Evryn made his way through the inn, checking every room to see where Mira was being kept.
Before the attack, there had been roughly forty rooms in the building—fifteen upstairs and the rest downstairs. Evryn's room had been upstairs, along with Helaine's and the others', but those rooms were now occupied by different people.
Almost every room housed at least two or more people due to limited space, with someone tending to the injured in each. The place was alive with chatter as people discussed what to do next, while others sat in fear, shaken by the horrors of the previous night.
Luckily for Evryn, the upstairs hallways were empty, making it easier for him to check each room. But so far, he had found no sign of Mira.
Some rooms held people asleep in beds, others had wounded individuals being tended to.
Evryn walked further down the hallway, toward the end.
Two more doors left to check.
He was barefoot, his bandaged feet making soft steps against the wooden floor. Bandages wrapped around his torso, shoulder, arm, and even part of his leg. Black pants covered most of his lower wounds, but near his foot, the bandages remained visible.
If anyone saw him out of bed and walking, they'd immediately alert someone, and that would be the end of it.
He stopped at a door to his left, close to the end of the hallway, and slowly pushed it open, peeking inside.
Through the small crack, he saw someone hunched over a figure on the bed, crying.
The air in the room was thick with sorrow, the only sound coming from the muffled sobs of someone mourning a loved one.
It was a woman with black hair, resting her head on a man lying in bed. His eyes were closed. From Evryn's guess, he had just passed away.
Feeling like an intruder, Evryn averted his gaze in shame, regretting having peeked in on such a painful moment. He slowly closed the door, making sure not to make a sound.
Leaning against the door for a brief second, he let out a deep sigh, then turned his attention to the final door.
Hopefully, this was the one.
If it wasn't, sneaking downstairs to keep searching would be nearly impossible without getting noticed.
He stepped quietly to the last door and placed his right hand on the knob, twisting it slowly before peeking in.
To his relief, she was there.
And she was alone.
The room was similar to his own—plain, with a small desk and stool. A coat hanger stood by the door, and a window on the left let in soft light that shone over the twin-sized bed.
What struck Evryn as odd was that every other room he checked had at least two occupants—family, lovers, or even just friends.
But Mira had no one.
Footsteps echoed from the other end of the hallway, accompanied by voices and the creaking of the wooden stairs.
Without hesitation, Evryn slipped inside, quickly yet quietly shutting the door behind him before anyone could see.
He now stood in the room with Mira.
She lay in bed, the blanket covering her body except for her head, which rested on the pillow. Her face was turned upward, eyes closed, as if lost in thought.
Then, her green eyes fluttered open.
She glanced at Evryn and gave him a soft smile, her expression warm despite the clear weakness in her body. She didn't move her head—she didn't have the strength to.
In a gentle voice, she spoke. "Hey, Evryn."
Her green eyes shimmered with life at the sight of him.
A small smile tugged at Evryn's lips, relieved to see her awake. "Hi, Mira."
He walked over to the desk, grabbed the stool, and brought it beside her bed.
Mira watched the whole process with quiet amusement.
A soft hum escaped her lips. "I knew you were a good person."
Evryn hunched forward, resting his arms on his legs, his gaze lowered but still on her. "Yeah, I guess."
She let out a faint chuckle. "Still doubting yourself, huh?"
"Yeah." He had no real response, no words that felt right.
"It's nice having you here," she murmured. "I thought no one would come."
Evryn's eye twitched slightly at her words. What did she mean by that? Mira was the kindest person he had ever met…
"What do you mean?" His voice held a tinge of concern. "Don't you have people who care about you?"
She studied him for a moment, then looked back up at the ceiling. "I do… but they're busy dealing with other things right now." She took a slow breath before continuing. "You can't blame them… after what happened last night."
Evryn frowned slightly. "But don't you have any family here?"
She turned her head toward him. "Not really. I have a little sister, but she's not here."
Evryn's expression softened. "Where is she?" His concern was obvious—he was easy to read.
Mira hesitated before answering. "She was taken… by the Black Suns."
Evryn tensed.
So this was what she meant by "that one time."
He sat there, silent, unsure of what to say. The weight of her words settled over him like a heavy fog.
…
Then, her voice, soft and weak, broke the silence.
"Evryn…"
His eyes, which had been fixed on the floor, lifted to meet hers. "Yes?"
"Would you clasp my hand?"
"Of course."
He reached out. She used what little strength she had to slip her hand from beneath the blanket.
Their fingers intertwined, her grip weak but firm enough to feel real.
A small hum of contentment left her lips. "You really are a good person, Evryn…"
Evryn said nothing.
"Meeting you… was the best thing that could've happened to me…"
Her grip loosened slightly.
Evryn remained silent.
"Evryn…" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "If you ever find my sister… protect her."
His grip tightened slightly around hers.
"Of course," he murmured, his voice soft, almost defeated.
A weak smile formed on her lips.
"If only this could last forever…"
"I believe it will," he said.
She looked at him, then back at the ceiling.
The smile remained.
"This might… be the best… day… of my… lif…"
Her eyes slowly closed.
Her grip faded.
Evryn sat there.
Silent.
Mira's life had faded.
And with it, the seeds of despair were planted.