Tick…
Tick…
Tick…
Time passed slowly, dragging with it a heavy silence that filled every corner of the room. The faint sound of water dripping somewhere in the house echoed in the stillness, marking each passing second.
Before either of them realized it, an hour had gone by.
Not a single word exchanged.
Each of them sat with their own thoughts—turning over the same question again and again.
What now?
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The sound cut cleanly through the silence.
"Hey, boys! You still in there?!"
Before either of them could respond, the sharp jolt of metal against the lock echoed through the house. A key slid in, turned—, and the door creaked open.
A man stepped inside, shaking rain from a soaked umbrella. His coat clung heavily to his frame, darkened by the downpour.
Wuther?!
Luke straightened slightly. "Mister Wuther—uh… we're sorry. We were planning to be gone before you arrived."
Wuther didn't respond right away.
His eyes moved slowly across the room—the cracked walls, the holes letting in thin streaks of gray light, the muddy footprints trailing from the entrance across the floor. The place looked worse in the rain, as if it were finally giving in.
He stepped further inside, boots pressing into the damp wood, until his gaze settled on Damien.
The bruise on his face was already forming.
The coin pouch at his side is noticeably thinner.
Wuther hummed quietly. "Hmm… looks like the little gremlin ran into a shark."
His eyes lingered for a moment longer before shifting back to the room.
"Unfortunate," he added. "I take it your plans are… delayed."
Neither of the brothers answered.
They simply pushed themselves up in silence.
The house wasn't theirs anymore.
There was no reason to stay.
Damien grabbed the bag, and the two of them began to move toward the door without protest. Wuther was a large man—broad, strong, built from years of hammering iron. If he wanted them out, they wouldn't be able to argue.
"Stop."
The single word was calm, but firm.
They paused.
"You don't need to leave tonight," Wuther said, his tone steady. "I'm not so cruel as to throw two kids out into the rain… no matter how troublesome you are."
The brothers hesitated.
"Rest," he continued, setting his umbrella aside. "I'll come back tomorrow. You can leave in the morning."
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then, slowly, the tension in the room eased—just slightly.
It wasn't much.
But for now…It was enough.