Morning came too quickly for Jae. He had barely slept the night before, the king's letter lying on the desk across from his bed like a heavy shadow.
Even when he turned away, the weight of it pressed against his thoughts, filling his chest with a pressure he could neither name nor dispel.
He rose with the dawn, washed quickly, and dressed with quiet precision, each movement deliberate. If he couldn't control where he was going, he could at least control how he presented himself when he left.
When the hour came, he crossed the courtyard to meet Elise and Yuna. Both girls were already waiting, their faces pale in the early light.
Elise stood straight as always, her long hair tied neatly behind her, though the stiffness in her shoulders betrayed her unease. Yuna, by contrast, shifted from one foot to the other, her hands clutched tightly in front of her.
