The Leister manor stood cloaked in the pre-dawn gloom, its opulent facade a stark contrast to the terror brewing within its walls. Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the storm raging between Barend and Aghnya. Felenia, huddled in her room, strained to hear through the closed doors, the sharp shouts of her parents piercing the thick silence of the night.

“You only have one daughter, Barend!” Aghnya’s voice, usually so tender, now trembled with a raw, unfamiliar fury. Felenia clutched her worn blanket tighter, a knot forming in her stomach.

Then came her father’s cold, cutting retort, a voice that sent shivers down her spine. “Who said I only had one child?” The words hung in the air, heavy with a menace Felenia couldn’t quite comprehend. Her father's revelation of a secret son, an heir, shattered any remaining illusion of family harmony.

The quarrel escalated, a maelstrom of accusations and heartbreak. Felenia’s young heart ached for her mother, who eventually stumbled out of the room, her face tear-streaked and pale. The maids whispered behind cupped hands, their pitying glances making Felenia’s skin prickle. She felt a profound sense of dread, a chilling premonition that her world, already fragile, was about to shatter completely.