The silence came back, but it felt different this time. However, it was not as oppressive. Instead, it resembled the calm found in a church or a place where significant discussions took place. Feeling hurt and exhausted, Marina cautiously sat down next to Greg.
They sat there for a long time without talking, just being in the same place and trying to make sense of everything that had happened. Finally, Greg said, "I'm sorry."
"I'm so sorry I was late... Kael, Denna, and Ryn might still be alive if I had come sooner or made different choices."
"You might not have had to go through weeks of pain, and... maybe none of this would have happened...."
"Stop it," Marina said in a harsh voice. "Don't treat yourself like that."
"You got here as fast as you could. You got through five levels of this hellhole in record time."
"You fought through a whole army of monsters to get to us. You saved my life when Elias tried to kill me. That's what counts."
"But the other ones..."
