The moment Edward exited his room, Aeris and Seraphine were already waiting just outside the door. The dim glow of lanterns from the hallway painted their faces in shades of gold and shadow. Edward's eyes met theirs, and for a heartbeat, everything else—the looming threat, the tension, the unspeakable events of the past hours—fell away.
"Be careful," Seraphine said softly, stepping forward, her hand brushing Edward's arm.
"We'll see each other soon," Aeris added, voice steady though tight with urgency. Edward nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line. No words could encapsulate the weight of what they all understood without saying a word.
With hurried goodbyes, the two girls left the townhouse.
They moved swiftly, almost silently, down the familiar cobblestones and toward the nearby stables. The night wrapped around them, cool and thick, pressing against their backs as if warning them to move quickly.
They didn't linger.
