The corridor was empty.
Or at least… it appeared that way.
The candles lining the walls flickered softly, their flames bending slightly with the passing draft. Shadows stretched and curled along the polished floors, shifting with every movement of light.
And in the far corner—
Where the light barely reached—
Someone stood.
Still.
Unmoving.
Watching.
Hermia.
Her figure blended almost seamlessly with the shadows, her dark dress absorbing the dim light as though she belonged to the silence itself. Anyone passing by would have missed her completely.
But that was the point.
Hermia preferred it that way.
Unseen.
Unnoticed.
Unaccounted for.
Her gaze remained fixed on one thing.
The door.
Aliena's door.
It had just closed moments ago.
Sebastian had left.
And she had seen everything.
Every hesitation.
Every shift in tone.
Every word that didn't quite land the way it should have.
Every crack.
Especially the cracks.
A slow breath escaped her lips, almost soundless.
