The door creaked open quietly, its sound almost lost to the hush of falling snow outside.
Noah didn't turn his head.
He remained seated at the edge of his bed, back straight, hands resting over his knees, gaze distant and locked on the half-fogged window.
He already knew who it was.
The sound of soft leather shoes stepping in.
Then the door gently closed again.
"It's been a while...my lovely dove."
Iris Star.
Her voice was light.
Not fragile, never fragile, but soft in a way that made the weight in Noah's chest pull tighter.
There was a pause.
Then, she stepped fully into view, letting the dim light of his room fall over her.
She hadn't changed.
Her hair still cascaded like black silk down her back, and those red eyes...
Noah said nothing.
His throat was tight.
She took a few steps closer, hands behind her back as if she wasn't sure whether to sit or keep standing.
She studied him for a moment.
He looked thinner. Hollow.
