I lost track of time. The fire had died, leaving only glowing embers to cast their faint light across the room.

When I finally opened my eyes, the curtains had been drawn back. Outside lay a bluish-gray twilight—dawn or dusk, I couldn't tell. No clocks chimed in this castle; time itself seemed to blur within these walls.


A knock sounded at the door. "Hello, I am Martha, the maid assigned to you by Lord Dracula."

"Please come in," I croaked, my voice barely recognizable.

Martha entered, carrying a silver tray.


"Miss Anna, you're awake."

"What time is it?"


"Five in the afternoon." She placed the tray on the bedside table. "You've slept for nearly ten hours."

I pushed myself upright, the room spinning briefly before settling. My head still felt light, but clearer than before.

"Where is the Count?"

"In his study." Martha poured steaming tea into a delicate cup. "He said you may move freely once awake, but you must never enter the room at the east end of the second floor."

I took the cup and nodded, wondering what secrets that forbidden room might hold.

After eating, Martha helped me into a deep blue dress. Despite the thick fabric, I could still feel winter's chill seeping through the window frames.

"Miss, let me show you around the castle."

Martha guided me through the corridor, where those ancient portraits seemed to watch our passage.

"These are all ancestors of the Dracula family," Martha explained. "The Count is the last of his line."

"What happened to the others?"

"They left," Martha whispered, her voice dropping. "They left this world long ago."

We passed through a library, dining room, and music room. Each chamber was vast but eerily empty, furniture shrouded in thick dust.

At the corridor's end stood a tall window. I paused to gaze outside.

Snow continued to fall in silent waves.

The forest stretched endlessly beneath its white blanket. I wondered how the Dean and the children were faring.

"Miss?"

"It's nothing," I said, turning away from thoughts of home. "Let's continue."