Hollow Kingdom / Season 1, Episode 7
Wilted Secrets Unveiled
Eleanor’s boots crunched against the splintered floorboards of the upper corridor, the sound sharp as a snapped bone in the stillness of Ashworth Hall. Her breath caught in her throat, not from exertion but from the creeping weight of the air itself, heavy with the scent of damp plaster and something sweeter, cloying, like wilted roses left too long in a vase. She stopped mid-step, her hand brushing the peeling wallpaper, its pattern of faded ivy curling under her fingertips like something alive, shrinking from her touch. Ahead, Margot’s silhouette flickered in the dim glow of the single bulb swinging from the ceiling, her sister’s hurried pace dragging her further into the gloom toward the east wing. “Margot, slow down, for God’s sake,” Eleanor hissed, her voice low but cutting, the words scraping against the back of her teeth. She didn’t want to shout, not here, not with the house pressing in around them like a held breath. “We don’t even know what we’re walking into.” Margot didn’t turn, didn’t slow, her thin frame weaving through the shadows as if pulled by some unseen thread. “You saw it, Ellie. You saw the painting. If you’re too bloody scared to face what’s coming, turn back. I’m not waiting for you to grow a spine.” The jab landed, a cold needle under...