowl of steaming liquid. "The mistress said to make sure you drink this before sleeping," she said.
Elara's gaze flicked toward the bowl. The scent was faintly sweet — too sweet.
"Did she?" Elara asked, voice calm. "And did she also tell you what's inside?"
Lina blinked, startled. "No, my lady. It came from the main kitchen. I assumed—"
"It's not your fault." Elara took the bowl, pretending to sip while secretly letting a drop fall onto the tip of her finger. The locket pulsed, reacting faintly.
Slow Poison it must have been the one present in her body.
so it was her she thought
A soft smile touched her lips. They really couldn't wait.
She set the bowl aside. "Tell the kitchen I finished it," she said, tone even.
Lina hesitated. "But—"
"No need to worry. I'll rest soon."
When the maid left, Elara stood and moved silently to her wardrobe. From a hidden drawer, she pulled out a dark cloak and a small pouch of herbs she had prepared earlier.
"The eastern tower…" she whispered, her eyes shining in the moonlight.
The tower was said to have been sealed long ago — forbidden, forgotten, and avoided by the household. But according to the diary, her mother had left something there, something that might help her understand what was happening.
She couldn't wait until morning.
Wrapping the cloak tightly around her, she slipped out through the balcony, climbing down the vines with careful steps. The night air was cold, brushing against her skin like whispers.
The eastern side of the estate was quiet — overgrown with ivy and shadows.
When she reached the old courtyard, she stopped.
The tower stood there, tall and broken, its surface covered with dust and cracks. The moonlight caught on its glass windows, making them shimmer faintly like eyes watching her.
For a moment, she felt something — a faint pull in her chest, like the locket itself was guiding her forward.
She placed her hand on the door.
It creaked open with a low, ghostly groan.
As she walked to the part inside .She saw
Dust filled the air, and the scent of old incense lingered faintly. Inside, the walls were covered with strange carvings — symbols that looked almost like runes, but older, deeper.
Elara's eyes widened. She could feel energy here — a kind she hadn't felt since her past world.
As she stepped further in, the locket glowed brighter, illuminating the symbols on the floor.
She felt a cold breeze pass by her side. Then, from somewhere deep within the tower, a voice whispered faintly — a woman's voice, gentle and sorrowful:
"Elara… my daughter…"
Elara froze, her heart pounding.
The light from her locket flared, filling the entire chamber with golden warmth.
And in that glow, she saw a faint, ghostly figure — a woman with long black hair and kind, tired eyes — standing before her.