Everyone at the Grand Meridian Hotel knows one rule: never unlock Room 717. Mara Clarnon , the night receptionist, has heard every story—whispers about the charming spirit who roams the halls, the one who calls himself Mr. Black . He’s not like the others. He talks, laughs, listens. He moves objects just to make her smile. To Mara, he feels more alive than most of the guests she checks in. When Mr. Black confides that he’s trapped outside his old room, longing to remember how he died, Mara’s empathy outweighs her fear. After all, what harm could come from opening one locked door? The night she turns the key, the hotel falls quiet. A single light burns behind her as she realizes some doors were never meant to be opened. This is a novella.