Seraphina's hands trembled as she fed pure Saintess Light into Vahn's battered body. The gentle glow illuminated the room like a dying sunrise. Her lips quivered, tears dripping silently onto his cheeks.
Zephya knelt nearby on the cold marble floor, shoulders shaking, barely able to breathe through her sobs. She had cried from the moment they arrived, repeating apologies until her voice was raw and broken.
Seraphina looked up finally, her expression torn between anguish and something far colder.
"Zephya, look at me."
The girl flinched but obeyed, forcing her eyes upward. Her silver hair was plastered to her cheeks with tears.
"Answer me honestly," Seraphina demanded,
"Were you involved in that ambush? Did you lead my husband into a trap?"
Zephya's eyes widened, and she shook her head violently.
"No! No, Master! I swear I didn't know anything. I thought… I thought I had come alone, not with any of the Supreme Elders. I didn't even sense them… I didn't… I didn't…"
