Several days had passed since then——or rather, Lira's sense of dates had become hazy. Every evening, she climbed the mountain path. She knocked on Kael's cottage door. A brief silence. The door opened. She was not turned away. That alone was more than enough of an achievement for her. Kael said nothing. He did not tell her to stay away. He simply sat in a chair and gazed out the window. Lira spoke, and Kael remained silent. Lira searched for her next words and spoke again. The pattern repeated. Not so much a wall as stone. No matter how much you struck it, the sound never changed——a thick stone wall. And yet, Lira noticed. Kael did not stand. He did not close the door. Though he seemed to look out the window, his gaze would occasionally drift toward Lira——for just a moment, truly just a moment, then quietly return. A small tremor that almost no one would notice. (What is that. It's not rejection. But it's not acceptance either. ……Then what?) Unable to find an answer, Lira descend