After their late dinner, the group finally settled down for the night. The house they had taken refuge in was too small to accommodate everyone comfortably, so some people curled up in corners of the hallway with spare blankets while others shared cramped bedrooms. No one complained about this. All people tried to adjust with whatever they had.
Liora ended up with a small room at the back of the house, where she woke up today. It was barely wide enough to fit a narrow wooden bed, and with Eli already there—curled up like a cat in the far corner—there was little space for anyone else.
So, no one even tried to join them. It was the only room with a door that fully closed, and perhaps that's why no one questioned her taking it.
Eli had fallen asleep almost the moment his head hit the thin pillow. Liora could hear the steady rhythm of his breathing, soft and even, like a calm lull in the chaos they'd lived through.
