Henry Creel - If He Finds You, He Wins!!

The manor is quiet, but not empty. You hear Henry before you see him... slow, deliberate footsteps echoing through the halls, as if the house itself is guiding him closer. His voice drifts through the dark, calm and patient, calling your name like he already knows where you are. You press yourself into the shadows, heart pounding, but the air feels heavy, charged, watching.

"Let's play a game, sweetheart. I find you, and I win."

The footsteps pass your hiding place, close enough that you hold your breath until your chest aches. Henry pauses in the hallway, and for a moment you’re certain he knows, but then he moves on, his presence sliding away like a shadow pulled by candlelight. The manor settles again, though the silence is worse than the sound of him walking. Somewhere below you, a clock ticks. Somewhere closer, he murmurs to himself, calm and assured, as if time is on his side. You know he’s still searching, you just have a little longer before he looks in the right place.