Elara returned to the garden.
She stayed seated on the bench pressed against the side wall, knee stretched out, the stained cloth secured with too much care. The stone beneath her feet was still cold. The grass on the other side looked far away, even though it wasn't.
The children began to move again.
They didn't run. They walked in smaller circles, slipping past one another without contact. The cloth ball stayed still for too long, until someone nudged it with the tip of a foot, without force.
Elara followed the movement with her eyes.
When she tried to rise even a little, the tutor behind her cleared her throat.
"Stay."
Elara stayed.
The sound of laughter didn't come back. The air in the garden felt held. The wall remained high. The house kept watching.
After a stretch of time Elara couldn't measure, the children were called inside.
One by one. No hurry. No looking back.
The garden emptied.
Elara remained on the bench.
The tutor came closer and adjusted the cloth on her knee, tightening it a bit more than before.
"Come."
Elara slid down from the bench carefully. The knee complained. She shifted more weight to the other leg.
They went inside.
The corridor was too quiet. Closed doors. Muffled steps somewhere far off.
Elara was taken back to the same room as before. The bed was made. The smell hadn't changed.
The door closed.
It didn't lock.
Elara sat on the edge of the bed. The cloth on her knee was dry now. Dark.
She looked at the stain.
It didn't shine.
On the other side of the door, voices surfaced. Low. Short. Phrases that died before becoming meaning.
"…have to tell."
"…not now."
"…today still."
Footsteps moved away. Others came. The sound of paper being pulled. Something scraping slowly, again and again.
Elara leaned back a little and stared at the ceiling. A thin crack ran through the wood near the unlit lamp.
Her knee pulsed in small waves.
The corridor light shifted. Dimmer. Then more yellow.
The door opened.
The tutor came in with a lit candle and a plain plate. She set the candle on the table. The flame barely trembled.
"Eat."
Elara did.
The food had no taste.
The tutor stayed there, standing, longer than needed.
Then she drew a deep breath.
"Tomorrow morning, someone will come see you."
Elara lifted her face.
"See?"
The tutor nodded.
"Just to talk."
She adjusted the cloth on the knee again, even though it was already firm.
"Sleep."
The word wasn't an order. It wasn't comfort either.
The tutor left.
The door closed.
Elara sat on the bed, the plate still in her hand. The candle threw crooked shadows across the wall. The flame crackled softly.
She blew it out with a short breath.
The room went dark.
Her body took time to lie down. When it did, the knee protested. She turned slowly, careful not to pull the cloth.
The corridor fell silent.
Elara closed her eyes.
The night passed too slowly.