After leaving the forest with the hooded man unconscious, Kael and the others returned to the rickety house, which was on the verge of collapse. The rain continued to fall with an almost ritualistic insistence, as if the earth itself wanted to drown the pain that had been sown there.
They walked in silence, slowly, covered in mud, while the stench of the soggy field enveloped their senses.
When they reached the old apple tree, the sound of the world seemed to fade away.
There were no screams. No sobs. Only the monotonous sound of rain hitting the rotten wood.
The wife's mangled body was gone. So was the baby's corpse. Only the disturbed earth beneath the tree, two barely visible mounds, and the cold feeling that something had ended remained.
Kael looked at the scene expressionlessly. His eyes scanned the area as if assessing a transaction that had already been completed.
"He's not here," Lydia whispered, looking around.
Eren remained silent, his eyes downcast.
