There was no answer at the door.
Even after Yumi had knocked... three times, softly but firmly—
Not a single sound came from within.
No footsteps. No voices. Not even a creak of the floorboards to suggest someone was inside.
Just silence.
A heavy, suffocating silence that pressed down on her chest like a weight.
She exhaled slowly, her hand still hovering near the doorframe.
"...I'm coming in," she murmured under her breath, half out of habit, half out of guilt.
Then, with a quiet creak, she opened the door and stepped inside.
The air was cold.
Not from any breeze or magic—but from grief.
The kind of cold that settled deep into your bones and made everything feel heavy.
Stale.
Lifeless.
When her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, she saw her.
Hina.
She was sitting by the edge of the bed, her back hunched slightly, her head lowered. She hadn't moved a single inch since the last time Yumi had seen her.
And beside her… was him.
Kouhei.
