Sereena sat quietly on the stone bench outside the infirmary, hands resting in her lap. The dim lantern light cast soft shadows across the hall, and the muted footsteps of medics came and went like passing thoughts. Her eyes were tired but alert, fixed on the door.
She didn't pace. She didn't fidget. She just waited.
When a healer finally stepped out, she stood right away.
"You're the trainee who brought him in?" the medic asked.
"Yes," she said calmly. "Kassian—how is he?"
"Stable," the medic replied. "He woke briefly. The wounds were serious, but he'll recover. He'll need rest, but you got him here in time."
Relief loosened the tension in her shoulders. "Thank you."
The medic gave a small nod and moved on. Sereena exhaled softly and sat back down. A quiet sense of peace settled over her—not happiness, but something close to it. Kassian was safe. That was enough.
Footsteps approached—not hurried, but certain.
She looked up before he spoke.
Lucas.
He stopped a few paces away, studying her like he was trying to read something behind her eyes. She offered a small, tired smile.
"He's going to be okay," she said first, voice gentle. "They said he'll wake fully by morning."
"I heard," Lucas replied.
There was a pause—not awkward, just weighted.
Sereena folded her hands again and looked down briefly before speaking, her tone soft but steady. "I'm guessing the Council thinks I'm the first suspect."
Lucas didn't immediately respond, and she continued, not sounding bitter—just honest.
"I understand why. I was there. I found him. And I'm not exactly… known here. Not the way others are."
Her voice never rose. There was no anger in it—only quiet acceptance of how things tended to work.
Lucas watched her closely. "You're not under accusation."
"I know," she said, and she meant it. "But even if no one's said it, I'm sure the thought is there. I don't blame them for being cautious. Something like this has never happened before."
There was a gentleness in her eyes, but it didn't dull her resolve.
"I just want them to know I would never hurt anyone here. Especially not someone I was trying to help."
Lucas's expression shifted—something unreadable, but not harsh.
"You were the first one on scene," he said quietly.
"I heard something," she explained. "It didn't sound right, so I checked. I thought maybe someone needed help. That's all." She hesitated, then added, softer, "I know wandering alone at that hour wasn't the smartest thing. But I couldn't ignore it."
Silence stretched briefly between them. For once, Lucas didn't seem to know what to say.
Sereena looked toward the infirmary door again. "If they need to question me, I'll answer whatever they ask. I don't have anything to hide."
"You might still be called in by morning," Lucas said. His voice had lost its edge.
She nodded. "I figured."
He studied her for another long moment. There was suspicion still—but also something else creeping in. Something that didn't quite fit the idea of her as a threat.
Finally he said, "Get some rest before they summon you."
She gave a quiet, grateful nod. "I will. Thank you… for telling me."
He turned as if to leave, then paused. "You said you understand why they'd suspect you."
"Yes."
"But you don't seem worried."
Sereena stood, brushing her hands together lightly. "Being worried won't change the truth. And the truth is simple—I didn't hurt Kassian. I did what I could to save him. Whatever they decide to believe after that… I'll face it."
Lucas didn't reply right away. His eyes lingered on her—like she was more of a puzzle now than before.
Without another word, he finally walked away.
Sereena watched him go, then glanced once more toward the infirmary door.
Kassian was alive.
And if they questioned her come sunrise, she would meet it with the same calm she always had—quiet, steady, and unshaken by doubt.
Because being underestimated was nothing new.
But being innocent?
That, she could prove.