As evening fell, Gabriel made his way to the Moon Temple to find Cynthia. He found her sitting on the porch, a solitary figure silhouetted against the rising moon as she stared up at the vast, darkening sky, devoid of clouds tonight.
"Why aren't you staying in the house I arranged for you?" Gabriel's voice broke the silence.
"Gabriel!" Cynthia breathed, rising to her feet as he strode toward her.
"Are you still sleeping in that cramped room provided by the temple?" Gabriel muttered, his jaw tightening with suppressed anger. "Why do you insist on staying here, in a place that reminds you of how the higher-ups punished you for a crime you never committed?"
"I like the peace here, Gabriel. I told you that," Cynthia replied softly. She watched him as he shrugged off his heavy, fur-lined long coat. Without a word, he draped it over her shoulders. He followed it by unwinding the thick muffler from his own neck and wrapping it carefully around hers.
