Vanessa pointed toward a metal door at the far end. "You can bathe in there and change your clothes," she said softly, her voice still carrying a trace of relief.
Liam nodded, running a hand slowly through his messy, soot-streaked hair. "Thanks," he muttered under his breath, his voice low and tired. He didn't even try to smile there was no strength left for that right now. His fingers tangled in the grimy strands of his hair for a second before he dropped his hand and started walking toward the door she had pointed at.
When he got there, he pushed the door open with one hand, and the first thing that caught his eye was a tall mirror propped up against the wall. It wasn't fancy or mounted just leaning there, like it was dragged in and forgotten. Still, it reflected the entire room, and when Liam stepped fully inside and shut the door behind him, his eyes locked onto his own reflection.
He froze.
For a second, he didn't even recognize the person staring back at him.
