Eirene did not turn away.
She stood before the figure, bathed in that impossible stillness.
Then slowly, she looked back over her shoulder.
Her gaze passed over every member of the Verdant Veil.
It lingered, just a heartbeat longer, on Lucien.
"I will stay here first," she said.
Her voice was calm.
The words did not sound like a choice made in the moment. They carried the weight of something already decided.
She raised her hand.
Then she stepped closer and met Lucien's eyes.
"Brother Luc," she said softly. "Please keep these for me."
Something flew toward him.
Lucien reacted on instinct, catching them against his chest.
Storage rings. A dozen of them.
He stared down at them as confusion tightened his brow.
"Sister Eirene… what do you mean?" he asked.
She smiled faintly.
"I will return soon," she said. "You should go first. All of you."
Her gaze swept over the group once more.
"Thank you," she added quietly, "for staying with me until this point."
