[: 3rd POV :]
Melira forced a smile, though there was an undeniable weight behind it.
"I'm sorry I couldn't visit you earlier... I had my own situation to handle."
The admission hung between them like a fragile thread, and Caelira's heart tightened.
She felt a pang of guilt—how could she ask for help when she herself had failed to find Daniel?
Yet she knew this was necessary before she could reach out to the Overseer.
"Don't be sorry, Melira," Caelira replied quietly, her voice edged with gratitude and regret.
"I understand. We all carry burdens." She hesitated, then pressed on.
"But there is something... something I need your help with."
Melira's gaze sharpened with focus and warmth.
"If it is within my power, I will gladly offer my support," she promised.
Caelira took a deep breath, searching for the words as if untangling a knot in her mind.
"I don't know where to start... but do you know why we disappeared—why so many of us vanished—about twelve years ago?"
