Chapter 38:

Dante’s POV:

The wooden stairs creaked softly beneath our steps, each one echoing into a quiet that felt deeper the higher we climbed. As we reached the second floor, something about the air shifted. The scent of warm spices faded into the background, replaced by the faint smell of sandalwood and aged timber.

There were only two rooms upstairs and a small landing area between them, dimly lit by a