A few moments later, Gray lay on a hotel sofa, staring up at the ceiling.
Across the room, Lyra slept quietly on the bed. Her breathing was slow and even, with her beautiful half-blonde hair spread over the pillow.
She looked peaceful, as if the long fight and the tears from earlier had never happened.
Gray turned his head and looked at her for a long moment.
He let out a quiet sigh.
Someone was probably going to come for her soon.
The sect would not leave a disciple as valuable as her missing for long, especially not after she had shown herself so publicly.
Gray kept looking at the ceiling for a long while.
'Jasmine.'
[I'm here.]
'She's going to be taken away again soon.'
[You don't know that for sure.]
'The sect won't ignore what happened today. Someone will come.'
Jasmine's voice softened a little.
[Then stay with her while you can. Don't waste the time you have now by thinking only about when it will end.]
Gray stayed quiet for a moment.
