Rising the next morning felt all wrong. My head was pounding, and my body felt heavy as if it had been through an intense ordeal. The layered mattress absorbed my weight without complaint, and the soft comforter I was wrapped in wafted a slight hint of naphthalene and detergent.

I looked around the room, noticing the window was still opened but no one was there. The events of last night came flooding back, and I shuddered at the memory of the voice, the cold hands, and those blood-red eyes. I couldn't shake the feeling-it had all felt so real, too real to dismiss as just a dream.

A knock on the door interrupted my chain of thoughts. "Sara, you up?" It was Ryan.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, and got out of bed. My legs felt weak, but I managed to reach the door and open it. Ryan stood there, looking concerned.

"You okay?" he asked, studying my face.

"Yeah, just... had a rough night," I replied, trying to sound more composed than I felt.

Ryan nodded, his eyes still filled with worry. "I thought I'd check on you. Mrs. Nina mentioned you didn't come down for breakfast."

I forced a smile. "Thanks, Ryan. I'm fine, just needed a bit of extra sleep."

He gave a short, understanding nod. "Alright, but if you need anything, just let me know."

"Thanks," I repeated, appreciating his concern. He lingered for a moment before heading back downstairs.

Closing the door, I leaned against it and took a deep breath. The room seemed normal now, bathed in the morning light. But the sense of unease from last night still lingered. I walked over to the window and opened it, letting in a breeze to clear the stale air. The garden below looked peaceful, completely at odds with the terror I had experienced.

I shook my head, trying to shake off the lingering fear. It had to be my imagination, or maybe some residual effect of my concussion. But no matter how much I tried to rationalise it, the memory of that voice whispering in my ear and the feeling of being held wouldn't leave me.

Determined to distract myself, I got dressed and went downstairs. The familiar sounds of the house and the smell of coffee helped ground me in reality. I found Ryan in the kitchen, chatting with Nina.

"Good morning..." Nina's melodic voice greeted me as I descended to the kitchen the next morning, where she was already setting a table for tea.

"Good morning, Nina," I replied quietly, trying to steady my voice despite the tumult of emotions within me.

"How was your sleep?" She asked, her concern palpable as she gestured towards the tray she had prepared.

"A little rough," I admitted with a weak smile, trying to brush off her worry. "My medication kept me awake."

She nodded and handed me a cup of coffee. "Drink up. It'll make you feel better."

I took the cup and sipped, letting the warmth spread through me. As I joined them at the table, the normalcy of the morning routine helped to push away the shadows of the night. But deep down, I knew I couldn't just ignore what had happened. Whether it was my mind playing tricks on me or something more, I needed to understand it.

"So, Mrs. Nina, I've been meaning to ask," Ryan's voice broke the moment's silence. Nina and I both simultaneously looked his way. "Who's that in the picture?" He pointed to a portrait nailed to the wall behind the staircase.

I watched with interest. I had gone up and down those stairs several times, but I had never noticed the portrait of a man in a crisp black suit, with a well-kept beard and strikingly blue eyes. Those eyes held an underlying familiarity.

"Oh, that's our father," Nina responded, a smile that spoke volumes about the warmth she felt towards the man.

As I studied the portrait, I could clearly see the resemblance. Those deep blue eyes were inherited by both Leon and Nina. Just as the realisation dawned, a memory of a pair of bloodshot eyes flashed in the back of my mind, and I almost lost my grip on my teacup.

"He seemed to have loved this property a lot," Ryan added, his eyes raking intensely over the aged image.

"Of course. He built this whole mansion with his blood, sweat, and tears. He loved what he made."

"How did you know, though? Are you a physiognomist or something?" Nina chuckled.

Setting down his cup, Ryan met her eyes with a smile. "Just a wild guess. He seems like the type to be a little bit possessive. Hopefully, in a good way."

"Yes, he was possessive over what he loved," Nina agreed with a nod.

Getting up from the chair, his eyes wavered to me for a brief moment before settling back on Nina. "I used to know someone like that. He loved hard when he did."

***

The moss-stained white marble bench didn't feel as haunting under the daylight-in fact, it was more welcoming without the ghostly silhouette. I sat next to Nina as we talked about the present and the past, enjoying the sweet scent of lavender, roses, and daisies. The buds from the previous night had bloomed in the warm rays of the sun. Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds frequented the garden, their buzzes and chirps filling the slightly cool morning air.

A fountain trickled in the distance, and several white marble statues, aged like the bench we sat on, stood gracefully in their aesthetic positions amidst the grass-carpeted garden and marble sidewalks. And for a moment my mind convinced me last night was just a bad dream.

Rayan had vanished into the back of the mansion, mentioning that he'd love to explore the premises more. I overheard Nina talking to him about putting the place up for sale, and he offered to help. I had a feeling he might be the one to buy it; he had a heart for such aesthetic architecture.

"So... about those things you mentioned, the ones that belonged to Leon..." I finally broached the subject.

"Oh, yes. Just a moment," Nina replied, hurrying back to the house. She returned with a green metal box and placed it carefully on the table before me. "Here it is."

I stared at the box, its familiar yet foreign appearance stirring memories and emotions I had buried deep.

"What's this...?" I asked softly, already sensing the weight of its contents.

"Open it," Nina encouraged gently, handing me a small key.

Taking a deep breath, I inserted the key into the lock, my hands trembling slightly. Nina watched with anticipation, her expression a mix of sympathy and understanding. With a click, I lifted the lid and gasped.

Inside lay a collection of items that once belonged to Leon-a thousand different notes, a photograph from his 25th birthday, his bank cards, and the small golden locket he always wore.

"These... these are Leon's," I whispered, my voice catching with emotion as I recognized each item, each a fragment of his life and our shared memories.

"Yes," Nina confirmed softly, her eyes reflecting the sorrow of remembrance. "I retrieved them from your old apartment. The landlord was clearing out, and I thought these might be important to you."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I grasped the significance of Nina's gesture, preserving these precious mementos that connected me to Leon's past.

"And this..." Nina continued, retrieving an envelope from her pocket. "Leon asked me to give this to you before he left for the airport that day."

She handed me the envelope, and my heart skipped a beat as I recognised Leon's neat handwriting on the front, addressed to me.

"To Sara."

I stared at the envelope, my mind racing with a mix of hope and despair. This could be the last message he intended for me, a final piece of himself left behind.

"This can't be real," I murmured to myself, my voice trembling with grief and disbelief. "It can't be." Deep down, I knew it was real. The ache in my heart, the weight of Leon's belongings, and the poignant envelope in my hand were all painfully real, reminders of a love that transcended time and space.

Nina placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, her eyes filled with empathy and understanding. "Sara, I know this is hard. Life can be incredibly unfair and difficult to understand sometimes. But remember, you have to keep going, no matter how tough it gets. Cherish the good memories and hold onto the love you shared. That's what will give you strength."

"I don't think I'm ready to open this," I mumbled, my nails nibbling at a corner of the old envelope.

"It was hard. It was hard to convince myself that Leon is no more. It was hard to believe that it's my reality. Even now, even at this moment, my heart wants to believe that he's just gone on a long trip and I'm longing for his return."

Tears streamed down my cheeks, the dam of sorrow finally breaking free. I pressed the sweater paw I had made to my lips to absorb the ugly sobs. "I'm afraid of crashing down, yet again."

Nina immediately stood up from her chair, moving to my side and pressing me against her. "Shh-it's okay. It's gonna be alright. I'm sorry; it was never my intention to bring you back there. It's just that Leon needed me to give this to you," she said.

I tried to look up at her through teary eyes. "He did?"

"Yes, honey. The last time he came here, he handed me this letter."

"I thought it came with the box."

"Oh no. He came to see me before he left for Alaska," she said, her fingers gently caressing through my locks. "I think that was after he sent you off to your nanny's. What was her name again-ah right, Monika."

I thought for a bit. Leon hadn't mentioned meeting Nina before his departure. Then again, who wouldn't want to visit home before a long trip? Nina was his home as much as I was.

"I'm sorry if this made you feel lost all over again. Take your time. There's no rush. You don't have to go through it just because you received it now. It sat in my drawer for a good long year. It can wait a little bit more." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"Leon really loved you, Sara. Even though he's no longer with us, he'll always be there for you in spirit. His love and the memories you made together will never fade. Use that love as your anchor and let it guide you through the difficult times."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I clutched the envelope tighter, feeling a mix of sorrow and comfort from Nina's words.

"Thank you, Nina," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I needed to hear that."

She embraced me in a warm hug. "You're a very brave girl, Sara. And thank you for accepting my request and coming all the way here. I don't know when we'll meet again, but you'll be in my prayers, always."

"So, you're really leaving?" I managed to ask, finally looking up at Nina, my voice barely a whisper.

She had informed me about her plans to go to Paris when she called. Nina wanted to see me one last time, as she might not be returning, and she needed to hand over what was Leon's.

"Yes," Nina replied softly, her gaze distant yet resolved. "I'm finally going on that tour I've always dreamed of. With Leon gone, this place feels too empty to stay."

I nodded slowly, the weight of her words settling heavily on my heart as tears streamed down my cheeks. The envelope in my hands felt like a lifeline to a world that no longer existed, a tangible connection to the love and loss that now defined my existence.