Chapter 282: Rin's POV
Back in Serenya.
A boy walked through the ruined streets. "Busy" wasn't the right word... no merchants calling out, no cheerful noise. The city was busy in the rawest sense: people dragging stone, rebuilding shattered walls, hammering against silence.
Rin drifted through it all, a hollow ache twisting in his chest. He didn't even know if he felt happy or sad.... only empty. Relief sat in him like a flicker of light: his aunt had been saved, she'd recover soon. But beyond that relief, turmoil chewed at him.
Because of her.
He pushed open the infirmary doors and headed straight to Laura's ward. Her status as the young mistress of Serenya gave her a better room than most.... well-built, polished but Rin didn't care for any of that. He wanted one thing only.
He prayed.
Prayed the scene would finally be different.
But it wasn't.
