I stood there for a second longer than necessary, holding the stack in my hands, letting the cold and the silence settle me.
It was strange, but the simple act of tracking them down, one by one, had helped. It gave my thoughts somewhere else to go, something physical to focus on instead of the mess in my head.
I turned back toward the building, papers secure under my arm, feeling just a little steadier than I had half an hour ago.
I climbed the stairs, the cold still clinging to my coat, when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out mid-step and answered, entering the building.
"Hello?"
"I saw you entering the building," a woman said. Calm. Professional. "Have you found all the pages?"
"Yeah," I replied automatically, then slowed. "Wait—who is this?"
"Maeve. Amelia's here in the infirmary. I'm actually looking at you through the window right now." There was a faint smile in her voice. "You can come up if you want."
