A house built by bones

~ Chapter 3 ~

Saturday morning arrived with a soft glow of dawn filtering through the curtains. Emilia stirred in her bed, the lingering haze of sleep slowly fading away as her alarm clock buzzed to life. 6:30 a.m., just as she had planned. With a deep breath, she pushed the covers aside and sat up, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling still clinging to her from the night before.

She needed to keep herself calm, focused. Today was a big day. After splashing some cold water on her face, Emilia picked out a presentable outfit from her closet-a simple blouse and a pair of comfortable jeans-and pulled her hair back into a neat ponytail. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Professional, yet casual. Satisfied, she grabbed her overnight bag and walked into the living room.

Luna was perched by the door, watching her with those bright, curious eyes. She must have sensed something was different about today.

"I'll be back tomorrow," Emilia murmured as she bent down to pet Luna's soft fur. "Don't give Mrs. Cole too much trouble while I'm gone, okay?"

Luna meowed, as if in protest, but didn't move away. Emilia chuckled softly and scooped her up, heading next door to her neighbor's apartment. Mrs. Cole, a kind older woman with a love for cats, had agreed to watch Luna for the day.

"Come on, Luna," Emilia whispered as she knocked on the door. Mrs. Cole answered within moments, smiling warmly.

"Ah, Luna! My little guest of honor," Mrs. Cole greeted, reaching out to take the cat from Emilia's arms. "Don't worry, dear. We'll be just fine."

"Thanks again," Emilia said gratefully. "I'll pick her up tomorrow evening."

With a quick goodbye, Emilia headed back to her car, trying to keep her nerves in check. The long drive ahead of her would give her plenty of time to overthink, but she wasn't about to let her mind get the best of her. Not now.

Her first stop was the gas station. As she filled up the tank, Emilia mentally ran through everything she needed to do once she got to Raven's Peak. She still hadn't fully grasped the reality of what was happening-meeting with a lawyer about a man she'd never known, yet who had left her everything he had. It still didn't make any sense.

She shook the thoughts away and headed into the station's convenience store. The smell of freshly brewed coffee hit her as soon as she stepped inside, and Emilia wasted no time in grabbing a cup, adding a splash of cream and sugar. She eyed the pastry display, finally settling on a buttery croissant.

With her coffee and pastry in hand, she returned to her car, taking a deep breath before starting the engine. She sipped her coffee, feeling the warmth seep into her as she prepared herself for the long drive ahead. The trip to Raven's Peak would take around four to five hours, depending on traffic, and as she adjusted her GPS, she couldn't help but feel a small flutter of anxiety.

"Okay, here we go," she murmured to herself as she pulled out of the gas station and onto the road.

The scenery began to change as the miles passed. The busy streets of Crimson Bay faded into quieter highways lined with tall trees and sprawling fields. Emilia tried to focus on the beauty of it all-the golden light filtering through the trees, the open sky stretching far ahead-but that nagging feeling of unease remained in the back of her mind.

She glanced at the GPS again. Raven's Peak wasn't too far now. With another sip of coffee, Emilia tried to calm her racing thoughts. Maybe Mrs. Hargrave was right. Maybe this would all turn out fine. But something about this trip, about her grandfather, still felt... off. She just couldn't shake the feeling that she was about to uncover something far bigger than she ever imagined.

As Raven's Peak drew nearer, Emilia couldn't help but wonder: was this trip really just about an inheritance, or was it the beginning of something much deeper?