After the long, tense conversation downstairs with Sera and the Dwarf, the group finally peeled themselves away from the common room and headed for their assigned quarters. The air was thick with silence as they climbed the old wooden stairs, boots thudding softly against the aged steps. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts—Marcus especially, trailing behind with slumped shoulders and a troubled expression. He didn't even try to hide the bitterness brewing in him.
When they reached the hallway, the Dwarf pointed them toward two modest rooms at the far end.
"This one's for the boys," he grunted, gesturing toward a slightly larger room on the right. "And this one's for the ladies."
The rooms weren't anything fancy—just two beds in each, a small table, and a couple of chairs—but they were clean and warm. The boys—Liam, Marcus, and Jason—stepped into theirs, tossing down their gear one after another.
