Kaiden lowered the artifact and placed it back into Vespera's waiting hand. She accepted it with the same composure she'd given it, slipping it back into her coat as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
Only then did Kaiden look down again, tightening his hold on Alice, grounding her without a word, while the corridor beyond remained undisturbed. Paths diverted, futures delayed, and one fragile girl spared a collision she wasn't ready to survive yet.
That was when Julia parted her lips.
She had been watching in silence with her hands clasped together at her waist, eyes drifting between Kaiden, Vespera, and the girl curled so tightly against him. There was hesitation on her face, the kind born from not knowing whether it was her place to speak at all. But in the end, concern won out.
"U-um…" she began softly. Her gaze settled on the girl in Kaiden's arms. "…are you Alice? What… what happened?"
