Sleep came quickly. The time he had shared with Eva, her reunion with the others, and the relief of seeing everything finally fall into place weighed pleasantly on him. It was a deep sense of ease he hadn't even realized he had been carrying.
The next morning, Julian woke to a knock at his door.
He sat up, running a hand through his hair. His mind was still foggy.
"Come in," he called out.
The door opened, and the boy from before—Thomas—entered carrying buckets of steaming water. He looked nervous, his eyes not quite meeting Julian's as he moved to pour the water into the basin.
Julian studied him carefully.
"Good morning," he said calmly.
"Good morning, sir," Thomas replied, his voice tight with tension. He finished pouring the water and turned to leave, but paused at the door.
"Miss Mara said to tell you—she wants you to come to her office at nine o'clock this afternoon. For... for the arrangements."
Julian nodded. "I'll be there. Thank you, Thomas."
