Morning light filled the room slowly. Alaric was already awake, standing beside the bed fully dressed with his eyes resting on Silas for a moment. Something in his expression was quiet and unreadable, something he did not try to explain to the empty room. Then he turned and left without a sound.
Silas woke up later, the space beside him already cold. He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling as his body caught up with his mind and the night before settled into something real. He sat up, cleaned himself, dressed, and stepped out into the corridor where the house had already been awake for hours.
A guard passed and Silas stopped him, asking where his master was. The guard replied, "Dining hall," without meeting his eyes, and Silas simply nodded before walking in that direction. His steps were calm, but his mind was already moving ahead of him.
