[ POV Change ]
Lin Lai stepped out of the musty old room, the floorboards creaking beneath her feet as she made her way down the deserted hallway. Dust particles danced in the slivers of light filtering through the broken windows, and the only sounds to be heard were the echoes of her footsteps and the distant cawing of crows outside.
As she walked, her eyes landed on a large portrait hanging on the wall, a painting of a once proud and prosperous family. The colors had faded over time, and the faces of the family members were obscured by the grime of years gone by.
Lin Lai approached the portrait, drawn to it by a strange fascination. She reached out and gently touched the surface of the canvas, feeling a strange tingling sensation run through her fingertips. And then, suddenly, the portrait burst into flames, the fire spreading quickly across the canvas, consuming the image of the family and leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.