"Lydia."
A voice from behind me shattered my trance. I tore my gaze away from the darkness where Rune had vanished and turned to see who'd called my name.
Commander Quinn.
"Y-yes... I was just standing here in case they forgot something and came back," I said. It was half-truth, but enough to cover my embarrassing reason for lingering.
"Yeah..." Quinn's voice was gentle, a soft smile playing on her lips. "But it's been an hour since they left."
An hour? Had I really been standing here that long?
My heart ached. Doesn't that mean... they're not coming back anymore?
"I see..." There was nothing I could say to cover it anyway. "I'll come back in like half an hour."
I'd gotten used to standing here, for some reason.
Quinn laughed into her fist. "Actually, I'm here to tell you something important." Her tone shifted, taking on a slightly serious edge.
