Katherine sat stiffly on the plush sofa in Maestro Eldritch's office, her fingers absently tracing the rim of her teacup. The familiar scent of parchment, aged books, and faint incense lingered in the air, wrapping around her like an old, knowing whisper.
Outside, Ariane waited in the carriage. The secrecy surrounding her correspondence with Eldritch had become second nature by now, yet it never failed to make her feel strangely… expectant. As if every visit to the Maestro's office would reveal something new, something important.
