The morning broke with a dull gray light, and with it, a heavy silence lingered over Narra Alley.
Reya was inconsolable. Her small frame shook with sobs as she clung to Jethru's sleeve, burying her face into the rough fabric as though it could tether her to everything she was leaving behind. She murmured brokenly between her tears, repeating how she would miss the two old men, the children, and her new friends—Thalia, Zeeta, and Leah—names that had only recently become precious to her.
"If you don't want to go, then stay," Jethru snapped, though his voice lacked its usual bite. His brow was furrowed, his tone sharp, more from frustration than cruelty. "Why keep crying like it's goodbye forever? You know Lara's coming back. Unless you don't want to come back with her."
At his words, Reya stifled her sobs, her chest still hitching. She lifted her tear-streaked face, eyes glistening, feeling aggrieved.
