The hallway did not change, the walls remained the same, the lighting stayed steady, and the sound of distant movement continued at its usual rhythm. From the outside, nothing marked the moment as different. Inside Seraphina, everything had already shifted too far to return easily.
She stood where she had stopped, her hand still pressed against the wall, her breathing uneven despite the effort to control it. The memory had not released her. It lingered, not as a distant image but as something active, something that continued to press against her senses.
Lucien remained in front of her, close enough to intervene but far enough not to overwhelm. He watched her carefully, his attention fixed on the details that mattered. Her breathing. The tension in her shoulders. The way her gaze struggled to hold focus.
"Stay with me," he said quietly.
