By the time Lyra came downstairs, the table had already been set.
The warm light from the hanging lamps softened the room and the quiet clatter of utensils being arranged was the only sound that greeted her.
Rogan stood near the stove, finishing the last of the preparations, while Seraphina sat at the table, watching the scene unfold with quiet awareness.
Lyra paused at the bottom of the stairs for a moment, taking it in.
Everything looked normal, too normal after everything that had happened.
She walked over and took her seat without saying much, her movements slower than usual.
Rogan placed the food on the table and sat across from her as if this were just another evening and nothing out of the ordinary.
For a while, none of them spoke.
The silence wasn't comfortable but it wasn't forced either. It simply existed, stretching between them as Lyra focused on her plate, picking at the food without much appetite.
