The door slammed shut behind Freya, and the chamber was suddenly too quiet. Aria stood still, her breath shallow, the sting of the encounter still burning in her chest like a fading ember. Her hand trembled slightly at her side, though her face remained composed at least on the surface.
Outside, footsteps thundered in the corridor, rapid and disoriented. Then, another set followed, slower, more deliberate. The door creaked open again, and Dante stepped through.
He paused just inside the threshold, frowning. "She nearly knocked me over," he said, eyes sweeping across the room. "What happened here?"
Aria didn't answer immediately. Her gaze was fixed on a far-off point, but her thoughts were elsewhere still lingering on the words Freya had spat, the weight of old grievances passed down lik
