Chibuzor's lips pressed into a thin line. Great. Everyone else understands the gravity of this… except me.
He handed over some instructions, then went upstairs to freshen up. Each step felt heavier than usual, the quiet not so quiet of the house pressing against him like a physical weight.
Halfway up, a fleeting thought struck him. What is she facing right now? The idea of calling her flickered in his mind, but he dismissed it almost immediately. What excuse could he give that wouldn't make him seem… affected? Vulnerable? That was not him.
After freshening up, he returned downstairs to eat, but the sight of the empty chairs made his steps falter. The silence echoed around him, sharp and unyielding, a reminder of the consequences that even he could not control.
Sitting alone at the dining table, Chibuzor found the silence suffocating.
