The first rumble came just after midnight. Mira Patel jolted awake, her heart racing as the bed trembled beneath her. Earthquake? She fumbled for her phone, squinting at the bright screen. No alerts. A second tremor, stronger this time, sent a framed photo clattering to the floor. Mira leapt up, maternal instinct overriding confusion as she rushed to her son’s room. “Ethan!” She flung open the door to find the 12-year-old already sitting up, eyes wide with fear. ...
The lavender-scented breeze caressed Olivia’s face as she stepped off the train in Aix-en-Provence. Squinting in the bright Mediterranean sunlight, she took a deep breath, savoring the intoxicating blend of herbs and flowers that perfumed the air. After months of planning and anticipation, she had finally arrived for her summer art residency in the South of France. Olivia hitched her canvas tote higher on her shoulder and grabbed the handle of her rolling suitcase. As she made her way through the quaint station, a flutter of excitement mixed with apprehension in her chest. At 32, she was taking a huge risk by leaving behind her stable but unfulfilling graphic design job in Chicago to pursue her true passion for painting. This residency was her chance to prove to herself - and her skeptical parents - that she could make it as a real artist. ...
The delicate hands of the pocket watch trembled in Evelyn Blackwood’s palm, its golden surface gleaming in the soft lamplight. Her brow furrowed as she peered at the intricate engravings etched inside the case—a series of cryptic symbols that defied comprehension. Evelyn had always prided herself on her keen intellect, but these markings left her utterly perplexed. She glanced up at the ornate grandfather clock looming in the corner of Lady Amelia Rothschild’s study, its steady ticking a soothing counterpoint to the racing of her thoughts. As governess to Lady Rothschild’s young daughter, Evelyn was accustomed to solving puzzles and deciphering codes to keep her precocious charge entertained. But this… this was something else entirely. ...