The fire had dimmed, glowing embers casting long shadows across the ruins of the manor. Laughter still lingered in the air, though it had quieted into comfortable silence.
Elara stood, brushing off the dust from her long coat. The circles under her eyes were darker than before, and even as she smiled at the others, her gaze looked distant, like it was still sifting through data, piecing together some unfathomable equation in her mind.
"I should get back," she said, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I've already been away from my research longer than I intended…"
"Shocking," Nadya murmured. "She's been here the whole time and still mentally at her lab."
Elara gave her a tired glare, but didn't deny it.
