The rhythmic, sharp sound of the shoes striking the damp cabros pavement finally stopped just on the other side of the monumental wrought-iron bars. The heavy security latch of the main gate clicked, echoing loudly through the dead silence of the misty Gwenreen District night.
The towering iron barrier slowly swung open, revealing the figure standing in the dim, yellow wash of the courtyard lights. It was Joveline Lukas. She wore a long, structured charcoal coat over a simple dark dress, her hair pinned back perfectly, reflecting the cold family lineage. Her face was a landscape of deep, bitter lines, her sharp eyes instantly picking out the two figures standing on the wet pavement outside.
