Alderspire Wynthollow House and Its Obscured Hearth

Crossing into the parlour of Alderspire Wynthollow House, one senses the compression of years held in dust-heavy air and softened upholstery seams. The chairs lean into their worn impressions; cushions carry the faint scent of cooled tea and flattened lavender sachets. Nothing stirs beyond these walls—every contour has settled inward, every surface dulled by repetition and neglect.

The Reserved Domestic Rhythm of Liora Fenella Hawthorne

Liora Fenella Hawthorne, a tutor of reading fluency and penmanship, lived here with her cousin Bram, a small-apparatus mechanic whose employment faltered with each passing winter. Liora maintained the instruction alcove with precise order—practice sheets stacked by difficulty, pencils sharpened into slender points, ink bottles wiped clean each evening. Her temperament leaned steadfast yet anxious; she re-folded linens twice, traced the edges of her books before lessons, and corrected pages long after lamplight dimmed. When Bram’s work declined and Liora’s joints stiffened from overuse, their expenses climbed beyond reach. Lessons thinned, supplies waned, and once-firm routines tapered into gradual disarray.

The Corridor of Obscured Errands

In the south corridor, dust gathers around Liora’s boots angled by the wall. A cracked lamp chimney lies beside a fallen dust cloth. Near the banister, practice pages rest half-curled, seams untrimmed and notes abandoned.

The Scullery Where Order Lost Its Edge

Inside the scullery, chamber pots bear fine grey sediment. A kettle rimmed in mineral crust sits beside a cooling stone used to steady aching hands. A linen apron, once folded sharply, droops from its peg in uneven folds.

At the far curve of the landing, Liora’s final lesson sheet lies folded beside Bram’s tiny spanner, both coated in fine dust. Alderspire Wynthollow House settles deeper into its own hush, its rooms sinking inward, indefinitely abandoned.