Driippp~
The hot water dripped steadily over his body, sliding down his shoulders and chest before falling from his fingertips and disappearing into the drain.
Young Aether stood motionless beneath the shower, his palm pressed against the cold tiled wall while his fingers tapped against it in an absent rhythm.
His eyes remained fixed downward, watching the water gather around his foot, swirl in small circles, and slowly vanish into the dark mouth of the drain.
He had remained silent ever since Allen brought up his mother.
Why had Allen mentioned her again?
And what exactly had he meant when he asked how Aether would react if she suddenly stood before him?
There was something wrong with the question.
More than wrong, it felt deliberate, as though Allen had carefully chosen those words because he already knew something Aether didn't.
Aether's fingers stopped tapping.
Something was bothering him.
Everything had happened too quickly.
