—What's going on here…? —Roy exclaimed.
He stepped forward without asking for space. Straightened up—and that posture alone was enough to make everyone yield a step back. The irritation in his gaze needed no words.
Joan was helping Cinthia to her feet. Gary leaned against a wall.
Lía had retreated a few steps. The fear hadn't left her; it still clung to her body as she watched Rudy, still restrained by William. Her eyes never left him.
—I don't think I can hold on much longer, Rudy… calm down —William said, his voice tight with effort. They were evenly matched in strength. Even so, he kept that almost gentle tone.
Rudy lowered his arm. He said nothing. He only turned his head toward the small figure on the floor.
Roy bent down and helped her sit up carefully. He brushed the strands of hair from her face and saw the swelling on her cheek.
She pulled her hand away at once, as if the gesture itself weighed on her. She turned aside, lowering her head to hide her face.
—I'm fine…
It was the tone that unsettled everyone. Too calm. As if what had happened were nothing more than a minor stumble.
—How can you say that? —Roy said, without raising his voice.
—I already said I'm fine… —she paused—. Besides… how are you?
She laced her fingers together and leaned slightly to one side, just enough to look past Roy, toward where Rudy stood. He caught her gaze. The faint curve of a smile beneath her hair. That gentle voice that didn't fit the scene.
Rudy didn't answer. He was visibly shaken. Even he couldn't understand that ease of speaking after what had just happened.
Neither could anyone else.
Faced with the spectators' silence, the discomfort became almost tangible. It wasn't a murmur or a void—it was pressure, suspended in the air. William sensed it at once.
—All right… all right… —he raised his voice just enough to encompass everyone in the hallway—. We'll talk about this calmly later. But for now, please, leave. The council will handle this mess—don't worry… I assume you all have things to do.
The tone was light, almost cordial. Too much so.
Joan stepped forward.
—Who are you… —he placed a hand on William's shoulder.
It was a mistake. The slap landed clean and sharp. Joan's head turned from sheer inertia.
—…DON'T TOUCH ME —William still held onto that politeness. Anticlimactic.
He didn't shout. He barely raised his voice, but the effect was immediate. Some flinched. Others brought a hand to their chest by reflex. Joan froze. Stepped back.
—I only want the important ones here —William added, already calm—. And I'm not interested in hearing you. Be kind enough to leave.
No one argued. No one could. The hallway began to empty slowly, as if each step cost more than the last. They swallowed hard. They obeyed. Even Roy felt that familiar pressure return to his chest.
Roy ground his teeth.
—Lía… —he said without turning.
She didn't answer. Only her retreating footsteps were heard. Then Roy reacted—he spun around sharply.
—Where are you going, Lía?!
She kept walking. She offered her face to no one. Not even Cinthia dared to follow her. She remained still, as if the floor itself had held her in place.
—Damn it! What is happening?! —Roy struck the floor.
The impact echoed near the small girl; the jolt ran through her body.
Gary added, with an almost distracted insolence:
—You and that crazy one have something going on, right?
—Shut up!
Roy forced himself to breathe. He ran a hand over his face and turned back to the small girl.
—I'm sorry… —his fingers tightened too much—. I really am. This shouldn't have happened.
Something in his voice was broken. The girl swallowed.
—N-no… it's fine… —she said—. I got myself into this. I knew it could happen…
—You're from the other side —he replied, without lifting his head—, wherever you come from… no one deserves that.
He paused briefly.
—Rudy… you too. I'm sorry.
Rudy turned his face away. He pushed his lower lip forward, as if letting out a minor irritation. He said nothing. The silence didn't weigh—it seemed settled, almost calm.
—Hey… —he took two steps toward the girl—. Who are you… and why would you do something so stupid?
Rudy seemed genuinely upset. The tension showed in his shoulders, in the rigid way he held her gaze. But it faded the moment the girl replied.
The expression she showed was clean, almost disarming, accompanied by a clear voice, free of calculation.
—My name is Mio… and I just saw that you needed help… —she smiled sweetly.
It was as if the light had shifted toward her. They couldn't help but notice.
William, almost without realizing it, let a sincere smile escape—the first.
And Cinthia, trapped in her confusion, in the persistent noise of her own thoughts, felt a fissure. Something had moved inside her: in those simple words, in the way Mio looked without asking for anything, with a clarity that almost hurt.