For a long, long moment, neither of them spoke.
They let themselves sink in the quietness of the moment. Time slipping by unhurriedly, letting the two stranded souls of a bygone legacy find comfort in each other.
The wind passed quietly through the hillside, softer now, brushing against the grass in slow waves. Somewhere in the distance, the faint laughter of children carried through the air, distant enough to feel unreal.
Lyra's grip loosened first, not all at once, but slowly, as her hands started getting tired, she slowly pulled away from him. The moisture in her eyes had dried out, her eye liner in desperate need of fixing from the smudging, her expression was back to her neutral stare, though a certain lightness permeated her presence now, like she had just unloaded something that she had been carrying for the longest of while.
"I will be resigning from my position as chief of staff for Halcyon."
Aris nodded, already knowing where she was going to go with this.
"We have a lot to discuss, but it can wait until the trouble from your evaluation has died down." She paused, stepping forward and unlocking the door for him. "I will take care of most of the noise when the association goes public with your evaluation, though you might have to deal with a few stragglers that might slip past me. Got it?"
Aris nodded as they stepped inside, still not ready to start speaking yet.
The door shut behind them with a soft click.
Lyra showed him around the house as she briefed him on everything that was important. An hour had passed by the time they were finally done. By which the pickup containing all his belongings had already arrived.
Lyra gave detailed instructions to the workers before she left, making sure each of them understood the importance of their mission, of handling Aris's belongings, before finally getting on her car.
He waved her off as she turned the corner and disappeared into the horizon, his lips curved the slightest bit upwards in a weary smile. Only noticeable if you looked closely.
The moving in part had went smoothly enough, the house already came with its own furniture, which meant less work for Aris. He picked the bigger of the bedrooms as his own, placing his bags of clothes and cosmetics in the small closet before heading downstairs.
He took a moment to take in his new home, letting out a long exhale.
"Looks comfortable enough."
His voice sounded a little too loud in the empty space.
It didn't echo.
The house didn't allow for that.
Everything absorbed sound just enough to keep things contained. Clean. Controlled.
Aris walked a few steps forward, his fingers brushing lightly against the back of the couch. The material was smooth. Untouched. No signs of wear, no creases from use.
His gaze shifted towards the window in the far end of the living room. He stood there, letting his mind idle as he inspected his home one item at a time. Finally, once he felt satisfied with his inspection, he let out the yawn that had been tugging at him all this time.
He blinked the moisture in his eyes, letting the weariness from the day finally catch up with him.
He really did need some sleep.
Aris dragged a hand down his face, exhaling softly as the weight of the day settled into his bones.
The silence didn't help.
It wasn't uncomfortable, really.
Just… unfamiliar, alien.
He turned away from the window, pushing the thought aside before it could take shape, and made his way upstairs.
Each step was quiet.
Measured.
The house didn't creak. Didn't shift. It simply existed around him, like everything else always did, unmoving, unresponsive.
His room was exactly how he had left it, of course it was, it hadn't even been five minutes.
The curtains drawn just enough to dim the light. The bed untouched. His bags stacked neatly where he had placed them in the closet.
Aris didn't bother changing.
He dropped onto the bed with a quiet exhale, one arm coming up to rest over his eyes as he let himself sink into the mattress.
Soft.
Comfortable.
Sleep came quicker than he expected.
***
He didn't know how long he had been out.
Minutes.
Hours.
It didn't feel like either.
Just,
Enough.
His eyes opened slowly.
No jolt.
No sudden awareness.
Just a quiet return to consciousness, comfortable and easy.
The room was darker now.
The light filtering through the curtains had shifted, softer, dimmer. Evening, maybe, he guessed.
Aris lay still for a moment.
Listening.
Nothing.
No movement downstairs.
No distant noise.
Just that same, contained silence.
He exhaled softly and pushed himself up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he swung his legs off the bed.
A faint stiffness lingered in his shoulders.
Nothing serious.
Just enough to remind him he had actually slept.
He stood, stretching slightly as he made his way toward the window.
Not with intent.
Just habit.
His fingers brushed against the curtain—
Then stopped.
Not fully.
Just enough.
A pause.
Small.
Unnecessary.
Aris frowned faintly.
Then pulled it aside.
The world outside had dimmed into a muted blend of gold and shadow. The hills stretched out the same as before, unchanged, the trees swaying gently in the evening breeze.
Quiet.
Still.
Normal.
…
Empty.
His gaze lingered for a second longer.
Then—
He let the curtain fall back into place.
No reaction.
No second look.
He turned away.
Made his way toward the door.
Opened it.
Stepped out into the hallway.
Closed it behind him.
Downstairs, the house greeted him the same way it did before, silent as ever.
Aris walked into the living room, his steps slower this time, more deliberate as he let his awareness settle properly.
Something felt—
He stopped.
Not because he had found something.
But because the thought didn't finish.
A small crease formed between his brows.
Then smoothed out just as quickly.
"…Hungry, maybe." His voice was a little rough.
He moved toward the kitchen, opening the fridge.
Empty.
Of course.
A faint huff of amusement left him.
Right.
This was a new fridge.
He'd have to deal with that.
He closed it again, leaning back slightly against the counter.
A moment passed.
His gaze shifted.
Not toward the window.
Not directly.
Just enough.
A fraction.
Like something at the edge of his awareness had nudged him.
He didn't turn.
Didn't move closer.
Just stood there.
Thinking.
…
Then exhaled.
Straightened.
And walked away, looking for a change of clothes.