Strax remained inside the White Labyrinth until Vex fell asleep again.
The child resisted for some time, holding part of his clothing whenever someone suggested she needed to rest. The last few nights had been marked by dreams, voices beneath the floor, and a constant feeling of being watched. Although the connection to the desert had been severed, her body still needed to accept that the danger had truly moved away.
Mercedes eventually sat beside the two of them. She did not try to convince Vex with long explanations. She merely ran her fingers through the girl's blue hair and kept the cold in the room stable, recreating the familiar feeling of the bedroom she used in the castle.
Vex closed her eyes shortly afterward.
Even while sleeping, she continued holding Strax's hand.
"You do not need to stay," Mercedes said quietly. "The connection is gone."
"I know."
"Then why are you still looking at the floor?"
