The room emptied quietly.
Vikoria left first, after making sure Shunya was stable and Naomi was standing without swaying. She said nothing as she closed the door behind her, but her eyes lingered on both of them. Like she knew something important was about to happen.
The silence that followed felt heavier than the siege.
Shunya lay still on the bed, staring at the wooden beams above him. Every muscle felt like it had been punished for daring to exist. The system had gone quiet. No warnings. No prompts. Just a dull awareness of damage.
Naomi stood near the window, back turned to him.
She did not speak right away.
When she did, her voice was low.
"You know! You really scared me."
Shunya blinked.
He turned his head slightly. Naomi arms were folded tight across her chest, shoulders tense, posture rigid like she was holding herself together by force.
"To be honest, I scared everyone." he said.
"No... That is not what I meant," she replied.
