Echoes of the Unseen

cocoa in his hands. He held it out to her, and she hesitated before

ed, her gaze fixed on the man as he

ly, his voice steady. "Those were

, broken only by the gentle creak of the

e," Elizabeth said after a moment,

ed, his express

Elizabeth pressed, le

abrupt halt. His eyes flickered to the flames in the fireplace

e words caught in his throat. This was a memory he had buri

, his tone heavy with grief. "Beautif

ure of what to say. She could see the weight of the memory in his

r?" she asked gently, her v

s on his knees. "Life happened," he said cryptically,

d. A part of her felt bad for pushing, but she couldn't help her curiosity. There

t Elizabeth toward the door. For a moment, it

id, his voice low and heavy, almost d

nd breaking the stillness. Elizabeth followed his gaze to the door,

asked softly, almost

s lost in the flickering flames. "Life has a way of taking what you cherish most

er voice soft but pointed. "Because you were scared something was going

f his chair. He didn't look at her right away

ant. Standing up, he moved to the window, drawing the curtains closed. T

it as if grounding herself for what she was about to say. "I killed someone," she

her. Slowly, he turned, his face etc

e asked, his voice ba

er hands trembled slightly. "The man who kept me prisoner, who made me... do thi

g passing through his eyes. He stepped closer, his move

on," he said carefully,

beth replied, her gaze locked o

ilence, the weight of her conf

fession. He didn't know what to say or how to react. The si

laced with something Elizabeth couldn't quite place. Was it concern? Or jud

comfort, then turned toward his room. "If you need

alked away, then called aft

turning back with a

he name on her tongue befor

eared into the dim hallway, leaving Elizabeth alone

ar the faint echo of her heartbeat in her ears, steady but restless. The weight of exhaus

t n

all slip of paper between her fingers, the address staring back at her, offering no answers. It was her only lead,

her gaze drift to the wooden ceiling above her. The warm flicker

s she will

already crossed so many lines-stolen, killed, run.

he paper. Whatever was at that