The absence of Lydia hung heavily in the air, thickening the tension as the group exchanged anxious glances. Ella felt a rush of unease. What had happened to her? Had she left voluntarily, or had something more sinister taken place? The silver locket shimmered on the floor, drawing Ella's gaze like a magnet. She knelt to pick it up, feeling its cool surface beneath her fingers.

“Lydia would never leave without her locket,” the woman in a beaded mask murmured, her voice trembling. “What does this mean? We need to find her.”