Orifiel found Aniela sitting on the edge of a quiet street, knees pulled to her chest, shoulders trembling. The night lights blurred through her tears, turning into long streaks of gold and white. She hadn’t noticed him at first. She was too busy drowning in the echo of her own thoughts.
“Aniela,” Orifiel said gently, crouching down in front of her.
She flinched at the sound of her name, then looked up. Her eyes were red, swollen, and exhausted. “I—I didn’t mean to disappear,” she said immediately, as if she had been caught doing something wrong. “I just… I couldn’t stay.”
Orifiel sighed softly and sat beside her instead of questioning her further. “You’re crying like someone who’s been holding everything in for too long,” he said. “What happened?”
She pressed her lips together, trying
