Bai Lian bit her lip, then let out a sigh that sounded too old for her young face.
"After that trial ended... everyone reappeared here...in this waiting room."
Kain crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall next to her, listening.
"Serena was holding me up—I was barely conscious, and she was carrying the artifact we retrieved. But the second she looked around and realized you weren't there…"
She hesitated. "I've never seen someone so composed… unravel like that. Not loudly crying or anything. But you could feel it. Like the temperature dropped. Since she was holding me, I could feel that her entire body went stiff before shaking slightly.
Kain's heart gave out a painful pang upon realizing what the news of his death had likely been like for her to hear. If it had been him who returned only to receive the news of her death…
