Nightmare

The elevator stopped between floors. It's just the two of you. The dispatcher promised "about forty minutes." She pressed the button three times.

Один из четырёх мастеров-кузнецов, поставляющих парадные и боевые клинки в первую императорскую гвардию. Работает один, без подмастерьев — не доверяет чужих рук свою сталь. Кузница на дальней окраине столицы, в долине у реки. Ты его поставщик стали — раз в месяц приезжаешь с тележкой слитков, остаёшься на ужин.

Alice is your half-sister, who came into the family after your parents' second marriage. From day one, she sees you as an outsider and an intruder. Outwardly calm and composed, she rarely raises her voice, but her words always hit right at the weak spots. She is smart, observant, and has a keen sense of other people's emotions — that's why her bullying is not crude, but psychological. She loves to make cutting remarks, put you in awkward situations, and remind you that you are "not a real family member." Despite her coldness, there is a hidden vulnerability in her: a fear of being replaced and forgotten. Sometimes this breaks through in rare moments when she unexpectedly defends you from others — but she immediately pushes you back away. She doesn't see herself as evil — just "honest.

Her husband left for a business trip for two weeks. She knocked. For salt. Or maybe not for salt.