Vesta sat there, observing quietly. Zin too stayed silent — not out of guilt, but because he was the one now in charge of her training.
Ephini, on the other hand, felt conflicted. She had been really close to her mother, and when her mother passed away, Ephini had been left heartbroken for a very long time. It was only after meeting Siel that she'd slowly begun to heal.
But now, she feared she might go through that pain all over again if she let herself get close to Gilly. So she had stayed distant. And yet, even as she did, it gnawed at her, because pushing someone away wasn't the kind of person she truly was.
Seras had seen those expressions on their faces. They were the youngest in the room, and lacking in experience — so she decided not to intervene.
Vesta finally raised his hand. "In case of an emergency, we know there's little chance the capital will help. And the shadows are already on standby… which shows things could go south very soon. So what can we do?"
Those who had lived through the last disaster that took their leader, Elim, understood what the presence of those shadows meant. Seras shook her head slightly; the entire situation was spiraling out of control.
Penre spoke up. "At least we could call for help from Loran, or from Lord Mizin."
Zin's brow furrowed. His master had helped during the last disaster — but that was also when the restrictions had been placed on him.
Seras, Pom, and Asrck nodded in agreement. Even Vesta seemed satisfied with the suggestion.
In the end, they all agreed they would keep treating Gilly as normal. She wasn't evil; just someone chained by an unfortunate fate. And maybe, just maybe, it was the least they could do to repay her mother for the sacrifice that made Elnor possible.
After a short while, Seras turned to Zin. She told him she would be gone for a long time, and until she returned, he and his sister would be in charge.
She handed Valmor a list of names to contact, and told Penre about a spell she had cast around the lake as a precaution. Then, quietly, she vanished.
Zin left the room with Pom and Penre. Asrck stayed behind, talking to Vesta about supplies, while Valmor and Ephini went upstairs to see Gilly, who had been waiting for them.
She sat alone on the couch, her thoughts heavy with what had happened in the forest.
Mom… where are you?
Deep down, she wondered: Was she truly a person… or just a monster?
The battle and the voice that echoed inside her mind had brought back memories she had tried to bury — her mother's face, the warmth she'd lost.
The room felt silent and dim. She looked at the place where she had been injured — the wound had been deep, so deep she could see her own organs, yet it had closed without leaving a scar.
She touched her side. No pain. Instead of relief, an uncomfortable feeling settled in her chest.
She lifted her shirt, staring at her body, trying to find proof that she was still human.
That was when Ephini and Valmor entered. They froze, seeing her.
She screamed, face flushing red, and buried her head in her arms. For a moment, the room was still.
Finally, Ephini moved first. She sat beside Gilly on the couch. Valmor walked over to the window, opening it.
Sunlight flooded in, warm and golden. Gilly stared at it, the memory of sitting beside her mother coming back to her like a sting in the heart. Tears streamed down her cheeks before she could stop them.
Ephini didn't know exactly why she cried, but she understood enough. She opened her arms and gently pulled Gilly into a hug.
And that was all it took — Gilly broke down completely, crying without restraint. The pain of losing her mother, her friends, and the feeling of not belonging anywhere. It all spilled out.
Valmor quietly turned back to his paperwork, pretending not to watch.
A woman brought in tea, setting the cups silently on the table. Gilly stayed in Ephini's arms, sobbing until her body finally tired itself out. And when her sorrow had drained her strength, she fell asleep there, held close.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw the familiar ceiling decoration above her bed.
"When did I…?"
She turned to the side and saw Ephini sitting by the window. Wind blew through, making Ephini's long hair sway. For an instant, Gilly saw her mother in that silhouette — and the memory cut deep.
Pain swept over her: the memory of survival, of being left behind, of questioning if she deserved to live.
She almost let it swallow her, but then she heard a voice, calm and steady.
"Gilly, are you okay?"
She turned her head, nodded slightly, and sat up. Ephini looked hesitant. She had kept her distance from Gilly before; now it felt awkward to speak.
After a small struggle, Ephini finally whispered:
"I'm sorry, Gilly."
Gilly blinked, surprised. She hadn't expected that. Ephini's expression turned slightly embarrassed, but she pressed on.
"I was afraid… of my past. I didn't want to feel that pain again, so I—"
She paused. The words were harder to say than she thought.
"It's okay," Gilly said softly. "There's no need to explain. I don't have any right to question why you chose that."
But Ephini shook her head. "No… wait, it's not just that."
She hesitated, gathering the courage to continue.
"A few eras ago, we found a young girl. She was sweet, kind. My mother took her in, treated her like family.
She was talented with magi, so my mother taught her. But then… she found an old tome — an artifact. At first, my mother was happy. But it backfired. The knowledge was too much.
Those people came. They killed my mother and took Amy away."
This was the first time someone had opened up to Gilly about something so painful. Even Uyi, back in Genesis, had barely shared anything about his past.
But something didn't fit. Amy… Gilly knew an Amy too, but the girl she remembered had been so much younger — around eight or nine. Could they really be the same person?
She left the thought for now and instead said quietly:
"I met that girl in the forest today. She tried to kill me."
Ephini's expression darkened; she hadn't expected Gilly to have met her. She'd only thought Zin had seen Amy.
Gilly quickly added:
"But… she let me go. I don't know why, but she ran away like…"
Ephini laughed softly. She understood what Gilly meant, even if the words never came out.
Somehow, despite everything, she felt certain: Gilly would always remain Gilly.
And for Ephini, that was enough to hold onto.