He swallowed hard, wanting to memorize every detail, the warmth of the chair beneath him, the smell of fresh bread, the sound of Alina humming softly as she buttered a slice for him. Don't forget, he told himself. Don't forget this, because maybe you'll never get it again. His little heart trembled at the memory of the whispers he'd overheard at Nightshade Court: that he would grow up alone, that his fate was only to become a shadow demon, to fight and fight until there was nothing left.
But he wanted to make new friends and learn many things.
He thought.
It was already afternoon, and Alina decided to put an educational story video on her laptop and let them watch while she went to do laundry.
The video played softly in the background, bright colors flashing across the screen. Sable sat curled on the rug, his knees hugged to his chest, but his eyes weren't following the story at all. His little face carried that quiet sadness he tried so hard to hide.
