She said... Sorry?
I lay there in the silence she left behind. The shock of her apology acted like a weird sort of sedative, momentarily dulling the stinging heat of the mana burns.
Slowly, the tension in my chest began to uncoil. Maybe that was it. Maybe the madness was over for the night, and I could finally drift into the oblivion of sleep. I let out a long, shaky breath, my eyes fluttering shut as the quiet of the room finally felt safe.
But the world had other plans.
The faint sound of footsteps returned. They weren't running this time; they were slow, deliberate, and approaching my door again.
'Not again,' my mind groaned. 'Please, just let me break in peace.'
The door creaked open, and a familiar scent washed over me again. Elena walked back into the room. She didn't look at me at first, her gaze fixed on the floor, her hands twisting the fabric of her silk robe. She moved with a strange, shy hesitation that felt oddly dangerous.
