The house felt different that evening.
Not loud. Not heavy. Just… full.
Evelyn noticed it the moment she stepped out of her room. The living room lights were on, not too bright, not too dim. The television was playing softly, some random show Liora had put on without really watching. The smell of cooked food still lingered in the air, warm and comforting, the kind that settled into the walls and made a place feel lived in.
For the first time in a long while, Evelyn didn't feel like she was merely staying somewhere.
She felt like she was home.
She walked slowly toward the kitchen, where Liora was rinsing dishes. Her movements were calmer than usual, less rushed. The panic from earlier in the day was gone, replaced by exhaustion and relief. Her mother was resting upstairs, finally asleep after much convincing.
"You should be resting too," Evelyn said lightly.
Liora glanced back and smiled. "I will. Just wanted to finish this first."
Evelyn leaned against the counter, watching her. "You've been strong today."
Liora scoffed softly. "I didn't feel strong. I felt like I was going to fall apart every five minutes."
"But you didn't," Evelyn replied. "That counts."
Liora turned off the tap and dried her hands. "You know," she said after a pause, "my mom hasn't stopped talking about you since you left her room."
Evelyn blinked. "About me?"
"She said you're too quiet for someone your age," Liora continued with a grin. "And that people who are too quiet usually carry too much."
Evelyn smiled faintly. "She's not wrong."
There was a brief silence, not awkward, just comfortable. The kind that didn't need filling.
Liora tilted her head. "You okay?"
Evelyn nodded. "Yeah. Just tired."
That was partly true. The day had taken more out of her than she wanted to admit. The confrontation at Halcyon. Selene's sharp words. The tension that clung to her even after she left. And then… everything at home.
Too many emotions stacked on top of each other.
"I'm going to check on your mom once more," Evelyn said. "Then I'll turn in."
"Okay," Liora replied. "Good night, Eve."
"Good night."
Evelyn climbed the stairs quietly. The hallway was dim, lit only by a small lamp near the wall. She stopped in front of the guest room and pushed the door open gently.
Liora's mother was asleep, her breathing steady, her face calmer than it had been in days. Evelyn stood there for a moment, watching. There was something grounding about the sight. Something that made her chest ache in a strange, unfamiliar way.
She closed the door softly and returned to her room.
Inside, she kicked off her shoes and sat on the edge of the bed. The silence wrapped around her, thicker now. She reached for her phone, more out of habit than intention.
No new messages.
She stared at the screen for a second longer than necessary before locking it and placing it face-down on the bed.
Evelyn lay back, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Her mind drifted, as it often did when the world finally slowed down. She thought about Milan. About the competition that was only just beginning. About Lina, kind and nervous and surprisingly sincere. About Selene, sharp-edged and angry, like someone who had never learned how to lose.
She wasn't worried about Selene.
Not yet.
What unsettled her more was the feeling that things were aligning too neatly. That the calm she was experiencing was temporary. Borrowed.
She turned onto her side and exhaled slowly.
You're allowed to rest, she told herself. Just for tonight.
A soft knock came at her door.
"Evelyn?" Liora's voice.
"Yeah?"
"I'm heading to bed. Just wanted to say… thank you. For today. For everything."
Evelyn smiled, though Liora couldn't see it. "You don't have to thank me."
"I know," Liora said. "Still."
"Sleep," Evelyn replied gently.
"You too."
The footsteps retreated. The house settled again.
Evelyn reached for her phone one more time, intending to set an alarm. As soon as she unlocked the screen, it vibrated.
A new message.
Her breath stilled.
Unknown contact.
Then the name resolved itself, sharp and unmistakable.
Adrian Cross
Her fingers froze.
She didn't open it immediately.
She stared at the name, at the familiarity of it, at how easily it disrupted the quiet she had fought so hard to build. Adrian had a way of doing that. Always had.
Slowly, she tapped the message.
Can we talk for a second? I'm outside your building.
The words were simple. Too simple.
Evelyn sat up, her back straightening as if instinctively bracing. Outside your building.
Not a request sent from afar. Not a conversation delayed for later.
Here. Now.
Her phone vibrated again, as if sensing her hesitation, but this time it was only the screen dimming.
Evelyn didn't move.
She listened.
The house was still quiet. Liora asleep. Her mother resting. Everything she had protected, everything she had held together today, was under this roof.
And just outside it… was Adrian.
The man who never asked unless he expected an answer.
Evelyn looked at the door. Then back at her phone.
She didn't reply.
She didn't stand up.
She simply held the phone in her hand, the glow of the screen reflecting in her eyes, her expression unreadable.
For the first time that night, the calm fractured.
And Evelyn knew — whatever happened next, the quiet wouldn't last much longer.