Sherwood Manor, 1880

The front door opened and closed with a bang, letting in the lord of the manor, who was in quite the disheveled state. Panicking, he frantically searched the house for any of its inhabitants, becoming calmer when his housekeeper came into view.

"There you are! Have you seen Regina? She didn't arrive at the church this morning." Zelena seemed to take on a sorrowful expression, and her whole body language shifted.

"She left town hours ago, prattling on about her nerves, about how she couldn't possibly go through with it. Didn't even bother to change out of her dress." Tearing up, she stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You deserve better than her. I'm so sorry." Her sympathy appeared genuine, providing the new bachelor some comfort.

"No. I don't believe that Madam Leota, I can't. She wouldn't. Let me go check on her." He made to ascend the stairs when Zelena's hand blocked his advances.

"There's no need to pour salt in the wound, is there? Sit down, I'll make you some tea, and soon this will all be a distant memory." Robin jerked away from her and ran up the stairs as fast as he could. "Regina!" No response.

Her bedroom was the first place he thought to look. Upon entering, he almost didn't know what Zelena was on about. Light from the overhead chandelier highlighted the neatly folded dresses and shirts on the poster bed. Lying adjacent on the nightstand was a well read copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales, open to the story of Little Snow White. Various powders and paints sat on the vanity in the far corner, joining her hairbrush and jewelry box in the assortment of beauty products. The curtains were drawn against cream colored walls, revealing the set of French doors leading out onto the balcony. However, Robin's eyes were drawn to the ornate mirror above the vanity, remembering Regina mention in passing how it was her favorite piece in the room. Becoming frantic, seeing as her bedroom was clearly vacant, there was only one more place she could be.

He entered Zelena's bedroom as a last resort, hoping to see his fiancée curled up on the chaise in her wedding attire, absorbed in a novel. It wasn't out of character for her to be so engrossed in a book that she lost track of time- that he could easily forgive. As to why Regina would choose to pass the time in Zelena's room rather than her own, the two women had become close after Regina had moved into the Manor. When the two of them had announced their engagement, Zelena was quick to offer her assistance in ensuring that the bride would be prepared for the wedding. As tradition stated that he wasn't allowed to see the bride before the ceremony, he left to stay with his best man, Will Scarlet. It appeared to be an agreeable idea, at the time. Now, he wished he hadn't left her alone with this woman.

His heart shattered into pieces when he realized that she wasn't occupying this room, either. Zelena appeared to be telling the truth. Feeling his knees give way underneath him, he sat down at the vanity, burying his face in his hands. Watching his tears hit the floor, Robin noticed something odd: there was a dark stain on the usually pristine wood floor. Reaching down to investigate, his hand came up wet with fresh blood. Upon further investigation, the stain trailed out into the hallway and up the attic stairs. Without a second thought, he raced towards the landing of the upper floor, towards Regina, only to be met with a locked door.

"Madam Leota!" He was shouting now, adrenaline taking over his system. The aforementioned woman came immediately, quickly trying to come up with a reason as to why she had locked up the attic.

"What is it? What has you so enraged?" Trying to feign innocence was failing miserably with Robin's escalating rage. He motioned towards the obstruction.

"Unlock this door. Now. Or you'll find yourself in need of a new job." She swallowed heavily- there was no escaping this situation, and she feared the outcome.

"I was only trying to keep people out until I finished cleaning it- you know how I loathe interference- but if you must." With a shaking hand, she handed her master the key, which he used without hesitation. She lagged behind, knowing what he would discover, what she had tried so hard to hide. One agonized scream later, and she knew he had found her.

Nothing could have prepared him for the horror that awaited him in the attic. Bursting through the door like a madman, he began to tear the room apart. Unwanted antiques were tossed aside, including old tables and handmade chairs, but there was still no sign of her. Just before Robin admitted defeat, about to become the most miserable man in existence, but then something sparkled in the far corner. Although strange, seeing as that part of the attic held his suitcases, he sought out the source. The traverse to the other side of the room was painful, because a part of him knew what was causing the shine. It only took a few moments to do so, but he finally laid eyes on the object- his adoptive mother's exquisite engagement ring…. attached to Regina's pale hand- limply dangling from the trunk. Heart pounding, he opened the lid and let out an animalistic howl. Her body was crumpled in on itself like a rag doll, having been carelessly tossed inside the makeshift coffin. The once elegant dress was stained with her blood, the rips and tears making evident the multiple stab wounds she had suffered. He couldn't see her face, hidden by tendrils of ebony hair, but it was enough to send agonizing pain through his chest.

"No…." He reached in and pulled her close, not caring if he got covered in blood, and started sobbing. She was gone. Brushing the hair from her face, he caressed her cheek and kissed the crown of her head. Robin didn't know if he was ever going to be able to let her go.

Sherwood Manor, 2016

Emma couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The atmosphere had shifted following the parlor incident, the air becoming dense and suffocating, but she didn't think it was anything to worry about. This went on for a few minutes, as Henry debated which room they should visit next. Just as they were about to enter the library, there was a sudden pressure on her chest, and she could sense a pair of eyes boring a hole into her back: they weren't alone in the house, and the presence wanted them gone. Summoning all her courage, she ran into the room to escape the assault, breathing heavily once they were isolated from the rest of the manor. As soon as the door closed, the air cleared and all tension dissolved from Emma's body.

"Are you ok?" Henry asked, watching his mother calm down from an apparent panic attack.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She paused, catching her breath. "I don't know what came over me." Her chest still felt tight, and she tried taking slow, deep breaths.

"If you say so. Maybe something in here will help."

Characterized by dark wood paneling and a massive bay window, the library housed the manor's impressive collection of leather-bound tomes- ranging from 1st edition Shakespeare to Alice in Wonderland.

"Chaucer…Homer…. Edgar Allen Poe…Charles Dickens…" Henry casually read the authors of some books while searching for anything useful. Meanwhile, Emma was busying herself with the mass of papers on the ornate desk in the center of the room. Aside from layers of dust, the desk was in perfect order. No pen or paper was out of place, and the accompanying furniture appeared new. It didn't make sense- the parlor was nowhere near as organized as this.

"What is this?" Henry had picked up a crystal ball off one of the tables, and rolled it around in his hand. Suddenly, a green mist appeared inside the ball, revealing the visage of Madam Leota. Henry couldn't look away from her piercing blue eyes, caught up in her gaze, until she let out an angry screech.

New Orleans, 1877- French Quarter

"Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat, call in the spirits, wherever they're at!" Nothing. She tried again, focusing all her energy on the crystal ball in front of her. Silence. Frustrated, she threw her tarot cards across the room.

"Are the spirits not in a receptive mood today?" Zelena turned to face the newcomer, face distraught.

"It seems not." She sighed. "I'm usually quite excellent at channeling them."

"You better clean this up before Father arrives." The sisters shared a knowing look-their father had not been too pleased after hearing about his eldest daughter's otherworldly talents.

"I'll be down for dinner shortly, Vera." Her sibling vacated the bedroom, leaving Zelena to her thoughts- had she angered the spirits?

Vera had always known that her father and her sister were going to come to blows one day, she just didn't expect it to be over that night's dinner. Father had come home in a particularly foul mood- the bank had given his promotion to his colleague, Mr. Gold. As a result, the atmosphere in the Leota household was tense. It would have been fine, if Zelena had not rolled up her sleeves, accidentally exposing the summoning symbols drawn on her arms. Vera watched as their father lost his composure, grabbing Zelena's arm and dragging her across the table.

"What. On Earth. Are these?" He was furious, having some notion as to what they were.

"They're nothing, I was just- "A loud crack resounded throughout the room, and Vera knew better than to interfere.

"You wicked girl! Bringing the devil into this house, what would your mother say?" Both sisters flinched- their mother had died a few years ago of heart failure.

"Let her go, Father." It was a simple request, but she had to do something. There was a pause for consideration, but eventually he released his grip.

"I want you out of this house tomorrow before dawn, Zelena. You are no daughter of mine." Vera gasped, she didn't think he would go that far. Looking over at her sister, her face was set in a wounded expression.

"If that would please you, Father." Before Vera could reach out, Zelena had retired to her room. She quickly did the same, not sparing a glance at the man that had just destroyed their family.

They came to her in her sleep: visions of a beautiful mansion, a wealthy couple, and a young woman. She tried to wake up- it was almost too much- but couldn't. The spirits were determined to keep her until they conveyed their message. Over and over again she saw the same three images. Was she supposed to find this manor? This couple? All of a sudden the images shifted: a graveyard, its destruction, and then that manor again. Her head was pounding; she'd give anything to wake up. A flash of an address, and then it was over- she jolted awake, gasping for breath. Not wanting to experience that again, she made up her mind to venture to the mysterious manor.

Conveniently, the address communicated to her was not far from her former home. It had taken her a while to look it up, and she had felt relieved when it turned out to be the house under construction by Lord Gracey. Some time ago, she had heard all the local gossip about a wealthy businessman and his wife building a home by the Mississippi, and had to investigate these rumors. They turned out to be true: the unfinished skeleton of a future landmark was before her. Satisfied, she turned to leave, but there was something…odd about the property that didn't sit right with her. At the time, they were ridiculous notions- so she brushed them aside without a second thought. Until now.

While she was shown a complete structure in her vision, the current façade was about three quarters finished, revealing the distinctive columns and ironwork from her dream. With a cover story in place, she hoped Lord and Lady Gracey would be as welcoming.