The faint hum of the elevator filled the silence between them as the floor number ticked down.
"You remembered something," he said quietly, his tone calm but laced with concern.
Nnenna blinked, her breathing uneven. The golden light of the elevator felt too bright, the air too heavy. "Arthur," she whispered at last. "I was in here with Arthur… about thirteen years ago."
Carl's gaze softened. "Go on."
"I didn't— I wanted to spend the day with him," she said, her voice trembling between memory and realization. "Then we… we decided to hide f-from everyone."
"Okay." Carl nodded slowly, reassuringly. "That's good. I mean, it's good you're remembering."
The elevator chimed softly, doors sliding open to reveal the castle's vast ground floor, sunlight flooding the marble hall. But Nnenna didn't move. Her reflection wavered faintly in the polished doors, her expression caught between relief and frustration.
