The words burned in Eleanora's throat.
'I'm a regressor. I've seen you die. The world ended, and I woke up here. Desperate to change it.'
She wanted to scream it. To say everything, right now. But when she opened her mouth. Nothing came out. Not a sound.
Her fingers tightened around the teacup in her hands. The white porcelain pressed against her skin, her knuckles turning pale.
The tea inside. Sweet and warm just moments ago, now smelled too thick, too strong. It turned her stomach.
Like it was mocking her.
Like it knew she was too afraid to speak the truth.
Besides her. Kyle sat, lazily sipping his chocolate latte.
A bit of whipped cream stuck to his upper lip, and for one ridiculous second.
Eleanora felt the urge to lean over and wipe it off. Like this was normal. Like things were fine.
But nothing was fine.
She clenched her jaw and forced herself to look away.
Focus.
She swallowed her throat, dry. Her voice came out quieter than she wanted.
