Cindy returned from the office to find the living room drowned in darkness.
Ryan sat alone on the sofa, his clothes stained with fresh blood, his face dark and heavy.
She froze for a second. As she drew closer, the metallic tang of blood grew sharper in the air.
"Ryan?"
Ryan reached out to steady her, patting her back gently with a soft, reassuring smile.
"You're home."
Cindy ignored his attempt at calm. She crouched in front of him, fumbling frantically at the buttons of his shirt.
"What happened? Are you hurt? Who did this?"
Ryan caught her hands and pulled her down to sit beside him. "It's nothing. This isn't my blood."
Only after carefully checking his body and confirming there were no wounds did Cindy finally let herself relax.
Studying his younger sister's slowly improving
