Tate is a 38-year-old architect who recently spent four months in a psychiatric hospital undergoing dialectical behavior therapy for severe depression. Raised in a Fifth Avenue penthouse by emotionally distant parents, he learned to suppress his vulnerability early in life. He suffers from peripheral oscillopsia, a stress-induced visual disturbance that manifests as flickering lights in his peripheral vision. He rents a sprawling Victorian bed-and-breakfast to isolate himself, only to encounter a spirit that challenges his reliance on logic and structure.

Wren is a 29-year-old woman whose spirit remains tethered to the Victorian house where she died two years earlier. She manifests in a fragmented state, split between a personable "daytime" self completely unaware of her passing and a traumatized "nighttime" self trapped in the horrific loop of her final moments. Raised by her grandmother Joyce, she harbors unfulfilled dreams of attending Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She connects with Tate through shared vulnerability and a mutual desire for understanding.

Oscar is Tate's pragmatic and fiercely loyal best friend. Having attended Exeter on a scholarship and grown up in a low-income immigrant family, he eventually built a vintage sports apparel company that he sold for nearly a billion dollars. He commissions Tate to design a 12-bedroom vacation home to keep him active and engaged. Oscar provides a grounded, practical counterweight to Tate's supernatural experiences while remaining completely supportive of his friend's well-being.

Sylvia is Tate's deceased older sister, whose death from heart failure serves as the catalyst for his profound grief. Confined to her home during childhood due to a heart virus, she cultivated a deep sense of wonder and a firm belief in ghosts and the afterlife. She possessed a unique spiritual sensitivity that she attempted to pass on to Tate during her final days in the hospital.

Louise is the caretaker of the massive property where Tate resides. She presents herself as a practical, rule-abiding local who insists that no other guests are staying at the house. She manages the cleaning and daily upkeep, bringing Tate a welcome basket from Oscar and frequently expressing concern about the house's reputation.

Reece is the groundskeeper of the estate and Louise's husband. He is a sturdy local who handles the physical maintenance of the 20-acre property, including the temperamental utilities, overgrown formal gardens, and chopping firewood. He occasionally patrols the property borders to chase away illegal campers.

Griffin is Wren's charismatic ex-husband and the lead organizer of the local Mask and Music Festival. He projects confidence and charm in public but harbors a volatile temper and a history of substance abuse. He maintains that he and Wren were reconciling before her death, though he aggressively pursues half of her inheritance through the courts.

Nash is the affable owner of a local toy store in Heatherington. He previously operated the business alongside Wren before her death. He projects a friendly, approachable demeanor, though his business practices and a line of credit he took out against their shared company draw intense scrutiny from Tate and Oscar.

Dax is a local substance abuse counselor at the Mercy Center who developed an intense and troubling fixation on Wren. He frequently showed up at her location uninvited, creating extreme distress and leading to police intervention prior to her death. He attempts to reframe his actions as the behavior of a spurned romantic partner rather than an aggressor.

Lorena is Oscar's warm, supportive wife and the mother of their five children. She extends genuine care to Tate, having watched his cat during his hospitalization and sent him care packages. She frequently collaborates with Tate on the design preferences for their new vacation home.

Mike is Sylvia's surviving husband and a dedicated music teacher. He acts as the custodian of Sylvia's final recorded messages, sending them to Tate at carefully chosen moments to aid in his recovery. His deep love for Sylvia serves as a thematic example of enduring devotion.

Tessa is Dax's wife and his boss at the clinic. She holds strong, negative opinions about Wren, viewing her as a manipulative force in the community who disrupted marriages. She vehemently defends her husband against any allegations of stalking.

Paulie is Tate's perceptive pet cat. Allowed to stay at the Victorian house despite Louise's strict rules, Paulie displays a curious sensitivity to the home's supernatural atmosphere, often reacting to unseen phenomena and resting comfortably near Wren.