Inside the Veyne house, two women were working side by side in the kitchen, Elara at the stove, Helga chopping vegetables with quiet efficiency. Then suddenly, the back door opened with a sharp creak.
Mira stepped inside, her face serious. There was none of her usual playful expression, not even the teasing grin she wore when making fun of Mitsu's gardening mistakes just a little earlier.
She closed the door behind her a little harder than usual, the wood meeting the frame with a firm thud that echoed through the quiet house.
"Mira? What's wrong?" Elara asked, getting startled by her. She set the spoon down and looked up. The stew bubbled softly behind her, forgotten for the moment.
Mira wiped her hands on her skirt. It was clear she was troubled, from the way her knuckles were white where she gripped the fabric.
"Hff, hff, People outside are talking," she said while taking big breaths, her voice lower than usual, controlled in a way that suggested she was trying not to let panic creep in. "They say a dungeon break is coming. A real one. From the forest."
Hearing it, Elara's face changed. The easy warmth that she had been feeling just moments ago drained away almost instantly, replaced by something paler, more guarded. She wiped her hands quickly on her apron, the motion abrupt, almost jerky.
"Huh, what are you talking about? From the Gaiya Forest?" Helga asked first, her knife pausing mid-chop. Her brow furrowed deeply. "What nonsense are you saying? How can there be a dungeon break when there has not been a dungeon sighting? Who says it?"
"Everyone at the market was whispering about it," Mira continued, her words tumbling out faster now. "People outside are all saying the same thing."
Elara's mind raced, face drained of all color for some reason. Hearing the word dungeon break brought some old memories back, which made her neck's hair stand up.
"Where's Mitsu right now?" Elara asked, her voice steady despite the chill running down her spine.
Mira pointed toward the garden outside. "She went to the market to get more seeds. Said the vendor had fresh ones today, cheaper than usual."
Elara moved toward the door, her steps quick and purposeful. The wooden floorboards creaked under her weight. "Go get her. We should all stay inside until we know more. I don't want anyone wandering around out there if there's even a little chance of any of this actually happening."
Mira nodded and started for the door, her hand already reaching for the latch. Before she reached it, Helga stepped forward, her solid frame blocking the path.
"Mira, you stay. I'll go," Helga said.
Her voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. Despite being a little short, there was something about Helga when she made up her mind, a stillness, a certainty, that made people in this house listen for some reason.
"You two stay here. I'll go and find her to bring her back. Just….keep the doors closed until we return."
Elara looked at Helga, then at Mira. The woman's face was calm, but her eyes held a flicker of something- concern, perhaps.
Seeing that flicker, Elara didn't argue. "Be careful." She said simply.
Helga gave a quick nod to her and stepped out. The door closed behind her with a soft click, and then the kitchen grew quiet again.
Elara and Mira looked at each other across the room. Worry showed clearly in their eyes.
Elara's hands stayed on the counter, gripping it a little tighter than necessary, her knuckles pale against the dark wood. Mira shifted from one foot to the other, her arms wrapped around herself as if warding off a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature.
The stew bubbled on the stove, forgotten.
"Oh, Lys is out there too," Mira said quietly, suddenly remembering it. "Didn't he go out way before? Why hasn't he returned yet? What if he's near the forest where…." She stopped, unable to finish the sentence.
Elara grabbed her daughter and hugged her to calm her down. "It's okay, honey, he'll be fine. He always comes back."
Before she said something, footsteps sounded from the stairs, light, hesitant, the gait of someone still half-asleep. Selene appeared at the bottom, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders, still mussed from her nap, and she wore a simple dress that had crumpled from shifting around in her sleep.
"What's going on?" Selene asked, looking between them. Her voice was groggy but alert, the remnants of sleep fading fast. "Why are you saying Lys will be fine? Has something happened outside? There were sounds coming from outside!"
Elara opened her mouth to answer, the words forming on her tongue, but before she could say anything, the front door behind her opened.
Two people stepped inside.
It was Lys and another woman.
The woman was sickly looking, pale, thin, her clothes hanging loose on a frame of body that had once been stronger. Her face was gaunt, her eyes hollow. She leaned heavily on Lys's arm as if just walking by herself cost her something.
Seeing the unknown woman by Lys's side, in close proximity, made the room go still.
Selene's eyes widened. Mira's hand froze mid-wipe, and Elara's grip tightened on the spoon.
No one spoke for a second.
And then, finally, Lys broke the silence and dropped two bags of clothes down.
"Mom," he said, his voice rough but steady, "this is Tresta. She's going to be staying with us for a while."
The stew in the kitchen room bubbled on the stove, filling the awkward silence with its soft, rhythmic sound.
While behind Lys, framed in the doorway, Tresta stood with her head bowed, her thin fingers clutching his arm.
Inside her head was running only one thought: whether coming here was the right decision or not.