There was too much folded into that single question.
Now that you've stepped down.
Now that you've destroyed everything.
Now that you're free.
Eris's lips curved... not cruelly, but faintly, like the ghost of a smile that had forgotten what joy felt like.
"I believe that is my own business."
She let the words rest in the air a moment, then added, softer...
"But if you must know... I won't be around to bother you and Ophelia anymore."
A murmur rippled through the onlookers... curiosity, disbelief, dread. But Caelen's expression only hardened, suspicion sharpening into something darker.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I plan to travel," she said simply. "With my time."
It was vague... too vague. A statement polished to sound harmless, yet every syllable carried the weight of farewell. She was already gone in her heart; this was merely the courtesy of informing the world.
But then Caelen's voice changed. The edge softened, replaced by something almost fragile.
