The room was quieter now.
Too quiet.
Aliena lay against the pillows, staring at the canopy above her bed, tracing the faint patterns in the fabric as if they could anchor her drifting thoughts. The warmth that Sebastian had left behind still lingered faintly, like a ghost of comfort pressed into the sheets.
But he was gone.
And without him, the silence felt… different.
Heavier.
Her fingers curled slightly against the blanket. Something in her chest tightened—a subtle unease she couldn't explain. The air felt thicker, like the calm before a storm she couldn't yet see.
Then—
A soft knock.
Not loud. Not demanding.
Measured.
Deliberate.
Aliena's body stiffened.
"Come in," she said, her voice quieter than she intended.
The door creaked open slowly, almost gracefully, as though whoever stood behind it had all the time in the world.
And then they entered.
Lydia first.
Of course.
