The light in the room was soft, filtered through curtains that swayed gently with the wind.
Lyena opened her eyes slowly.
Her arms felt heavy, but her chest was warm - like something inside her was still glowing.
She didn't recognize the ceiling.
Or the bed.
Or the scent of lavender in the air.
But she wasn't afraid
An old man sat beside her.
He wore simple robes and soft grey with faded edges.
He didn't speak right away.
He just folded his hands on his lap and waited.
Lyena blinked a few times.
Then whispered, "Where are the other children?"
The man tilted his head slightly.
Then he stood, walked to the door, and opened it without a word.
A moment of silence.
Then-
Footsteps.
Laughter.
Small voices shouting her name.
The children rushed into the room like sunlight through an open window.
They didn't stop.
They didn't ask.
They ran straight to her - arms open, eyes wide.
One boy jumped onto the bed and hugged her like she might disappear again.
Two girls grabbed her arms.
Another sat by her knees and started crying softly.
Lyena didn't speak.
She only held them back, one by one, her eyes filling slowly with something no one could name.
The man stood by the door, watching.
He didn't smile.
But his eyes stayed on Lyena longer than necessary.
He had seen many children over the years.
Some came with strange gifts.
Some with ancient scars.
Some whispered in their sleep.
Some had eyes that shimmered when they cried.
He had thought many of them might be one of the eight.
Most were not.
He wasn't sure about this girl either.
But he remembered how she had looked when they found her.
Not frightened.
Not proud.
Not broken.
Just... still.
Like someone waiting for a storm to pass.
He said nothing.
He only thought:
"Perhaps not one of the eight. But this one... she carries something."
"Not power. Not prophecy. But something rare."
"Potential."
Lyena didn't hear his thoughts.
She was too busy laughing for the first time in days, buried in the arms of children who had seen the same pain she had.
And the man didn't say his name.
To her, he was just a quiet stranger who opened the door when she needed it most.
End of Chapter 13 - The Room with No Name