Orifiel had been watching Aniela for a while now, longer than he cared to admit. The way she stood slightly apart from everyone else, the way her eyes drifted too often to nothing, like she was listening to something no one else could hear. Something about her felt… shifted.
“You seem distant, Aniela,” Orifiel finally said, breaking the quiet. His voice was gentle, not accusing, but firm enough to pull her attention back.
Aniela blinked, startled, as if she had been yanked from another world. “Huh? I’m fine,” she lied quickly, though even she could hear how hollow it sounded.
Erelah crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. “No, you’re not,” she said softly. “You’ve been like this since the accident. Since him.”
Aniela looked down at her hands. They trembled faintly. They noticed. Of
