Kyle shifted his gaze from Matthias, his eyes heavy with deep disappointment and unvoiced betrayal, before looking down at his shattered sister.
Matthias offered no answer, no defense. Instead, with a tense, calculated silence, he pulled his guard's cloak tightly around himself, blending back into the anonymity of the uniform, terrified that another soul might walk down the corridor and see his face.
Kyle looked back at Olivia. She was a devastating storm of profound exhaustion and simmering, lethal fury. Leaning down, he pressed a gentle, protective kiss against her forehead, his voice dropping into a comforting murmur.
"Olivia... it is incredibly late, and nothing about this situation is right. You will stay here for the night, and I promise you—I truly promise you—I will send you back to your castle at dawn. Agreed?"
Olivia let out a long, heavy sigh, the wild panic in her chest finally settling into a cold, eerie calm.
