The silence inside the temple stretched long after the sound of the serpent faded.
Vencian leaned against the rough wall, breathing hard. The air smelled of old stone and stale water. Roselys stood beside the girl, her own breath uneven but quiet.
Then the girl broke down.
Her hands covered her face as she started crying, shoulders shaking. The sound echoed faintly through the hollow space.
Roselys knelt beside her, voice calm. "It's all right now. We're safe here."
The girl kept sobbing for a while before she managed a weak nod.
Vencian looked away, letting Roselys handle it. He had no idea what comfort sounded like.
"What's your name?" Roselys asked.
"Reine," the girl said between breaths.
Roselys smiled faintly. "I'm Roselys. This is Vencian."
Reine's eyes darted toward him. He gave her a brief nod. "Nice to meet you, Reine. You gave that creature a good race out there."
A small laugh escaped her, still broken by a sniffle.
The tension in the air eased.
